Psychological Influences I: Cognitivism and Limiting Thoughts

Incorporating Psychological Perspectives

In addition to its philosophical roots, coaching draws significantly from various schools and approaches within psychology.

These influences provide models and tools for understanding the human mind, behavior and change processes, enriching the coach's practice.

One of the most impactful psychological currents is cognitivism, which offers a particular lens for understanding how we process information and how this affects our experience and actions.

The Cognitive Approach: Mind and Information Processing

Cognitive psychology focuses on the study of mental activity and its complex relationships with perception (how we receive information from the world), thoughts (how we interpret and elaborate on that information), and action (how we respond behaviorally).

It pays special attention to the processes by which a person obtains information about himself and his environment.

Equally important is the analysis of how that information is processed - how it is organized, stored, retrieved and used - and the direct consequences that this processing has on observable behaviors.

In essence, cognitivism explores the "black box" of the mind to understand how our internal representations guide our interaction with reality.

Cognitive Application in Coaching: Seeking Alternatives

From this cognitive perspective applied to coaching, the coach's role involves guiding the coachee in an active search for alternative approaches to those initially presented.

Often, people reach a situation of blockage or dissatisfaction due to rigid or limiting thought patterns.

The cognitive approach in coaching focuses precisely on identifying these limiting thoughts, which can often be irrational or based on unverified assumptions.

The coach does not impose a new way of thinking, but rather facilitates a process of exploration.

Exploring New Ways of Thinking About Situations

Once thoughts that may be hindering progress have been identified, the coaching process from a cognitive approach is devoted to actively exploring other ways of conceiving situations.

The coachee is invited to question his or her own interpretations, to consider different angles and to eva luate the validity of his or her automatic beliefs.

For example, if a coachee expresses "I will never be able to speak in public because I am too shy," the coach might explore past experiences where he or she did interact with groups, analyze what exactly "being shy" means to that person, and look for small exceptions to that self-imposed rule.

This process helps the coachee to flex his or her thinking, discover new perspectives and open up to possibilities for action that he or she previously considered unattainable due to his or her own mental barriers.

Summary

Cognitivism focuses on the study of mental activity, paying attention to perception, thoughts and information processing. It explores how internal representations guide our interaction with reality.

Applied to coaching, it involves guiding the coachee in the search for alternative approaches to those initially presented. It focuses on identifying rigid or irrational limiting thoughts.

The coach facilitates the exploration of other ways of conceiving situations. This helps the coachee to question his or her interpretations, make his or her thinking more flexible and open up to new possibilities for action.