Invited Paper: Experiences of group coaching in Sweden – A qualitative study
Dr Kristina Gyllensten
The aim of the study was to explore managers’ experiences of participating in executive group coaching in a municipality in Sweden. Managers that had participated in executive group coaching were invited to participate. Ten individuals were interviewed and Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Four main themes emerged from the analysis – ‘group engagement’, ‘a space for reflection and creativity’, ‘taking different perspectives’ and ‘increased self-awareness and courage’. The executive group coaching was a highly engaging process that provided an opportunity for reflection, creativity, and self-awareness. The study also highlights that executive group coaching can provide an opportunity for managers to give and receive well needed peer support.
Dr Kristina Gyllensten, DPsych, Counselling Psychologist, CBT psychotherapist, cert coach. Kristina works as a psychologist and researcher at a department for occupational and environmental medicine, at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden. She has written and co-written a number of papers and book chapters and has edited one book. Her publications have focused on workplace stress, stress management, gender and stress, psychological coaching, and cognitive therapy.