Opportunities abound for graduate students interested in learning more about executive coaching. Here are a few resources to get you started:
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Distance learning. APA Div. 13 (Society of Consulting Psychology) offers over-the-phone seminars on a variety of topics, including how to get your coaching business started and how to use cognitive-behavioral theory in executive coaching. Visit APA Division 13 for more information.
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Training guidelines. Divs. 13 and 14 (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology) recently developed guidelines for training in their respective disciplines. They can serve as a resource for students who want to know what skills psychologists use when they work as executive coaches, says Div. 13 Past-president Debra Robinson, PhD. Div. 13's guidelines are at www.div13.org and Div. 14's are at http://www.siop.org/PhDGuidelines98.aspx.
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Coaching federations. Many coaches come from business, not psychology backgrounds. Organizations such as the International Coaching Federation (www.coachfederation.org) offer training and certification for coaches of all stripes.
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Further reading. A new book by Richard Kilburg, PhD, "Executive Wisdom: Coaching and the Emergence of Virtuous Leaders" (APA, 2006), explores how executive coaches can tap into their clients' different learning styles and help them become wiser leaders. Visit APA Books/4316075 for more information. Kilburg also authored "Executive Coaching: Developing Managerial Wisdom in a World of Chaos" (APA, 2000).
-S. Dingfelder