Walking the line: the boundaries between coaching and therapy

Abstract

This research adds to the literature on how coaches navigate the boundaries between therapy and coaching. It gathers the first-person perspectives of coaches who are also trained in Transactional Analysis (TA), following a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology. Findings highlight the responsibility of the coach to identify the boundaries; contracting and re-contracting to maintain psychological safety and maintaining a high degree of self-awareness to walk the line between work appropriate for coaching and therapy. Among the implications for coaching practice are considerations about the use of language and terminology and managing the power dynamic of the coaching dyad.

Keywords

• transactional analysis
• coaching
• reflexive practice
• boundaries
• psychological safety