Life coaching principles and practices

Visser (2011) defines solution -- focused coaching as viewing and treating clients as competent and unique individuals as well as being responsive to helping clients visualize the changes they wish to make, responding to what clients tell the coach, and then building on the successful past experience of the client step-by-step in order to reach goals. Solution -- focused coaches assume that people are autonomous and competent, desire to do good, enact change by a specific process, respond better to positive reinforcement/events, and work better in a cooperative environment (Visser, 2012a). Change is enacted through cooperation, focusing on what works, and building on the positive experiences of the past (Visser, 2012b).

The basics of solution -- focused coaching come from humanistic psychology and particularly from self-determination theory (Visser, 2011). Thus, the overall mindset of solution -- focused coaching assumes that people strive for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 2011). A solution focused coach works within these parameters in order to help people determine their specific goals by building on what worked for them in the past and applying principles within these confines to help them confront the present and the future. Visser (2011; 2012a; 2012b) has developed an empirical measure that describes methods/techniques that are highly associated with the practices of individuals who define themselves as solution -- focused coaches. This measure indicates that most solution -- focused coaches do indeed adhere to the principles and practices commonly associated with humanistic psychology and positive psychology.

The foundations of solution -- focused coaching are based on more contemporary theories of psychology and intervention the view people in a more positive light and as generally being able to discern what they want and what direction they wish their lives to take compared to more traditional psychological theories (Deci & Ryan, 2011). This approach concentrates on a different view of human nature, a different view of the meaning of life, and a different viewpoint regarding how a therapist/coach should identify potential problems, develop overall impressions of individuals, and design methods to assist people in reaching their goals. While the solution -- focused coach is still considered to have a certain amount of expertise and knowledge that can assist people, this approach does not consider the coach to be an authority figure that most dictate solutions to problems and to impose their will on individuals that otherwise could not help themselves. It is a bit of a different slant on the coaching relationship and requires a specific mindset for the coach.