Coaching Skills Training: How We Might Deal With Abnormal Psychology
When I train managers as coaches I always warn them to respect the power of coaching questions and to recognize the possibility that what starts as an innocuous, business related conversation, may lead to the unveiling of a deeper issue. Coaching managers would be advised to develop at least a little awareness of abnormal psychology.
In previous articles I have examined how coaching may uncover signs of, amongst other things, alcoholism, schizophrenia, drug addiction, eating disorders and sexual deviation.
This can seem an alarming list but I’m not suggesting that we all need to become psychotherapists, but even if you have to deal with such issues only once an awareness of what to look for and how to respond could be crucially helpful.
This article now considers the range of therapies available for the treatment of psychological disorders. We have moved a long way from our historical approach of exorcisms and burnings to a range of therapies often based on the work of such pioneers as Sigmund Freud and Ivan Pavlov.
The Biological Perspective
This approach suggests that cause and treatment is physical. Treatments include:
* Chemotherapy (Neuroleptics, Antidepressants, Antimanics, etc.)
* Electro-convulsive Therapy (Cerletti and Bini, 1938)
* Psychosurgery
The Psychodynamic Approach
This approach suggests disorders stem from unconscious conflicts. Treatments include:
* Psychoanalysis (Dream Interpretation, Hypnosis, etc.)
* Group Therapies (Psychodrama, Transactional Analysis, etc.)
The Behavioural Model
Looking at the resultant behaviour, rather than the cause, such as:
* Implosion Therapy
* Flooding
* Systematic Desensitization
* Aversion Therapy Behaviour
* Shaping
* Token Economics
* Modelling
We might also consider the cognitive perspective which bases treatment on altering a patient’s thinking about a problem and the humanistic perspective which seeks to put sufferers in touch with their true selves, e.g. Carl Rogers’s work in the 1940s.
What then of the coaching manager who uncovers signs of abnormal psychology when coaching and wants to provide appropriate help. Best advice would seem to be to keep to good coaching principles. Ask questions designed to raise awareness, generate responsibility and build trust then listen carefully and attentively to the responses. This won’t worsen the situation and may, in fact, do quite a lot of good.
After that, it’s a question of referring the coachee to the relevant professional, because as we’ve seen here expert treatment may be required. For this reason I recommend that all coaching managers familiarize themselves with their organization’s welfare procedure.
Matt Somers offers managers a startling way to achieve results through coaching via his range of training programmes, books, articles and seminars. His popular mini-guide “Coaching for an Easier Life” is available FREE at http://www.mattsomers.com
