Neuroscience for Coaches: How to Use the Latest Insights for the Benefit of Your Clients

by Amy Brann

The world of coaching is competitive. Organizations want coaches who deliver results. Many coaching tools and techniques are now fairly well established -- but how do they actually work? The coach who can answer this question credibly and convincingly is sought after.
 
Neuroscience for Coaches equips coaches with cutting edge neuroscience information that will help them deliver greater value to their clients. It covers the foundations that they need to be aware of and how they can use this new information effectively and practically in their everyday work.  Readers will gain a clear understanding of the latest aspects of neuroscience that are relevant to coaching and be able to explain to their clients from a neuroscientific perspective why particular techniques and methods work and the benefits to them. Including valuable tools and techniques to use with coaching clients, this book enables coaches to increase the ROI they deliver to their clients and differentiate themselves in a highly competitive market.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Psychology, Neuroscience

232 pages, Paperback

First published November 3, 2014

Reviews

[Andrew Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is much of interest here, but the book suffers from a few faults that I think detract from its usefulness. One is that in attempting to be comprehensive, it includes much that is hypothetical, and more that is of little practical use. Being able to name different parts of the brain is a dubious benefit for a coach, and given how complex neural interactions are, and how little we fully understand them, there is a risk that coaches will take away an over-simplified understanding and then preach it with the authority of science. The other problem I had with this book is that it has not been proof read properly. There are some sentences which simply do not make sense, and many places where the syntax trips the reader: plural subjects given singular verbs, and so on. The most useful aspects, I think are the descriptions of the stimulation and effects of adrenaline, oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine et al. These are much better understood, and there is significant scope for coaches to help clients understand themselves, others, and the way in which they provoke responses in others (and vice versa) that is both practical and valuable. So worth a read, but don't get bogged down in the complexity and the speculative (the quantum brain, for example); instead mine the book for the established and the practical knowledge that will make a real difference.

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I find the paper copy of this book I'll buy it immediatly, in the meantime I recommend it to all psychologists, psychotherapists, coaches, etc.etc. or any mental health professional because it is clear, well written and provides excellent practical examples.

Nel momento stesso in cui trovo la copia cartacea di questo libro me lo compro, intanto lo consiglio a tutti gli psicologi, psicoterapeuti, coach, etc.etc. o qualsivoglia professionista della salute mentale perché é chiaro, ben scritto e fornisce ottimi esempi pratici.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND KOGAN PAGE FOR THE PREVIEW!

[Gio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coaches help their clients form the right habits for success, handle stress, overcome obstacles and just improve their lives for the better. It makes sense then to study neuroscience to understand what's going on in your clients' brains and how to influence them so they can get the results they crave.

Neuroscience For Coaches is a good starting point. If you're new to neuroscience, the book covers all the basics. It tells you what every part of the brain does, how different hormones influence behaviours and the newest theories in the field. Each section also features a selection of scientific studies in the field and their practical application in your coaching practice.

This helps coaches in two ways. First off, you can explain to clients that the behaviours and habits that have caused problems in their lives aren't character's flaws or weaknesses but actually have a scientific explanation. Two: you can suggest tools and strategies that have scientifically proven to solve the problem. This adds another layer of credibility and improves client's trust in your coaching abilities.

Having said that, I've found the book tries to pack in too much. As you've probably guessed, neuroscience is a very complex subject. Brann summarises every topic in just a few short pages, oversampling things at times. That's why I recommend the book only to neuroscience newbies that want a primer on the subject. If a topic or chapter piques your interest, you can always research it more in-depth later on.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely worthwhile reading if you are new to neuroscience. Mapping this science to the areas of coaching is like killing two birds with one stone. After providing an introduction into the brain areas, brain chemicals, and fundamental brain concepts, this book explains how they are related to typical areas coaches have to deal with.

[Mario Sailer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Without any knowledge about psychology or neuroscience, the book looks very compiling. As a coach you will finally understand what causes the behavior of your clients.

The problem is only that neuroscience is a very complex field which is not fully understood yet. The book tries to give easy answers and thus is superficial and sometimes tells only half of the story.

On example is the chapter about the Striatum, an area in the brain responsible for out habits. But it is not the only involved when it comes to habits. In fact the whole sensorimotor cortico–striatal circuit is involved when it comes to habits. In the Striatum itself, an area called putamen is the region of interest when habits are exposed.
But before habits can be exposed, they have to be formed. This is done by a goal seeking mechanism in which another area of the Striatum is involved, the nucleus claudate. This one is part of the associative cortico–striatal circuit that is responsible for our conscious behavior.
When we achieved our goal by activating this goal seeking (conscious) process, the substansia nigra will eject Dopamine, which arouses the nucleus acumbens, yet another area of the Striatum - the reward center that gives us a good feeling and encourages us to repeat what we just did.
When repetition takes place over and over again habits form and control is handed over from the nucleus claudate and the prefrontal cortex (also involved in goal seeking) to the putamen and the sensorimotor cortex.
Later on in the chapter about habits, the book mentions the dorsal medial striatum and the dorsal lateral striatum when it comes to habit and goal seeking. This is correct when talking about mice, in humans the dorsal medial striatum is called nucleus claudate, the dorsal lateral striatum is called putamen. If you do not want to confuse the reader, this should be mentioned.

Hard stuff so. And I have only scratched the surface. But if you really want to understand habits and how to handle them as a coach, you have to dig deeper.

For some topics neuroscience would be interesting if properly depicted, but (in my view) does not help too much in coaching. Trust for example. Here a book like "The decision to trust" from Robert F. Hurly explains much more than what you can read in this book about oxytocin.

[Prasanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neuroscience for Coaches is an excellent resource for counselors and coaches who advise their clients on how to handle stress, overcome inhibitions, and lead a fulfilling life, but do not come from medical background. Understanding the brain anatomy and the chemical processes discussed in the book will provide an additional dimension to the readers’ ability to assess their clients’ problems and come up with better solutions.

[Simon Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for anyone wanting to understand more about how our brains can be programmed or at least tweaked for better performance