Some say coaching is “about the future” and therapy is “about the past.” But that’s not exactly true. Good coaching doesn’t divorce itself from the past if the past is relevant to how you construct your life moving forward. And good therapy doesn’t wallow in the past for its own sake — it too seeks to heal the individual, which is all about creating a better future.

The Rise of Coaching and the Influence of Positive Psychology

While coaching draws from diverse fields such as sports, leadership, and organizational development, one of its most significant influences is Positive Psychology, a discipline pioneered by Dr. Martin Seligman. As coaching evolved into a distinct field in the late 20th century, it adopted many principles of Positive Psychology, shifting the focus from fixing deficits to enhancing strengths and thriving.

Martin Seligman and the Birth of Positive Psychology

Martin Seligman, often referred to as the “father of Positive Psychology,” was a renowned psychologist who initially focused on learned helplessness and depression. However, in the late 1990s, Seligman began questioning the dominance of pathology in psychology. He believed the field was too narrowly focused on diagnosing and treating mental illness, neglecting the study of human flourishing.In his landmark 1998 speech as president of the American Psychological Association (APA), Seligman called for a new direction in psychology — one that would explore what makes life worth living. He argued that psychology should not only alleviate suffering but also foster well-being, resilience, and happiness. This paradigm shift laid the foundation for Positive Psychology, a field dedicated to understanding and promoting the conditions that enable individuals and communities to thrive.

The PERMA Model: A Blueprint for Well-Being

Seligman’s Positive Psychology set its foundation on the PERMA model, which outlines five core elements of well-being. Each component contributes to a fulfilling and meaningful life:

Positive Emotions: Experiencing joy, gratitude, hope, and other uplifting emotions.

Engagement: Immersion in activities that bring flow — a state of complete focus and enjoyment.

Relationships: Building meaningful connections with others, which provide support and purpose.

Meaning: Finding purpose and belonging through serving something greater than oneself.

Accomplishment: Pursuing and achieving goals that give a sense of pride and fulfillment.The PERMA model is not just a theoretical framework. It is a practical guide for enhancing well-being, making it highly applicable to coaching. Unlike therapy, which often addresses emotional pain and dysfunction, coaching uses models like PERMA to empower clients to build on their strengths and live more intentionally.

How Positive Psychology Shaped Coaching

Seligman’s work profoundly influenced coaching by providing a science-backed foundation for its principles and practices. Here’s how Positive Psychology directly shaped modern coaching:

Strengths-Based Focus: Coaching emphasizes identifying and leveraging a client’s strengths rather than fixing weaknesses. This aligns with Positive Psychology’s goal of helping people thrive rather than merely survive.

Goal-Oriented Framework: The PERMA model provides a clear structure for setting and achieving meaningful goals, a hallmark of coaching. For example, coaches might help clients design strategies to increase engagement or build stronger relationships.

Empowerment Over Diagnosis: While therapy often involves diagnosing and treating psychological issues, coaching adopts a Positive Psychology lens, assuming clients are capable, resourceful, and ready to grow.

Actionable Insights: Positive Psychology translates complex ideas about human flourishing into actionable steps, such as gratitude practices, mindfulness exercises, or setting SMART goals. These tools have become staples in coaching sessions.

Coaching vs. Therapy: The Role of Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology reinforces the distinction between coaching and therapy. Therapy, guided by diagnostic frameworks like the DSM-5, addresses emotional pain, mental illness, and past traumas. In contrast, coaching, inspired by Positive Psychology, focuses on what’s going well and how to build on it.

For instance, a therapist working with a client experiencing depression might explore the root causes of their condition and use evidence-based treatments like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A coach, working with someone who feels “stuck” but is otherwise functional, might focus on identifying areas of disengagement in their life and co-creating strategies to reignite their sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Self-Awareness and the Coaching Process

Another key principle in both Positive Psychology and coaching is the importance of self-awareness. While therapy often focuses on uncovering unconscious material, coaching emphasizes conscious awareness and intentionality.

Recognizing Default Patterns

Self-awareness begins with observing one’s default behaviors, thought patterns, and emotional triggers.

Do you avoid challenges because of fear of failure?

Are you overly critical of yourself, undermining your confidence?

By bringing these patterns into conscious awareness, clients can choose to change them.

Seeing Blind Spots

A coach acts as a mirror, helping clients identify blind spots — behaviors or beliefs they might not recognize in themselves. A client may realize they consistently overcommit, leading to burnout.

Another may discover a tendency to seek external validation rather than trusting their own judgment.

Non-Judgmental Observation

In both coaching and therapy, progress hinges on observing oneself without judgment. This compassionate self-awareness creates the psychological safety needed to explore new ways of thinking and acting.

Transactional vs. Transformative Coaching

Seligman’s work also helps delineate transactional coaching from transformative coaching. While transactional coaching might focus on specific elements of PERMA, such as helping a client accomplish a career goal, transformative coaching integrates the model more holistically, addressing the client’s entire well-being.

Transactional Coaching: A client wants to run a marathon. A coach helps them set a training schedule, track progress, and stay accountable.

Transformative Coaching: A client wants to feel more alive and engaged in life. A coach explores what running a marathon represents for the client — perhaps a desire for discipline, community, or self-confidence — and helps them align this goal with their broader values and aspirations.

The Unique Contributions of Coaching and Therapy

While therapy and coaching differ in scope and methodology, they are complementary tools for personal growth. Therapy excels in healing emotional wounds and addressing mental health challenges, while coaching, heavily influenced by Positive Psychology, empowers clients to thrive, flourish, and achieve meaningful goals.

Both fields underscore the importance of self-awareness, the power of language, and the need for inner work. Whether through the depth of therapy or the action-oriented focus of coaching, individuals can uncover their blind spots, rewrite their narratives, and create lives aligned with their values.

Martin Seligman’s vision for Positive Psychology has left an indelible mark on coaching, providing a framework for understanding and enhancing well-being. By embracing the principles of Positive Psychology and tools like the PERMA model, coaching continues to offer transformative possibilities for those seeking to unlock their potential and live with purpose.

Sources:

Freud, S. (1960). The Ego and the Id. W.W. Norton & Company.Rogers, C. R. (1951). Client-Centered Therapy. Houghton Mifflin.Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive Therapy of Depression. Guilford Press.Schwartz, T., & McCarthy, C. (2007). “Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time.” Harvard Business Review.ICF (2023). “What is Coaching?” International Coaching Federation. www.coachingfederation.org.