Prof Stephen Palmer PhD is a Chartered Biologist, Scientist and Psychologist. He publishes work in psychobiology, positive and coaching psychology and counselling which relates to his interest in stress, resilience, health, wellbeing and enhancing performance. He is Professor of Practice at the Wales Academy of Professional Practice and Research, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and Adjunct Professor of Coaching Psychology, Aalborg University. In December 2004 he became the first Chair of the British Psychological Society Special Group in Coaching Psychology. He is Honorary President of the Society for Coaching Psychology and Director of the National Academy of Coaching Psychology. Address: niversity of Wales Trinity Saint David, College Rd, Carmarthen SA31 3EP
Workplace coaching is becoming increasingly popular and it has been suggested that it could be us... more Workplace coaching is becoming increasingly popular and it has been suggested that it could be useful in tackling stress (Hearn, 2001). However, there is a lack of research investigating the effectiveness of coaching in reducing stress. Indeed this was the aim of the current study. The research consisted of three parts and two large organisations participated. Part I measured stress before and after coaching (N=31). It was found that coaching did not significantly reduce stress. Part II investigated the relationship between coaching and stress (N=103). Participation in coaching did not have a relationship with lower stress levels. Nevertheless, high levels of coaching effectiveness were reported by the participants. In Part III a qualitative design was employed and employees were interviewed about their experiences of coaching (N=9). Four main themes emerged from the analysis. It was found that coaching helped the participants to manage and reduce stress indirectly; the coaching rel...
Workplace stress is a serious problem in the UK and counselling is an intervention frequently use... more Workplace stress is a serious problem in the UK and counselling is an intervention frequently used to tackle this problem (Health and Safety Executive, 2003). There is a vast amount of literature focusing on the topic of workplace stress. Nevertheless, there appears to be a lack of literature focusing on clients suffering from workplace stress seeking help in a primary care setting. The purpose of this case study is to outline the therapy with a client suffering from workplace stress in primary care, highlighting specific related issues. A cognitive behavioural approach (Beck, 1976, 1995) was used, and, accordingly, the therapeutic interventions focused on the client’s cognitions, moods, behaviour and physiology. In addition, the client’s work situation was explored and organisational stressors were identified.
This paper highlights the paradox of the potential importance of the coach-client relationship to... more This paper highlights the paradox of the potential importance of the coach-client relationship to coaching outcome, with a serious lack of studies in this area. Formal research into the coach-client relationship is critical, as its confirmation as a factor instrumental in coaching outcome would have implications for coaching effectiveness, coaching competencies, and coach training.
A review of the sport psychology literature was conducted, using knowledge and research from this... more A review of the sport psychology literature was conducted, using knowledge and research from this allied profession to make a comparison with coaching psychology and highlight specific parallels and differences potentially useful in progressing discussion, research and practice relevant to coaching outcome in both professions. Common areas of performance psychology, positive psychology and several aspects of the respective relationships are explored. Important areas of difference and their significance are examined. It is suggested that both professions can potentially benefit from progressing such discussion and research strategies.
To many members of the British Psychological Society (BPS) it may appear that the BPS Special Gro... more To many members of the British Psychological Society (BPS) it may appear that the BPS Special Group in Coaching Psychology (SGCP) has come from nowhere to somewhere in a short space of time. It held its inaugural meeting on 15 December 2004 and by March 2005, it had become the third largest BPS subsystem with over 1600 Founder Members and by December 2005, it had almost 2000 members. Its path through the BPS bureaucracy helped to shape it into an inclusive branch of applied psychology. This paper will cover the history of the coaching psychology movement within the BPS.
Stress has been identified as the second highest cause of sickness absence in the NHS. Hospice st... more Stress has been identified as the second highest cause of sickness absence in the NHS. Hospice staff could be particularly at risk of experiencing stress, as working with patients with terminal illnesses threatens the sense of omnipotence and brings a repeated need to deal with feelings of loss and grief. Disagreement exists as to whether the work of palliative care nurses is more stressful than the work of other nurses and the literature on specific palliative care stressors is sparse. This research aims to obtain a better understanding of the overall levels of stress and the causes of stress amongst this staff group. A further aim is to run a brief stress-coaching intervention in two hospices and evaluate its suitability and effectiveness for this service using an evaluation questionnaire. This paper presents a review of the literature and an outline of the proposed methodology for this study.
Work related stress is causing concern and is having negative effects on individuals and organisa... more Work related stress is causing concern and is having negative effects on individuals and organisations (HSE, 2001). Various interventions are used to reduce workplace stress but this paper proposes that coaching can be effective in tackling stress. Coaching is becoming increasingly popular and is viewed positively within the corporate world (Peltier, 2002) yet there is a lack of relevant published research demonstrating the link between coaching and stress reduction, management or prevention. This article highlights literature that indicates coaching can be effective in reducing stress.
This paper reviews the coaching relationship from a Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (CBC) perspect... more This paper reviews the coaching relationship from a Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (CBC) perspective. Using empathy as one example of a key relationship component it identifies how building, establishing and maintaining an optimal coaching alliance for the specific coachee, through an explicit process of negotiation and renegotiation epitomises ‘the collaborative relationship’ a central tenet of the Cognitive Behavioural framework. It also highlights how extending to the relationship itself an emphasis on the cognitive-behavioural dynamics of the coachee and the coach, individually and in interaction can potentially assist in fostering, maintaining, and where necessary managing disruptions in, the coaching alliance. Power dynamics and time constraints are highlighted as themes possibly differentiating the coaching alliance from the therapeutic alliance. The broader-based explicit stance of the coach resulting in a reciprocal requirement for greater adaptability to the coachee’s need...
This paper introduces ‘PRACTICE’, a convenient acronym which represents an established seven-step... more This paper introduces ‘PRACTICE’, a convenient acronym which represents an established seven-step model that has been used in coaching, counselling, psychotherapy and stress management. Using PRACTICE, the practitioner can help the client to assess issues or problems, understand their concerns, develop a range of possible solutions and implement strategies.
People with disabilities may face a number of challenges in becoming employed, seeking relevant g... more People with disabilities may face a number of challenges in becoming employed, seeking relevant guidance and support once they are employed and ensuring that their employers adhere to the Disability Discrimination Act. This paper considers the possible uses of coaching within this client group.
Coaches and coaching psychologists may work with executive leaders who have issues with decision ... more Coaches and coaching psychologists may work with executive leaders who have issues with decision making, procrastination, stress, and feeling overworked. They may be avoiding making those important decisions, putting off tasks until deadlines are looming, not delegating work to lighten their workload, or continuing with tasks that make them feel confident and successful but are no longer their remit. It is possible that these behaviours are caused by perfectionism. This paper describes perfectionism, discusses the links between perfectionism and performance interfering behaviours, and outlines how perfectionistic beliefs can be adapted in coaching to be less rigid in order to improve performance.
A large majority of Society members who voted for or against the proposal to set up a Special Gro... more A large majority of Society members who voted for or against the proposal to set up a Special Group in Coaching Psychology (SGCP) did not actually see the proposal on which they were voting. This is just an anomaly of the way subsystems are set up within the Society. We have 14 versions of the working document which gradually changed as it went through different committees. Although rather late in the day, in an attempt to address this issue, we are publishing the final version below.It is dated March 2004 but in reality had various footnotes added to it during the spring and early summer of 2004, thus ensuring that the document remained unaltered but up to date as it went through the BPS system. We have edited out a couple of sentences due to the sensitive areas they relate to and not included the draft rules which have been available on our SGCP website.We hope that publishing the proposal provides insight into what is coaching psychology from a UK and BPS perspective as well havi...
Objectives:This paper presents the findings of two surveys exploring the practices and perspectiv... more Objectives:This paper presents the findings of two surveys exploring the practices and perspectives of the membership of the Coaching Psychology Forum (CPF), the precursor to the Special Group in Coaching Psychology.Design:The study was cross-sectional in designMethod:The two surveys were conducted 12 months apart. The surveys focused on psychologists’ practice as coaches and their views on a number of relevant issues such as required training and experience to practise as a coaching psychologist.Results:The membership of the CPF consists of psychologists with diverse applied psychological backgrounds, who practice coaching in a variety of settings from a range of psychological developmental perspectives. Issues around training and development for coaching psychologists emerged, highlighting the need for an understanding of the underpinning competencies of the domain and how these fit with existing applied psychological domains. Additionally, important research questions were raised...
Coaching has become accepted as a valid and effective development strategy. This acceptance has b... more Coaching has become accepted as a valid and effective development strategy. This acceptance has been accompanied by an emphasis on professionalising coaching, has raised the profile of coaching psychology, and has resulted in a demand for evidence-based coaching. This article suggests that a theoretically-grounded means of evidencing coaching’s effectiveness and value is central to the evolution of coaching psychology as a discipline. It proposes that an holistic evidence-based coaching framework would provide a sound foundation for coaching evaluation.
This article illustrates how the multimodal approach developed by Arnold Lazarus (1989) has been ... more This article illustrates how the multimodal approach developed by Arnold Lazarus (1989) has been used within a multicultural society. Multimodal therapy takes an idiographic perspective by focusing on a client’s personal experiences (Ridley, 1995). Multimodal assessment procedures and counselling strategies and interventions are covered including five key factors: client qualities; therapist qualities; therapist skills; therapeutic alliance; and technique specificity.
A number of theories and models relating to goal achievement will be considered with a particular... more A number of theories and models relating to goal achievement will be considered with a particular emphasis on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Model of Goal Directed Behaviour and the more recent Extended Model of Goal Directed Behaviour. It is suggested that the concept of frustration tolerance taken from the rational emotive behaviour approach is also a factor that influences goal achievement and should be included in future research involving goal achievement.
With the push for evidence based practice in the coaching and coaching psychology fields, the res... more With the push for evidence based practice in the coaching and coaching psychology fields, the research base of studies measuring the effects of coaching is increasing. However, despite the increase in coaching research there is still a lack of studies using randomised controlled trials (RCT). This article discusses some of the difficulties associated with researching executive coaching in applied settings and why RCTs are not numerous
Objectives:This paper presents the findings from a follow-up survey exploring the practice and op... more Objectives:This paper presents the findings from a follow-up survey exploring the practice and opinions of the membership of the Special Group in Coaching Psychology (SGCP).Design:The study was cross sectional in design.Method:This survey of Coaching Psychologists was conducted in December, 2005, 12 months after the formation of the SGCP. The survey focused on psychologists’ practice as coaches and their views on a number of relevant issues such as the necessary training and experience to practise as a coaching psychologist.Results:Building on the work of two previous surveys (see Whybrow & Palmer, 2006), there are many consistencies with these earlier surveys and some interesting shifts. More psychologists are identifying coaching as a formal, albeit part-time, aspect of their practice. There was a desire for the SGCP to build and maintain a strong presence in the broader coaching arena, and to promote the value that psychology brings to this field of practice. The issue of flexibl...
The PRACTICE model of coaching has been developing over time and adapted to the presenting issues... more The PRACTICE model of coaching has been developing over time and adapted to the presenting issues arising during the initial stage of coaching. This paper will briefly highlight the options available.
Workplace coaching is becoming increasingly popular and it has been suggested that it could be us... more Workplace coaching is becoming increasingly popular and it has been suggested that it could be useful in tackling stress (Hearn, 2001). However, there is a lack of research investigating the effectiveness of coaching in reducing stress. Indeed this was the aim of the current study. The research consisted of three parts and two large organisations participated. Part I measured stress before and after coaching (N=31). It was found that coaching did not significantly reduce stress. Part II investigated the relationship between coaching and stress (N=103). Participation in coaching did not have a relationship with lower stress levels. Nevertheless, high levels of coaching effectiveness were reported by the participants. In Part III a qualitative design was employed and employees were interviewed about their experiences of coaching (N=9). Four main themes emerged from the analysis. It was found that coaching helped the participants to manage and reduce stress indirectly; the coaching rel...
Workplace stress is a serious problem in the UK and counselling is an intervention frequently use... more Workplace stress is a serious problem in the UK and counselling is an intervention frequently used to tackle this problem (Health and Safety Executive, 2003). There is a vast amount of literature focusing on the topic of workplace stress. Nevertheless, there appears to be a lack of literature focusing on clients suffering from workplace stress seeking help in a primary care setting. The purpose of this case study is to outline the therapy with a client suffering from workplace stress in primary care, highlighting specific related issues. A cognitive behavioural approach (Beck, 1976, 1995) was used, and, accordingly, the therapeutic interventions focused on the client’s cognitions, moods, behaviour and physiology. In addition, the client’s work situation was explored and organisational stressors were identified.
This paper highlights the paradox of the potential importance of the coach-client relationship to... more This paper highlights the paradox of the potential importance of the coach-client relationship to coaching outcome, with a serious lack of studies in this area. Formal research into the coach-client relationship is critical, as its confirmation as a factor instrumental in coaching outcome would have implications for coaching effectiveness, coaching competencies, and coach training.
A review of the sport psychology literature was conducted, using knowledge and research from this... more A review of the sport psychology literature was conducted, using knowledge and research from this allied profession to make a comparison with coaching psychology and highlight specific parallels and differences potentially useful in progressing discussion, research and practice relevant to coaching outcome in both professions. Common areas of performance psychology, positive psychology and several aspects of the respective relationships are explored. Important areas of difference and their significance are examined. It is suggested that both professions can potentially benefit from progressing such discussion and research strategies.
To many members of the British Psychological Society (BPS) it may appear that the BPS Special Gro... more To many members of the British Psychological Society (BPS) it may appear that the BPS Special Group in Coaching Psychology (SGCP) has come from nowhere to somewhere in a short space of time. It held its inaugural meeting on 15 December 2004 and by March 2005, it had become the third largest BPS subsystem with over 1600 Founder Members and by December 2005, it had almost 2000 members. Its path through the BPS bureaucracy helped to shape it into an inclusive branch of applied psychology. This paper will cover the history of the coaching psychology movement within the BPS.
Stress has been identified as the second highest cause of sickness absence in the NHS. Hospice st... more Stress has been identified as the second highest cause of sickness absence in the NHS. Hospice staff could be particularly at risk of experiencing stress, as working with patients with terminal illnesses threatens the sense of omnipotence and brings a repeated need to deal with feelings of loss and grief. Disagreement exists as to whether the work of palliative care nurses is more stressful than the work of other nurses and the literature on specific palliative care stressors is sparse. This research aims to obtain a better understanding of the overall levels of stress and the causes of stress amongst this staff group. A further aim is to run a brief stress-coaching intervention in two hospices and evaluate its suitability and effectiveness for this service using an evaluation questionnaire. This paper presents a review of the literature and an outline of the proposed methodology for this study.
Work related stress is causing concern and is having negative effects on individuals and organisa... more Work related stress is causing concern and is having negative effects on individuals and organisations (HSE, 2001). Various interventions are used to reduce workplace stress but this paper proposes that coaching can be effective in tackling stress. Coaching is becoming increasingly popular and is viewed positively within the corporate world (Peltier, 2002) yet there is a lack of relevant published research demonstrating the link between coaching and stress reduction, management or prevention. This article highlights literature that indicates coaching can be effective in reducing stress.
This paper reviews the coaching relationship from a Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (CBC) perspect... more This paper reviews the coaching relationship from a Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (CBC) perspective. Using empathy as one example of a key relationship component it identifies how building, establishing and maintaining an optimal coaching alliance for the specific coachee, through an explicit process of negotiation and renegotiation epitomises ‘the collaborative relationship’ a central tenet of the Cognitive Behavioural framework. It also highlights how extending to the relationship itself an emphasis on the cognitive-behavioural dynamics of the coachee and the coach, individually and in interaction can potentially assist in fostering, maintaining, and where necessary managing disruptions in, the coaching alliance. Power dynamics and time constraints are highlighted as themes possibly differentiating the coaching alliance from the therapeutic alliance. The broader-based explicit stance of the coach resulting in a reciprocal requirement for greater adaptability to the coachee’s need...
This paper introduces ‘PRACTICE’, a convenient acronym which represents an established seven-step... more This paper introduces ‘PRACTICE’, a convenient acronym which represents an established seven-step model that has been used in coaching, counselling, psychotherapy and stress management. Using PRACTICE, the practitioner can help the client to assess issues or problems, understand their concerns, develop a range of possible solutions and implement strategies.
People with disabilities may face a number of challenges in becoming employed, seeking relevant g... more People with disabilities may face a number of challenges in becoming employed, seeking relevant guidance and support once they are employed and ensuring that their employers adhere to the Disability Discrimination Act. This paper considers the possible uses of coaching within this client group.
Coaches and coaching psychologists may work with executive leaders who have issues with decision ... more Coaches and coaching psychologists may work with executive leaders who have issues with decision making, procrastination, stress, and feeling overworked. They may be avoiding making those important decisions, putting off tasks until deadlines are looming, not delegating work to lighten their workload, or continuing with tasks that make them feel confident and successful but are no longer their remit. It is possible that these behaviours are caused by perfectionism. This paper describes perfectionism, discusses the links between perfectionism and performance interfering behaviours, and outlines how perfectionistic beliefs can be adapted in coaching to be less rigid in order to improve performance.
A large majority of Society members who voted for or against the proposal to set up a Special Gro... more A large majority of Society members who voted for or against the proposal to set up a Special Group in Coaching Psychology (SGCP) did not actually see the proposal on which they were voting. This is just an anomaly of the way subsystems are set up within the Society. We have 14 versions of the working document which gradually changed as it went through different committees. Although rather late in the day, in an attempt to address this issue, we are publishing the final version below.It is dated March 2004 but in reality had various footnotes added to it during the spring and early summer of 2004, thus ensuring that the document remained unaltered but up to date as it went through the BPS system. We have edited out a couple of sentences due to the sensitive areas they relate to and not included the draft rules which have been available on our SGCP website.We hope that publishing the proposal provides insight into what is coaching psychology from a UK and BPS perspective as well havi...
Objectives:This paper presents the findings of two surveys exploring the practices and perspectiv... more Objectives:This paper presents the findings of two surveys exploring the practices and perspectives of the membership of the Coaching Psychology Forum (CPF), the precursor to the Special Group in Coaching Psychology.Design:The study was cross-sectional in designMethod:The two surveys were conducted 12 months apart. The surveys focused on psychologists’ practice as coaches and their views on a number of relevant issues such as required training and experience to practise as a coaching psychologist.Results:The membership of the CPF consists of psychologists with diverse applied psychological backgrounds, who practice coaching in a variety of settings from a range of psychological developmental perspectives. Issues around training and development for coaching psychologists emerged, highlighting the need for an understanding of the underpinning competencies of the domain and how these fit with existing applied psychological domains. Additionally, important research questions were raised...
Coaching has become accepted as a valid and effective development strategy. This acceptance has b... more Coaching has become accepted as a valid and effective development strategy. This acceptance has been accompanied by an emphasis on professionalising coaching, has raised the profile of coaching psychology, and has resulted in a demand for evidence-based coaching. This article suggests that a theoretically-grounded means of evidencing coaching’s effectiveness and value is central to the evolution of coaching psychology as a discipline. It proposes that an holistic evidence-based coaching framework would provide a sound foundation for coaching evaluation.
This article illustrates how the multimodal approach developed by Arnold Lazarus (1989) has been ... more This article illustrates how the multimodal approach developed by Arnold Lazarus (1989) has been used within a multicultural society. Multimodal therapy takes an idiographic perspective by focusing on a client’s personal experiences (Ridley, 1995). Multimodal assessment procedures and counselling strategies and interventions are covered including five key factors: client qualities; therapist qualities; therapist skills; therapeutic alliance; and technique specificity.
A number of theories and models relating to goal achievement will be considered with a particular... more A number of theories and models relating to goal achievement will be considered with a particular emphasis on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Model of Goal Directed Behaviour and the more recent Extended Model of Goal Directed Behaviour. It is suggested that the concept of frustration tolerance taken from the rational emotive behaviour approach is also a factor that influences goal achievement and should be included in future research involving goal achievement.
With the push for evidence based practice in the coaching and coaching psychology fields, the res... more With the push for evidence based practice in the coaching and coaching psychology fields, the research base of studies measuring the effects of coaching is increasing. However, despite the increase in coaching research there is still a lack of studies using randomised controlled trials (RCT). This article discusses some of the difficulties associated with researching executive coaching in applied settings and why RCTs are not numerous
Objectives:This paper presents the findings from a follow-up survey exploring the practice and op... more Objectives:This paper presents the findings from a follow-up survey exploring the practice and opinions of the membership of the Special Group in Coaching Psychology (SGCP).Design:The study was cross sectional in design.Method:This survey of Coaching Psychologists was conducted in December, 2005, 12 months after the formation of the SGCP. The survey focused on psychologists’ practice as coaches and their views on a number of relevant issues such as the necessary training and experience to practise as a coaching psychologist.Results:Building on the work of two previous surveys (see Whybrow & Palmer, 2006), there are many consistencies with these earlier surveys and some interesting shifts. More psychologists are identifying coaching as a formal, albeit part-time, aspect of their practice. There was a desire for the SGCP to build and maintain a strong presence in the broader coaching arena, and to promote the value that psychology brings to this field of practice. The issue of flexibl...
The PRACTICE model of coaching has been developing over time and adapted to the presenting issues... more The PRACTICE model of coaching has been developing over time and adapted to the presenting issues arising during the initial stage of coaching. This paper will briefly highlight the options available.
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Papers by Stephen Palmer