The importance of supporting the development of positive mental health in our young people through a Co- Active coaching approach.
Written By Rachel Suery
Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a Green Light Go Community of Practice event to present a webinar (www.greenlightgo.es). The webinar focused on the importance of supporting the development of positive mental health in our young people through a Co- Active coaching approach.
As someone who has worked with young people for many years, this is a topic close to my heart and an area that is gaining more traction in a time where mental health concerns are growing. The pressures and demands on our young people today are increasing. They are needing to constantly adapt to a dynamic and ever-changing world, an environment that can be volatile, uncertain, and complex. And because of this, it’s becoming increasingly more important to place emphasis on building up the mental health and well-being of our young people today, in order for them to develop coping mechanisms to live balanced and fulfilled lives.
What is Mental Health? Mental health is something we ALL have. Your mental health influences how you think, feel, and act in daily life. It also affects your ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, and recover from life’s setbacks and hardships.
Dr Seligman, a pioneer in the field of Positive Psychology, developed the PERMA™ model as a theory of well-being. Inherent in the model are the building blocks that work towards enabling human flourishing and well-being. Based on positive psychology and the PERMA™ model, I like to think of mental health in terms of it being a theory of well-being. In this way, having a strong mental health refers to the presence of positive characteristics and drawing on these characteristics to face challenges in life. It refers to psychological resilience to cope with whatever life throws at you. It is this concept of mental health, this theory of well-being, this idea of emotional and mental resilience, that we need to help our young people with. We need to work towards equipping them with the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook in challenging times.
And right now, given the current world crisis situation with COVID-19, focusing on building positive mental health and well-being has never been more critical as we help our young people learn to navigate what’s happening in the world around them. What I am noticing is that many of our young people are experiencing stress, fear, worry and anxiety. All of which are normal reactions when faced with the unknown or with change. I am also seeing grief of letting go the life they have been used to, and isolation from peers as they learn to self-manage their own learning in the home environment.
They are being forced to manage a whole new situation and discovering triggers and emotions that they perhaps have not experienced before. It is not uncommon when faced with an unprecedented life event, for unfamiliar and unexpected feelings, emotions and behaviours to surface.
The Place of Co-Active Coaching in Promoting Mental Health in our Children and Young People
Why a Co-Active Coaching approach? At its very simplest, Co-Active Coaching is grounded in what is termed an empowered relationship between the coach and the young person, where the main aim is not to change who they are, but how they are. It focuses on guiding the young person to step into a space of who they need to “be”, alongside what they need to “do”, in order to achieve success, well-being and reach their full potential. The “being” and “doing” are important and go hand-in-hand. It is this interwoven relationship that leads to creating a powerful space where the young person is able to deepen their learning about themselves alongside forwarding the action, by putting steps in place to create change.
What makes Co-Active Coaching a powerful approach with young people?
Coaching very much focuses on the present moment and future hopes. It’s about moving forward from the space you are in right now, from the concerns and challenges that are relevant in the present time. Generally, young people from a developmental perspective are inclined to be more concerned with the present and the future, rather than analysing previous experiences. For this reason, young people are more open to an approach that does not focus on unpacking past problems and see coaching as an uplifting and empowering experience.
The practical nature of coaching, with its solution-oriented tools makes it a highly applicable form of support for young people who are typically more engaged with hands on and interactive support, this is especially true for younger children. Therefore, the progress they make with a coach is something that feels more tangible and relevant to them, and often results in rapid and enduring change.
Coaching is very much “Student centred support”. Rather than acting in the position of expert, coaches hold the people they work with in the space of being Naturally, Creative, Resourceful and Whole. In this way, young people are seen as experts on themselves. It’s not about fixing a problem or problem solving, it’s about believing the young person has the answers for themselves. Because of this, there is a high emphasis on internal resources that the young person possesses, rather than a detailed analysis and diagnosis of the problem. When young people stand in a space of believing in themselves alongside discovering and embracing their internal resources, this leads to an increase in self-efficacy, self-worth and greater autonomy. As a result, young people feel more empowered to move forward through exploration, growth and action.
In coaching, the young person works on self-defined goals and outcomes alongside deciding the direction coaching takes. The coach will have insight as to how the young person can move forward successfully, however, the coach works with what arises with the young person rather than from a fixed and rigid plan. Because this process is led by the young person, it gives them a sense of being in control of their own future. As a result, they have more buy-in to the coaching process and hence are more motivated to move forward and create change for themselves.
Coaching focuses on the “whole child”. When we talk about the whole child, we are referring to working with the social, emotional, behavioural, cognitive, health and spiritual dimensions of a young person’s life. In my coaching of young people, I have found that all areas are deeply intertwined, inseparable and equally important in ensuring a young person's well-being, learning and growth.
How Co-Active Coaching supports the development of a positive mental health mind-set Coaching provides a strong platform to help young people develop the necessary tools and skills in order to build up and develop a positive mental health mind-set. With its focus on cultivating sustainable skills and strategies to manage the ups and downs of life, a coaching approach supports young people to understand themselves better and cultivate positive mental health and well-being in the following ways:
Improve self-confidence so they learn to believe in themselves and to move outside of their comfort zone
Nurture self-esteem and self-worth
Build resilience to handle life’s challenges
Develop problem solving and decision-making skills
Manage anxiety, stress and difficult situations
Understand, embrace and regulate emotions
Develop a positive, healthy self-image and identity
Identify and embrace strengths in order to develop self-leadership skills and embrace strengths in difficult times
Set and obtain goals to develop a clear vision for what they want to achieve
Identify positive and negative influences in life
Develop a growth mind set to be able to deal with challenges
Acquire self-management skills
Coaching effectively equips young people with the necessary skills and tools to ultimately become the best version of themselves and the leaders of their own life. It teaches young people life skills, which undoubtably are the most important skills we can impart to our young people, especially at a time where the mental health and well-being of our young people is a top priority.
References: Giant, N. (2014). Life Coaching for Kids. Jessica Kingsley Publishers Kimsey-House, H., Kimsey-House, K., Sandahl, S., & Whitworth, L. (2018). Co-active coaching: the proven framework for transformative conversations at work and in life (4th edn). Nicholas Brealey Publishing Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press. The PERMA model. (n.a). Positive Psychology Melbourne. What is PERMA? The technical definition. (2012) Go Strengths! https://gostrengths.com/whatisperma/
