ABSTRACT
This chapter describes five constituting elements of psychodynamic coaching. First is the work with the unconscious which governs any psychodynamic approach: Conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings operate simultaneously and can be conflicting, necessitating compromised solutions. Secondly, major element requires a specific guiding attitude of the coach, whereby s/he is the facilitator or midwife for the client’s personal and professional development, not a problem-solver, advisor or consultant in technical terms. The third major element in the work of the psychodynamic coach is the client’s process of becoming more and more conscious of her/his personal inner-world and the inner- and outer-factors that influence it. The fourth element of psychodynamic coaching is achieving better performance through personal development and growth in the work domain. The fifth element takes into account that an individual cannot perform a role without an organisational system and a context in which the person and the organisational system both act and interact.
