We are still under the thought-provoking impressions of our 8th Annual Coaching in Leadership and Healthcare Conference organized by the Institute of Coaching, McLean Hospital, and Harvard Medical School.  It took place just 2 weeks ago, and as many of you who have attended it through the years would probably agree, the inspiration, reflections on the excellent talks and workshops, conversations with old and new colleagues, are still echoing through our day.  

In addition to the key note talks and workshops, we are proud of the expanded research program that was available during the Conference.  Current coaching empirical research and theoretical discussions were presented in the very interactive poster session on Saturday evening. As part of the parallel sessions this year we also had Research Tracks, during which colleagues talked about their most current work. The posters and research talks were engaging, the conversations energizing and the only thing that we needed more of was time to continue exploring each topic in greater detail.

This additional time can be found through the avenues for continued conversation that the Institute provides – as we often say, we see this as a conference that never ends. And in that spirit, we suggest multiple forms through which to support such interaction – they now include our beautiful new website which was launched just before the conference and which we hope you have had a chance to explore.  They also include the Research Digest - also just launched - you can find the first issue on our resource page. The Research Digest provides an overview of the most recent publications in the field of coaching, as well as brief reflections on the implication of the research for coaching practice.  They also include our LinkedIn discussion forum, and importantly, the Coaching Report you are now receiving.

In the October Coaching Report we focus on several resources related to health and wellness coaching, which also have implications for coaching in general.  Deb Elbaum elaborates on the implications for coaching practice of a recently published paper by Raphael Rose, which describes self-guided stress management and resilience training.  We also suggest that you explore the book Wellness Coaching for Lasting Lifestyle Change by Michael Arloski, published in an updated second addition last year.  In this issue of the Coaching Report we also draw your attention to our October webinar on the topic of Improving Well-Being in the Workplace:  Current Research on the Role of Health Coaching. This Webinar will be presented by Alyssa McGonagle and Gary Sforzo, who are Harnisch scholars and will talk about the projects they conducted with the support of the IoC Harnisch grants. The discussion will explore the conclusions from their projects, as well as future directions in health coaching research and its implications for coaching practice.

I trust that you will enjoy and find our suggested materials for the month of October helpful in your research and practice!  Please contact us with comments, ideas and recommendations!

Irina Todorova, Director of Research