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 goes on to look at 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 (Hypnosis, Dream Interpretation, 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. the work of
Carl Rogers 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 is
highly unlikely to make things worse and may actually 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 is a coaching practitioner of many years'
experience. He works with a host of clients in North East
England where his firm is based and throughout the UK and
Europe. Matt understands that people are working with their
true potential locked away. He shows how coaching provides
a simple yet elegant key to this lock. His popular
mini-guide "Coaching for an Easier Life" is available FREE
at http://www.mattsomers.com
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