Depression Coaching

While the provided sources discuss both coaching and depression, they do not explicitly define or detail a specific practice called Depression coaching. However, drawing on concepts related to coaching and depression found within the sources, we can explore potential elements that might be involved in an approach aiming to support individuals experiencing depression through coaching principles.

Coaching, as described in the sources, involves teaching tools that individuals can apply to increase their capacity to perform and their capacity to think, plan, lead, and manage more clearly. It is often framed in terms of work-related performance, managing stress, managing emotions, and getting over past events to achieve better performance or wellbeing. Coaching aims to help people find the means to become who they truly can and want to be, allowing them to define this for themselves. It involves understanding and respecting a person’s motivation, even if they are initially preoccupied with issues and dissatisfaction rather than goals. A coach might use specific language patterns, such as those from the LAB Profile®, to match a person’s motivation and help them solve problems. This can involve using the person’s own criteria and language, making suggestions rather than giving commands, especially for those who prefer to decide for themselves (Internal pattern). The coach establishes a framework, builds rapport and credibility, and ensures the person believes a solution is possible and that they can achieve it. The approach involves understanding how people process information, what they need to be productive, and how they are convinced, using questions and observations to identify these patterns. It is noted that coaches should maintain a certain distance from the client’s problem, offering help without getting overwhelmed by the issue.

Depression is described in the sources as a condition involving emotional dejection and withdrawal, or sadness that is greater or more prolonged than warranted by objective reason. It can be the result of stress overload. Part of the symptom pattern of depression includes lethargy, lack of hope, a feeling of pointlessness, and helplessness. These symptoms can significantly hinder progress. While anti-anxiety strategies may apply to depression, depressed clients tend to recover more slowly than anxious clients. The tendency to constantly talk about depression can be counter-productive and act as an avoidance compulsion. How one talks about their difficulties matters; using inflammatory words or long-winded symptom descriptions can be unhelpful. Recovery is linked to how one reacts to how they feel, rather than solely focusing on the feeling itself. Finding a mentor can be helpful in getting through challenges.

Considering these descriptions, potential elements of Depression coaching, drawing on these sources, might involve:

• Focusing on desired situations and future possibilities: Similar to Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) principles mentioned, a coach could help a client envision a desired future or a situation they want to be different, rather than dwelling extensively on the problem itself. Asking questions about goals and what life would be like when things are better could be part of this approach.
• Identifying and building on strengths and resources: The sources suggest focusing on past successes, competence, and resources helps trigger positive emotions and widens possibilities. Depression coaching could involve asking questions about times when the person coped well or managed challenges.
• Setting specific, measurable goals: Coaching emphasises setting SMART goals. While depression can involve a lack of motivation, a coach could work with the client to define small, realistic, and specific steps towards a desired situation. The goal would be framed as something about which something can be done.
• Addressing the unhelpful impact of negative thoughts and language: Coaching can involve helping clients challenge limiting thought patterns and change how they talk about their challenges. In Depression coaching, this might mean identifying inflexible language (“must,” “should,” “never”) and replacing it with more flexible terms. It could also involve reducing inflammatory descriptions of difficulties and focusing on objective facts.
• Incorporating principles of acceptance and willingness: Drawing from ACT concepts, Depression coaching might involve helping clients acknowledge and accept their feelings without necessarily liking them or trying to change them immediately. This is presented as being distinct from control and similar to mindfulness.
• Focusing on values and valued directions: Helping clients clarify what is important to them (values) and considering actions that move them closer to these values could be a key aspect of Depression coaching, providing a direction despite difficulties.
• Utilising scaling questions: These can be used in SFBT to assess progress and identify small steps forward, often framed around a desired state (e.g., where 10 is the best hope met) rather than just problem reduction. Depression coaching could use scaling to track perceived movement towards goals or greater control over difficulties.
• Encouraging action despite feelings: Acknowledging that recovery requires doing things that may feel difficult or terrifying is mentioned. Depression coaching could support clients in taking small actions aligned with their goals or values, emphasizing that progress comes from action and reaction to feelings, not just feeling better first.
• Seeking support and mentorship: While not explicitly tied to coaching in the sources, the idea that finding a mentor can help navigate challenges is present. A Depression coaching relationship inherently provides a form of structured support.

However, the sources also highlight that depression involves specific challenges like lethargy and lack of hope, which might require a tailored approach within Depression coaching compared to coaching for anxiety or performance in general. The caution against excessive focus on the problem itself and the importance of skilful handling of depressive symptoms would be relevant considerations.

Ultimately, while the term Depression coaching is not defined, the sources provide a foundation in coaching methodologies that focus on goals, solutions, strengths, specific language, and action, alongside insights into the nature and challenges of depression and approaches like SFBT and ACT which share some similar principles.

Summary: Depression coaching is not a clearly defined practice. However, by combining insights from descriptions of coaching, depression, and related therapeutic approaches like Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), one can infer potential elements of such a practice. These might include focusing on desired futures and goals, identifying strengths, setting specific and measurable steps, challenging unhelpful language, incorporating acceptance of difficult feelings, aligning actions with personal values, using scaling to track progress, and encouraging action despite challenging emotions, all while being mindful of the specific obstacles presented by depressive symptoms such as lethargy and lack of hope. Coaching principles emphasise working with a person’s motivation and using language that resonates with them.