From Science to Practice
Coaching the brain: Neuro-science or Neuro-nonsense? By Anthony Grant, The Coaching Psychologist
Special thanks to Brody Gregory, PhD translating this article from scientific research to practical applications in coaching .
Looking for a little more hard science in your coaching practice? In his June 2015 article in The Coaching Psychologist, Anthony Grant draws thought-provoking connections between coaching and neuroscience.
It’s easy to assume he means concepts like the “amygdalahijack” – when coaches help their clients understand how their brain is hardwired to respond to threats and how this can impact their ability to perform effectively. But Grant takes a different approach – focusing instead on how coaching may be able to inform neuroscience.
For instance, he suggests that solution-focused cognitive-behavioral coaching can lead to notable changes in behavior and cognition, which, theoretically, could result in changes in brain structure or brain activity. Such an intervention has meaningful implications for neuroscience. If targeted coaching leads to observable and lasting behavior change, which results in corresponding changes in the brain, Grant notes that this could yield convincing evidence for concepts such as neuroplasticity and brain-region function-specificity.
- The big challenge? We need more evidence. Grant makes a great case for the intersection of coaching and neuroscience, but is also quick to point out the need for much more research and empirical data to support these ideas.
- Are you a researcher? Here you go – a great chance to make a big impact.
- Are you a practitioner? How often do you consider the actual biological basis of your clients’ behaviors? How can you begin to pay more attention?
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