Extended Art-of-Living Coaching: An Integrative Approach to Changing Strategies and Overcoming Barriers

Abstract

Research examining the coaching of individuals concerning their art-of-living is still in the early stages. However, there are promising findings indicating that art-of-living can be improved through coaching (Stumpp-Spies/Schmitz 2017b). Coachees’ resources and strategies influence the potential success of a coaching intervention and, thus, should form the starting point for the specific conceptualization thereof. In addition, other factors may also play a role in whether coachees successfully improve their art-of-living. The current study therefore assumes that possible barriers - such as perfectionism, exaggerated expectations, and specific decisions - potentially affect whether coachees are able to implement certain strategies. Thus, we address the following question: Why can certain resources sometimes not be translated into good strategies? With this question in mind, a coach conducted qualitative interviews with 20 participants of the experimental group. The interviews were then transcribed verbatim and examined using qualitative methods. For each participant, the barriers reported to have a strong or very strong effect on the respective person were addressed in the coaching process. Specific interventions then aimed at minimizing the effect of those barriers on the respective participant. Using a mixed-method approach, we assessed participants’ art-of-living using a combination of qualitative and quantitative measures. In doing so, we obtained findings that would not have been possible using quantitative methods alone. Our results indicate that barriers play a role in participants’ art-of-living. This effect was successfully weakened by the coaching intervention.