The application of Gestalt principles and positive psychology to transition coaching

The rapid growth of the coaching profession has outpaced the development of sound theory and a scientific foundation to anchor it as a psychological discipline. In this paper, which uses transition coaching as a focal point, both Gestalt theory and principles and positive psychology are examined as potential theoretical and scientific bases for the practice of coaching. The author concludes that, though Gestalt theory is an intuitive and useful framework for coaching, particularly when applied in conjunction with models of transition such as Hudson’s (1999) model of adult experience of change, its evidence base is lacking. Positive psychology, with a growing body of empirical research on the nature and mechanisms of human thriving, provides a more robust scientific base from which to anchor the profession of coaching.