Perspectives and challenges for the study of brain responses to coaching: Enhancing the dialogue between the fields of neuroscience and coaching psychology

Article: The interest in coaching psychology and neuroscience have been steadily increasing over the past 15 years. However, the two fields have not yet established consistent dialogues underpinned by experimental research. This paper highlights the importance of such dialogue for the growth of evidence-based coaching and how coaching psychology could benefit from previous neuroimaging and electroencephalographic studies in the field of psychotherapy and task-specific brain functioning to design research protocols that could significantly contribute to our understanding of how coaching works at the brain level and how coachees could best achieve results.

Launched in August, 2020, The International Journal of Coaching Psychology is a peer reviewed journal that publishes theory, research and practice articles on all aspects of coaching psychology.

The International Journal of Coaching Psychology editorial team invite papers on the theory, research and practice of coaching psychology. Editorials are written by the editors on topics of general interest or journal policy. Perspectives, leading articles, invited papers and keynote speeches maybe commissioned from experts in the coaching psychology and applied fields.

The journal team welcome research and discussion papers, brief reports, short papers on techniques, book reviews and conference reports.

The journal is sponsored by the International Society for Coaching Psychology, a professional membership body.

The Editor is Dr Siobhain O’Riordan PhD.

11-12 October, 2018, London, UK.

8th International Congress of Coaching Psychology, 2018

Theme: Coaching & Positive Psychology: Enhancing Resilience, Performance & Health

Hosted by the International Society for Coaching Psychology. This Two-Day Conference offers Masterclasses, Keynote and Invited Speakers, Skills-based Sessions and Poster Presentations. The event will focus upon the practice and research of Positive and Coaching Psychology exploring themes resilience, performance and health.

Location: The National Council for Voluntary Organisations, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL.

NB. The conference centre is adjacent to the canal. The ecopsychology informed coaching mini-workshop pair-work will take place along the canal path. Bring an umbrella in case of rain!

Booking: Website

New Journal, The European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology is launched on 29 April, 2017.

The European Journal of of Applied Positive Psychology (EJAPP) was launched on 29 April, 2017 . The EJAPP is a peer reviewed journal focusing on all aspects of the theory, research and practice of positive psychology.

The Co-editors are: Dr Ilona Boniwell PhD (France), Prof Stephen Palmer PhD (England), Dr Siobhain O’Riordan PhD (England). The Associate Editors are Dr Anthony Grant PhD (Australia), Pascale Haag (France) and Dr Rebecca Shankland PhD (France).

The editors look forward to receiving contributions reflecting the counselling and psychotherapy field in Europe and beyond. Visit the website for further information about submissions.

Further Information from the EJAPP website.

Moving forward neuroscience research

Research Fellows at the Centre for Neuroscience, Dr Nollaig Heffernan and Prof Stephen Palmer have just had an article published titled: Moving forward neuroscience research in the fields of coaching psychology and sport psychology: Would Imagery Based Coaching be a useful area to research? 

In this discussion paper they briefly consider the problems that both coaching psychology and sport psychology researchers can encounter when undertaking neuroscience research. They propose that Imagery Based Coaching is an easier area to undertake neuroscience research, in contrast to conversational coaching.

The article can be read on the Centre website or downloaded from ResearchGate.

We welcome Dr Nollaig Heffernan who joins the Centre for Neuroscience faculty. She is a Sport and Exercise Psychologist (BPS) and a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland. She is an independent Management Consultant and works with businesses from sole traders to multinationals specialising in Leadership and Management, Organisational Psychology, Workplace Performance and Stress Management. In her role as a Sport Psychologist she works with all abilities from beginner to elite in a wide range of sports. She is a successful rowing coach with wins at national and international level. She regularly speaks at conferences and universities as a specialist lecturer or guest speaker and is a contributing author to a number of business books including the Association for Coaching’s Psychometrics in Coaching and Leadership Coaching.

Her interests include the neuroscientific make-up of high performing individuals, the cross-discipline transfer of effective coping strategies, resilient leadership and enhancing wellbeing in the workplace. She has co-authored (with Stephen Palmer) a paper, Moving forward neuroscience research in the fields of coaching psychology and sport psychology: Would Imagery Based Coaching be a useful area to research?  which will be published in Coaching Psychology International this summer.

We are pleased to announce that Dr Gisele Dias PhD has joined the Centre for Neuroscience faculty. Dr Dias is a neuroscientist, psychologist and coaching psychologist. She is Director of the Coaching Psychology Unit and member of the Translational Neurobiology Unit at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil.

She has published several original articles and review papers in both psychology and neuroscience journals. This includes articles on coaching psychology and also the problems involved in undertaking neuroscience research applied to the field of coaching psychology.

Her main research areas of interest are the neurobiological correlates of coaching outcomes and the interface between coaching, positive psychology and mental health/wellbeing. She is first author of “Cognitive-behavioural coaching: evidence-based and solution-focused human development”, published in Brazil in 2015 by Editora Cognitiva.

Professor Stephen Palmer,  said, “We are really pleased that Dr Gisele Dias has joined the team. Her experience in both coaching psychology and neuroscience brings together two fields that are of great interest to our students at our affiliated centres which are attached to the International Academy for Professional Development.”

Centre for Neuroscience, London, officially launched on 6th May 2016

The International Academy for Professional Development Ltd and the National Wellbeing Service Ltd launched the Centre for Neuroscience on 6th May, 2016 to focus on developing and providing neuroscience courses that are linked to the programmes already provided by our associated centres and faculties, the Centre for Coaching and the Centre for Stress Management.

Director, Professor Stephen Palmer PhD said, “We are delighted to launch the Centre for Neuroscience. We already include neuroscience and psychobiology in our lectures on various courses at the International Academy for Professional Development and our centres. However, many of our students and alumni have expressed an interest in learning more about neuroscience linked to stress, resilience, wellbeing, health, psychotherapy and coaching. We will be launching courses in 2016 to support their interests.”

The International Academy for Professional Development Ltd was established in 2010 to bring together approved centres and faculties of expertise that provide professional development courses and programmes to professionals around the world.