Using strengths-based psychology in the workplace

Read Time: 2 mins

When I first started in change management and coaching, I was advised not to mention my psychology training. They said people wouldn’t want to talk to me because they would be worried everyone would think they were ‘crazy’. Where did that concern come from, and is it true?

When most people think ‘psychologist’, they think ‘treatment’ especially of mental health problems. But while many psychologists support people to address problems in their lives, there is a whole branch of psychology solely dedicated to developing organisations and individuals to be their best: Organisational Psychology, of which coaching psychology is a part.

The strengths-based approach of coaching psychology views people as already ‘whole’ and functioning, and focuses on developing their inherent strengths.*

But I often get asked, ‘why not just see a life coach’? Coaches can help you set goals and support you to work towards them, but a coaching psychologist has an additional skill set, developed over 6-8 years of intensive training, that can help you identify and understand issues that might be holding you back, as well as strategies to help you move forward.

Did you know that professionals and managers have higher rates of stress, anxiety and depression than other workers?** Twenty five percent of people seeking coaching experience significant psychological distress.*** A coaching psychologist can help identify and manage stressors, while focusing on developing your strengths because they have a deep understanding of behaviour, health and wellbeing. A background in behavioural science helps identify when clients need additional specialised support.

Cavanagh and Grant** note that “Effective coaching requires the coach to engage with the person at the level of beliefs, emotions, values and metacognitive patterns. In order to engage with clients at these levels, clearly articulated and critically evaluated theories and models are required.” (pp. 1). They argue that approaches need to be evidence based, so we can be sure they are effective. Psychologists are behavioural scientists; they have training in human behaviour that provides a solid foundation for evidence-based executive, workplace and life coaching.

I’ve worked as an organisational psychologist for nearly 20 years and have coached hundreds of executives and managers. I draw not only on my experience but also on my understanding of human psychology. In my experience people aren’t afraid of psychology, they embrace it because they gain so much from it.

Trish Kensell, Career Coaching Psychologist

*Kauffman, C., & Scoular, A. (2004). Toward a Positive Psychology of Executive Coaching. In P. A. Linley & S. Joseph (Eds.), Positive psychology in practice (pp. 287-302). Hoboken, NJ, US: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

**Cavanagh, Michael & Grant, Anthony. (2004). Executive coaching in organisations: The personal is the professional. International Journal of Coaching in Organizations (Volume 2).

*** Spence, G.B., & Grant, A.M. (2004). Individual and group life coaching: Findings from a randomised, controlled trial. In A.M. Grant, M.J. Cavanagh, & T. Kemp (Eds.) Evidence-based coaching (Volume 1): Contributions from the behavioural sciences (pp.156). Bowen Hills, Australia: Australian Academic Press.

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