Addressing the self-care needs of coaches through the use of formulation

ABSTRACT If coaches are to deliver their best work, it is important that they are emotionally and psychologically well-resourced. In a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, the ability of coaches to monitor, manage and enable their own well-being is an important component of effective and ethical practice. However, little is known about the self-care needs and practices of coaches, with few resources available to guide practitioners in the development of personalised self-care plans. In this context, it is argued that the use of formulation has the potential to make a significant contribution. Formulation is well-established in applied psychology as a means of better understanding and responding to the needs of individual clients. This article extends the use of formulation to the domain of coach self-care. Following a review of literature relevant to self-care and to formulation, the article presents a case study which illustrates how formulation was applied by a coach to enhance self-awareness, self-monitoring and decision-making in relation to her self-care needs. Particular attention is paid to the way in which the process guided the coach's thinking and decision-making to illustrate how formulation can enable reflective practice in relation to self-care. Implications for training and practice are considered.