When coaching for stress, it’s essential to consider several factors to ensure the most effective and individualised approach. The goal is to help clients move away from stress towards a more meaningful life. The most appropriate strategies and techniques should be carefully chosen and tested based on the client’s specific needs and context.
Key considerations when coaching for stress include:
- Individualised Goals: Goals should be tailored to each client and should be specific to them. This should include what the client would like to see happen instead of the problem they are experiencing. Goals should be phrased in a positive, process-oriented way that is within the client’s control. These goals can also be broken down into manageable subgoals to help get started. It is also useful to invite clients to formulate stretch goals that go beyond their current performance level.
- Client Strengths: A resource-based approach should be adopted, focusing on the client’s existing strengths and resources. This includes noticing and complimenting clients’ competencies. Strengths and resources can be drawn from the client themselves, or their environment.
- Client Motivation and Values: It is important to assess the client’s motivation to change and to optimize cooperation. Therapists should focus on what matters most to the client. This includes identifying their values and supporting them in moving towards those values, even in the face of stress. The client’s values should be the guide for choosing activities rather than simply trying to avoid pain or seek pleasure.
- The Nature of Stress: Coaches should be aware of the client’s stress response and how it manifests in their body, mind and behaviour. It is also important to know when a client is experiencing stress. A coach should explore any attempts to manage the stress, paying attention to both their short-term and long-term effects.
Selecting and testing appropriate strategies and techniques involves:
- Understanding the Client’s Context: An anxiety coach gather information about what is bringing the client to coaching. This can include recent episodes of anxiety, anticipation about the future, and avoidance behaviours. Use this to create a map for change.
- Assessing Past Solutions: Discuss what clients have tried in the past to eliminate anxiety and assess how well these strategies have worked in both the short and long term. This is not about whether strategies were “right” or “wrong” but about whether they have been effective for the client. It’s important to approach this non-judgementally, with empathy.
- Considering a Range of Techniques: There are many available techniques for stress management that can be considered such as mindfulness, relaxation, problem-solving, goal-setting, and assertiveness. Techniques such as breathing, defusion, and muscle relaxation can also be used to help manage stress. A coach could also encourage physical activity.
- Using a Solution-Focused Approach: This approach can help clients develop a vision of a better future, and work towards it by noticing strengths and resources. Coaches should focus on what a client wants to maintain, despite anxiety and encourage ways of keeping anxiety or worries under control. They should also encourage clients to consider how they have managed to feel safe and have control.
- Experiential Exercises: Experiential exercises may be used to help clients experiment with “having” and observing their experience. This includes a willingness to experience difficult emotions rather than trying to avoid them. These exercises should be done with a focus on the client’s values.
- Monitoring Progress: Progress should be regularly assessed. This includes checking how clients are doing, whether homework is useful, and identifying any regressions. Scaling questions can be a helpful tool to assess progress and confidence.
- Flexibility: It’s essential to be flexible and adjust the chosen techniques based on the client’s responses and unique needs. The therapeutic relationship, as well as the client’s own theories should be prioritised.
The coaching process itself should be flexible and person-centred. This may include setting an agenda for the session with the client, and regularly asking how they will know they can stop talking about any given item on the agenda. The client should be in the “driver’s seat”, choosing when to end therapy. Ending therapy should be considered from the start, by asking questions such as, “What would indicate to you that you’re doing well enough that you no longer have to come here?”.
Summary
Effective stress coaching involves a personalised approach that focuses on a client’s strengths, values and goals. This is done by using a range of strategies and techniques chosen to suit the individual’s needs. The most important thing is that any techniques are tested based on their usefulness to the client.
Tags: stress coaching, solution-focused, values-based, individualised, flexibility, techniques, goal-setting, strengths, experiential exercises