A positive psychology approach to coaching supervision

Abstract

This chapter starts with an exploration of what underpins a positive psychology approach to coaching supervision. While many supervisees may tend to come with current challenges they are facing or looking to resolve problems they are experiencing, positive psychology takes a different starting point by seeking to identify what is good and can be built upon. It looks at the role of the coach supervisor in this context, and how the practitioner might prepare themselves to work congruently with the approach. Working within a positive psychology paradigm will enhance the supervisee’s development by harnessing the power of positive conversations to build motivation and self-belief. Having experienced a positive psychology approach in supervision, they can evaluate how and when that same positive focus might be of value in their own practice. The positive approach can also help significantly in the role of encouraging self-care. The chapter closes by looking at what else should be considered before working with the techniques, approaches, enquiries and experiments that follow. In this chapter there are eight techniques written by six different contributors.