Coaching of people with physical disabilities : a case study

Bibliogr. s. 101-103

The article is a case study of a coaching process of a person with physical disability. According to the definition by International Coach Federation, coaching is “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential”. This relatively young and fast-growing profession concentrated around supporting psychological resources of an individual and around strengthening positive mental health understood as symptoms of well-being. Because of its characteristics, coaching seems to be a method well-suited for the needs of people with physical disability. A coaching process of a 27-year old woman suffering from cerebral palsy is presented. The process consisted of six sessions, one hour each. At the first meeting a contract was made and the main goal for the entire process was established. The last session was a summary and planning of actions to be undertaken after the process ends in order to continue the progress made. Sessions took place at the Institute of Applied Psychology of Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The main coaching goal was to strengthen self-confidence. In the paper each coaching session is presented: its goal, main tools, and the most important conclusions. Main themes of the sessions included: self-confidence and self-esteem, assertiveness and communication, female-male relations, and emotion control. The case study seems to suggest that for the participant it was most important to change the way of thinking about herself. This change was to get out of concentrating on the disability, and to strengthen the perception of strengths and advantages. Positive impact of coaching seems to be backed up by qualitative data presented. In the research procedure psychometric tools were used to measure the following variables: sense of self-efficacy (GSES), resilience (SPP-25), self-esteem (SES), and symptoms of mental wellbeing (MHC-SF and GRQ-R). At the same time, it is important to remember that data from testing a single person do not allow us to draw strong conclusions. This data is presented simply as a supplement to the case study. The case study presented seems to confirm the assumption that coaching - because it is resources-oriented and goal-oriented - may be an effective method of psychological rehabilitation of people with physical disability.