Positive Psychology Coaching: Tools, Techniques and Books

Positive Psychology and Coaching go hand in hand to help foster a positive outlook and bring about greater contentment and accomplishment. This link between well-being and success is known as the Happiness Advantage. 

As you build up your wellness, you become more likely to reap numerous benefits. Positive Psychology Coaching harnesses proven practices based on three areas of exploration – which promote flourishing, bolster determination, and realize desired aspirations. 

It’s a great definition to describe this practice as “a scientifically-based strategy for assisting clients in elevating their well-being, putting their aptitudes into use, enhancing performance, and accomplishing set targets.”

In Positive Psychology Coaching, you are encouraged to discover and develop your strengths – your greatest assets.

Your most significant potential for growth lies in finding and developing your muscles. Coaching assists you in harnessing your inner resources for success.

Positive Psychology Coaching Tools

Coaching is a powerful approach to facilitating change and growth in individuals. Positive Psychology Coaching (PPC) is an emerging field that integrates principles and practices of positive psychology with Coaching.

PPC aims to promote the development of individuals’ strengths, resilience, and well-being. Here are some coaching tools used in PPC:

Goal Setting

Goal setting is an essential technique used in PPC to help individuals clarify what they want to achieve and identify the steps they need to take to reach their goals.

Coaches help individuals set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals aligned with their values and strengths.

Strengths Assessment

One of PPC’s fundamental principles is identifying and developing individuals’ strengths. Coaches use various assessments, such as VIA (Values in Action) and StrengthsFinder, to help individuals identify their top strengths.

Coaches help individuals develop strategies to apply their strengths to achieve their goals.

Positive Reframing

Positive reframing is a technique used in PPC to help individuals shift their perspective on challenges or obstacles they face.

Coaches help individuals reframe adverse events into positive opportunities for growth and learning.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being present at the moment without judgment. Coaches use mindfulness techniques, such as breathing exercises and body scans, to help individuals cultivate awareness and reduce stress.

Gratitude Journaling

Gratitude journaling is a simple but powerful tool used in PPC to promote positive emotions and well-being.

Coaches encourage individuals to write down three things they are grateful for daily to cultivate a sense of appreciation and positivity.

Positive Self-Talk

Positive self-talk is used in PPC to help individuals reframe negative self-talk into positive affirmations.

Coaches help individuals identify negative self-talk patterns and replace them with positive and empowering statements.

Visualization

Visualization is a technique used in PPC to help individuals create a mental image of their desired future.

Coaches guide individuals through visualization, helping them imagine their future selves vividly and experience the emotions associated with achieving their goals.

Feedback and Accountability

Feedback and accountability are critical components of PPC. Coaches provide individuals with constructive feedback on their progress and hold them accountable for taking the necessary actions to achieve their goals.

Positive Psychology Coaching (PPC) is a powerful approach that integrates principles and practices of positive psychology with Coaching.

PPC coaches use various techniques and tools, including goal setting, strengths assessment, positive reframing, mindfulness, gratitude journaling, positive self-talk, visualization, and feedback and accountability, to facilitate individuals’ growth and development toward their desired outcomes.

Benefits Of Positive Psychology Coaching

The Five Most Effective Coaching Techniques By A Coach

Coaches should have a toolkit of specific foundational techniques based mainly on communication and motivation, regardless of the type of Coaching they provide.

This article will use techniques and approaches to various forms of Coaching; this first set is general and can be applied anywhere.

Here are some of our favorite, proven coaching techniques you can implement with your clients immediately. 

Check-in and questionnaire before the session

This simple yet effective technique will help coach clients mentally prepare for the upcoming session and decide what they want to focus on.

During the last session, they might have wanted to address something they didn’t get to.

It is also a good time for clients to share their most significant accomplishments and any clarity they have gained since their last session, helping the coach and coachee recognize where progress has been made.

During the pre-session check-in, you should provide space for your client to discuss what they’ve been struggling with and any roadblocks they’ve encountered.

Coaches increasingly use digital technologies to gather this information efficiently.

Using the tool, coaches can also design the check-in surveys mentioned above that allow clients to flag what they’d like to discuss in their next meeting. Clients’ smartphones can then be automatically sent on a preprogrammed schedule (e.g., 24 hours before their next meeting). It can be used across various coaching contexts as a powerful, automated tool for gathering information.

Exercises for focusing, breathing, or relaxing

The coach and client can benefit from establishing positive energy before delving into the material of the session by taking some time to get centered and grounded at the beginning of the session.

It has been shown that slow, deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which promotes calmness and relaxation in the parasympathetic nervous system. When you guide your clients through a centering exercise, you may use a script or choose to teach them intuitively on the spot.

In addition to using this technique at the start of your meeting, you may also consider pausing for a quick centering exercise during a session, perhaps before tackling a complex subject, for a break between topics, or a brief gap between cases when the coachee is speaking from a place of fear.

Questioning with an open-ended approach

One of the cornerstones of good Coaching is asking open-ended, guiding questions to assess what the client wants, needs, and desires. Asking open-ended questions encourages self-reflection and allows clients to find the necessary answers.

To select the right question at the right time, as a coach, you must stay curious and fully present with your line of questioning.

In this method of questioning, named after the early Greek philosopher Socrates, guiding questions help unlock underlying beliefs and stimulate a new level of awareness.

This method is often referred to as the “Socratic method.” We continue to use this method to induce clarity and transformation with Coaching clients.

Follow up on feedback.

Following up in between sessions is one of the simplest and most effective coaching techniques. By following up with clients, the coach can assess the effectiveness of the Coaching, show the client that they care about their well-being, and hold them accountable for their progress.

In addition to email, questionnaires, text messages, and other means of communication, follow-up is most helpful if it is consistent. You can follow up with your coachee regularly after the session, 24 hours after it, midway through the next session, etc.

By asking for feedback, coaches can gain valuable information that will assist them in preparing for the next step. You should ensure the coachee understands that there will be no judgment and that honest feedback is in their best interest, allowing them to get the most out of the coaching process.

Getting helpful feedback can be the fastest way to improve performance and grow your business.

The importance of accountability

According to a study conducted by the American Society of Training and Development, accountability helps us reach our goals, whether at work or in the gym.

With the added variable of committing to someone else to follow through on that goal, the success rate increased to 65%. Participants who planned how they would achieve the goal committed to someone about achieving it and then scheduled an accountability meeting with that person who earned it 95% of the time.

Accountability nearly doubled participants’ chances of achieving their goals in the example above. As such, it is part of a coach’s job to determine the best way to hold each client accountable, which is why accountability can be such an advantage.

The coach must also identify obstacles that prevent a client from being held accountable and determine appropriate actions to overcome them.

As part of the accountability technique, it’s essential to be specific, consistent, and easy to use. The coach and coachee should work together to create a plan of action with meaningful guidelines and an understanding of how progress will be tracked and how accountability will play out in the relationship.

Positive Psychology Coach Education and Training

Positive psychology and Coaching are inseparable. According to the International Coach Federation, scientists study what promotes human flourishing, but coaches help clients achieve their full potential. As a basis for the art of Coaching, positive psychology serves as an evolving, empirical framework.

As the world’s first positive psychology-infused coach training program, MentorCoach recognizes that the exponential growth of positive psychology now offers the opportunity for a deeper dive. We will introduce you to several positive psychology tools in our foundation’s program.

At the same time, this specialized track offers you state-of-the-art knowledge across critical areas to expand your toolbox and broaden your perspective.

Techniques And Approaches In Positive Psychology Coaching

5 Positive Psychology Coaching Books

Flourish

A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being” by Martin Seligman explores the concept of human flourishing, which encompasses much more than just happiness. Seligman delves into the elements of a well-lived life, such as positive relationships, engagement, and meaning.

The Happiness Advantage

The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work” by Shawn Achor: This book outlines the benefits of a positive mindset and how it can lead to tremendous success and fulfillment. Achor provides practical strategies for cultivating positivity and improving performance.

Mindset

The New Psychology of Success” by Carol Dweck: Dweck’s book explores the concept of a growth mindset, which is the belief that one’s abilities and talents can be developed through hard work and dedication. She explains how adopting a growth mindset can lead to more extraordinary achievement and satisfaction.

The Power of Intentional Goal Setting

How to Set Goals for Life and Happiness” by Kevin R. C. Gutzman: This book focuses on the importance of setting meaningful goals in life and provides a step-by-step guide. Gutzman emphasizes the connection between goal-setting and happiness.

Positive Psychology Coaching

A Practitioner’s Guide” by Robert Biswas-Diener: This book provides practical guidance for applying positive psychology principles in Coaching. Biswas-Diener covers topics such as strength-based Coaching, goal-setting, and cultivating resilience.

How To Become A Positive Psychology Coach?

Become a Positive Psychology Coach by following any one of these routes.

If you are already a certified coach

As a Certified Mentor Coach (CMC) through the International Coach Federation, you have already demonstrated that your coaching skills are at or above the level of a Certified Coach from the International Coach Federation. By following all of the steps below, you will be able to become a Certified Positive Psychology Coach through Mentor Coach:

As shown in Section 5 below, you must complete 56 hours of Positive Psychology Master Coaching courses.

Grade 80% or higher on a multiple-choice exam covering the class content.

Demonstrate that you have completed at least 40 hours of Coaching focused on positive emotions, character strengths, relationships, meaning and purpose, and goal achievement.

If You Have Not Yet Been Certified

CMCs (Certified Mentor Coaches) can also become Certified Positive Psychology Coaches through Mentor Coaches.

To qualify for the CMC, you must complete the four required courses: Foundations, Individual Coaching Skills, Individual Coaching Supervision, and Ethics.

you must complete 56 hours of Positive Psychology Master Coaching classes

Provide evidence of completing at least 40 hours of Coaching focusing on positive emotions, character strengths, relationships, meaning and purpose, and goal achievement.

Upon receiving your CMC credential and meeting the above requirements, you are immediately eligible for your Positive Psychology Coach and ICF certifications.

Positive Psychology Coach Education and Training

Coaching and positive psychology were bound to integrate. According to the International Coach Federation, coaches work with clients to inspire them to “maximize their personal and professional potential” while scientists study what promotes human flourishing. Positive psychology serves as the evolving, empirical base for the art of Coaching.

Mentor Coach, the first positive psychology-infused coach training program in the world, recognizes that the exponential growth of positive psychology offers further exploration opportunities.

You will learn several positive psychology tools in our foundation’s program. At the same time, in this specialized track, you will gain state-of-the-art knowledge across critical areas that will broaden your toolbox and perspective.

In the training program, we value the Coaching Competencies of the International Coach Federation.

Coaching professionals can fully realize many of these competencies by incorporating positive psychology approaches, such as exploring meaning and emotions, creating insight and awareness, creating actions and support systems, etc.

Students are taught coaching principles and insights that facilitate client goals and the coaching process.

Conclusion

Positive psychology is a celebration of human flourishing. Rather than focusing on what is wrong in our lives, it provides a valuable focus on what is right.

Through this approach, we strive for physical and mental well-being and goal achievement, utilizing our strengths, psychological needs, and self-awareness.

Positive psychology can maximize individual and group performance through its focus on strengths, mindset, resilience, positive emotions, relationships, and personal growth.

Using a coach can unlock a person’s potential, maximize their performance, and promote self-learning and autonomy.

Positive Psychology Coaching Tools Techniques Books

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