Coaching, Positive Psychology and Psychodrama
Coaching, Positive Psychology and Psychodrama
by Phoebe Atkinson
Coaching has been described as a natural home for positive psychology suggesting that coaching is an ideal vehicle through which the science of positive psychology can be applied.
Coaching has developed as a profession over the past two decades and boasts a wide array of different schools. In 1997 Ben Dean formed MentorCoach and in 2003 Dean partnered with legendary psychologist and past APA President, Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D.to cofound Authentic Happiness Coaching, a virtual university that trained professionals in positive psychology. Mentor Coach was the first to train professionals in positive psychology in a virtual classroom and featured some of the world’s leading positive psychologists teaching two-month Master Classes in their specialties as part of his curriculum.
Positive Psychology Coaches use a variety of methods to increase positive affect in a session and have regular strengths-based conversations to energize and activate creativity. Coaches work with a client to plan and schedule positive experiences and work to create a positive vision for the client’s life. Research has shown that these micro practices are energizing and can boost mood. Positive emotions also help the client create a real and meaningful sense of their life.
Psychodrama is a natural partner to Coaching and to Positive Psychology. As people move from “talking about something” into action they have the opportunity to experience the relevant dimensions of change. One century ago, psychologist William James said that if you want a quality ‘you need to act as if you already possess that quality.’ In his book ‘The As If Principle’ author Richard Wise lays out the scientific research that elucidates James’ quote – namely that the most effective way to change one’s thinking and feeling is to change one’s actions. Action methods tap into the multiple intelligences available to a client as they work to uncover an approach to certain preferred outcomes. Neuroscience has shown that emotions are central to motivation. When a client moves into experiential learning their spontaneity is activated and this can increase access to their intuition. Action methods, combined with evidenced based positive psychology interventions such as generating positive emotions – can ignite the broaden and build phenomenon which has been shown to increase creativity and optimize resources. Using a variety of experiential tools – a coach can facilitate a client as they practice the skills required to execute an action and works with plans strategies as to how to overcome potential obstacles on the road to obtaining the desired behavioral change.
Multiple Selves/Parts Work
The concept of multiplicity was on display in the Oscar winning Inside Out. In the film it was highlighted that we all have different inner voices. Scientists from the field of Positive Psychology worked with the film makers for three years to ensure that there was an accurate portrayal of the workings of emotional science as expressed by the main character ‘Riley’. Like the protagonist in the Pixar movie, coaches often work with their clients as they listen to the different voices within. Coaches are trained to listen and to help their client glean the wisdom from each emergent part – and decode their messages. These ‘parts’ of self can interact with each other — as the different emotions and thoughts and messages are discerned. In psychodrama we encourage working with different parts of self and use action to concretize these parts. This is referred to as externalizing (inside out) as clients as actors actually take on and expand into these roles.
Interpersonal neurobiology (IPNB) also works with parts. Its founder, Dr. Dan Siegel has said that integration of these parts of self is at the core of our well being. Dr. Siegel’s emphasizes that we need to differentiate to integrate. Both Dr. Siegel and more recently Harvard’s wellness coach Margaret Moore – encourage the cultivation of our parts (the differentiated components of the internal system of the psyche – the separate aspects of mental processes – thoughts, feelings, body sensation) as we work towards integration. This ‘separating to integrate’ is indeed what we do with action methods – whether we are working in the frame of coaching or therapy. We meet the parts separately on the road to increased integration and well being. Integration as relates to emphatic communication require a differentiated self Dr. Siegel says. This distinction of parts works to help a client get to know themselves as well as increase their sense of autonomy – as they interact with others.
Action helps to slow things down – externalizing the internal dialogue – in order to more fully explore and be informed by all the different ways one can receive information within the multitude of ‘selves’. Internal Family Systems method calls this parts work a new paradigm – a new model of self. Psychodramatists have been working with the concept of one ‘role repertoire’ for decades – since founder Moreno developed his role theory in the 1930s, a theory which became the foundation of social psychology.
Future Projection and Visioning the Best Possible Future Self
The field of positive psychology coaching has drawn from the the literature on multiple selves and has tapped into the ‘as if’ phenomenon as related to psychological time travel — helping clients revisit their past (‘mine for gold’) and step into their future self. The Positive Psychology Intervention Future Best Self is connected to the literature on possible selves and role theory.
Visioning one’s future is used in every coaching contract wherein a client is asked to imagine themselves in the future. Although visioning is a common coaching exercise Case Western’s Richard Boyatzis remarks that is is surprising how little advantage coaches take of the motivational consequences of such an exercise. Boyatzis goes onto say that coaches need to take note of the important role positive emotions play in the change process. Coaches can be of particular assistance in helping their client leverage their positive emotions in the change process in order to take risks.
Writing on leadership development, Boyatzis says “to try new behavior, a person often needs a type of permission to let go of old habits and try new ones.” In psychodrama it is the future projection technique where a person is helped to physically step into their future and have a full bodied experience of what this would feel like in a safe and supportive environment. Positive Psychology research shows that this process increases optimism and enables the goal setting process.
The Future Best Self is one of the most researched interventions in the positive psychology literature. It comprises all of the futures that a person can envision. Writing about one’s possible selves provides an opportunity to learn about oneself, to gain insight into and restructure one’s priorities, and to understand better one’s motives and emotional reactions. Coach Caroline Miller reminds us of James Pennebaker’s research on journaling as related to goal pursuit – highlighting his key finding: “writing about one’s life goals may also be beneficial because it can reduce goal conflict as well as bring greater awareness and clarity to one’s priorities, motivations, and values.” The simple process of writing down the goals seems to stimulate a more hopeful mindset which evokes more pathways thinking that generates multiple solutions.
Psychodrama – with all its action methodology – maximizes the visioning process as a client acts as if and steps into all aspects their best possible future self – using the future projection technique.
High Hope: Action & Belief:
Positive Psychology interventions amplified by action methods are connected to self determination theory and the centrality of choice. Hope researcher Shane Lopez has written: ‘Belief without action is just empty dreaming; action without belief is just empty planning.’ The powerful data on Hope and Hope theory shows us how we can help a client increase their hope. There are two aspects to this theory that has to do with developing self efficacy and pathways thinking. Studies show that people with high hope are more flexible thinkers, have a greater openness to changing course, can more easily draw upon previous successes and develop attainable goals. Action methods help clients ‘to dream again’.
Using action interventions we can elicit strengths stories from our clients – having to do with times when they’ve overcome challenges and stories related to times when they’ve experienced prior successes. In action terms – these recollections activate prior roles from the past which can be recruited and leveraged for future use. Storytelling is used both by action oriented practitioners and coaches. Self Perception theory shows that when we see and hear ourselves telling our stories – and when our strengths are mirrored by an experienced listener – this can reinforce new learning. In action we concretize stories so that a client can embody their success and strengthen a new perception of themselves. We ask questions and amplify the strengths within these stories – as clients identify times in the past when they’ve been able to accomplish tasks. With psychodrama we help a client imprint positive success stories on both the physical and emotional level when they drew on inner strengths and this makes hope happen.
Coaching and Psychodrama continue to advance and innovate. New methods and approaches emerge, take root and expand the professions. It is an exciting time for practitioners trained in action methods as there is a growing interest in evidenced based positive interventions.
Phoebe Atkinson, LCSW-R, TEP. She is a faculty memeber of WBI Positive Psychology Couching Ceritification Program and is an executive coach with the Executive Leadership Program at Rutgers Institute for Women’s Leadership.