Invited Paper: Coaching Psychology for Recovery: A Nomothetic or Idiographic journey.
Martin O’ Connor with Hugh O Donovan
COVID-19 has brought the reality of existential uncertainty into our daily lives, manifested in our work, our relationships and impacting on our capacity to communicate and connect meaningfully with one another. Coaching Psychology, in its research, practice and teaching, has been endeavouring to clarify its relevance and application across the broad spectrum of human experience, inclusive of interacting with people experiencing significant mental distress (mental illness). This process needs to continue. Following a recent coaching psychology intervention with individuals with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) attached to the mental health system in Ireland, (GLOW 2, 2018) the authors have reviewed the mental health and recovery literature with a view towards opening up a conversation around how Coaching Psychology might bring value to the lived experience of individuals with BPD. This forms the content of a book to be published in 2021.
Martin O’ Connor is a Chartered Psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and a certified Analytic-Network coach. Professionally, Martin works as an independent Coaching & Clinical Psychology consultant. Martin lectures and provides coach mentoring to students on the Masters in Coaching Psychology programme in University College Cork, Ireland. Martin also lectures in Mary Immaculate College of Education (University of Limerick, Ireland) to final year teacher training students. Martin provides training, mentoring and coaching to early intervention services (childhood disability) in Ireland, as well as clinical and coaching supervision to individuals across the statutory, voluntary and small-business sectors.