In this month’s Research Digest, we highlight several recent publications regarding what makes coaching work, the conclusions from current research on health coaching, and developing skills as a coaching professional. In the first section we have chosen two studies which report substantial research programs – the first one with a large international sample (a very difficult design to carry out); and the second one with multiple studies at the Coaching Psychology Unit in Sydney, Australia aimed at understanding how coaching can contribute to well-being broadly understood, in different settings.

Next we highlight two articles illustrating effectiveness of health coaching for diabetes and cardiovascular risk. The first one is a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies on coaching for diabetes control, thus has evaluated many publications and has chosen those that are most reliable. The second one is a unique study that was able to follow-up over 60% of patients that participated in an RCT for one year, to observe if the initial benefits of coaching have been maintained 12 months later.

The final section includes one conceptual article and one in-depth case study of a coaching session. The first reflects on the multiplicity of the self of the coach, while the second focuses on the multiple theoretical lenses that can be brought into the coaching conversation, as well as the possible directions the conversation can take though the application of “model agility”. Three of the articles we present in this issue of the Research Digest are from a recent special issue of Consulting Psychology Journal on “International Perspectives on Becoming a Master Coaching Psychologist”, the introductory paper of which is publicly available.

A large-scale study of executive and workplace coaching: The relative contributions of relationship, personality match, and self-efficacy. de Haan, E., Grant, A. M., Burger, Y., & Eriksson, P.O. (2016). Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 68(3), 189-207.

What can Sydney tell us about coaching? Research with implications for practice from down under. Grant, A. M. (2016). Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 68(2), 105-117.

Evaluating the Effect of a Diabetes Health Coach in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. Sherifali, D., Viscardi, V., Bai, J.-W., & Ali, R. M. U. (2016). Canadian Journal Of Diabetes, 40(1), 84-94. (Full text is publicly is available)

What Happens After Health Coaching? Observational Study 1 Year Following a Randomized Controlled Trial. Sharma, A. E., Willard-Grace, R., Hessler, D., Bodenheimer, T., & Thom, D. H. (2016). Annals of Family Medicine, 14(3), 200- 207 (Full text publicly available) 

The self of the coach: Conceptualization, issues, and opportunities for practitioner development. Bachkirova, T. (2016). Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 68(2), 143-156.

Model agility: Coaching effectiveness and four perspectives on a case study. Kauffman, C., & Hodgetts, W. H. (2016). Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 68(2)