Disclaimer: The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and are not an official policy or position of the National Defense University, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
Coaching modalities are increasingly in demand within the national security community. Trained coaching psychologists, in particular active military psychologists, bring robust skill sets to support, develop, and inspire leaders. The U.S. military is invested in developing coaches, and availing these modalities to leaders, which demonstrates commitment to developing a coaching culture. This article aims to introduce psychologists across various specialties to coaching within the national security community. Here we define coaching, discuss coaching in the national security context, introduce training and certification options, discuss important ethical considerations, and contrast this skill with other areas in psychology.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential” (International Coaching Federation, 2021). Military psychologists, frequently trained and licensed first as clinical psychologists, may develop coaching psychology competencies through additional training and certification. Psychological proficiency and military cultural competence are strong foundations upon which to develop transformative coaching psychology skills. Though anyone can call themselves a coach, the layers of skill development military coaching psychologists build upon position them to be ideal coaches.
Here we provide our first example (deidentified) coaching case:
A senior military officer (“Tom”) prepares to transition to a new role after a promotion. Tom is technically proficient and has outperformed his peers, demonstrating mastery and subject matter expertise in his field. However, A 360-evaluation from his last held position revealed deficits in interpersonal skills, impacting his ability to build trust up and down the chain of command. Tom seeks executive coaching to develop improved emotional intelligence, and to explore strategies to adapt his leadership style to the unique needs of his organization.
The coach partners with Tom to create a clear agreement about the coaching relationship, process, plans, and goals. The coach employs a flexible, open, and present minded approach to help Tom work on his goals. Tom’s coach evokes awareness and insight through active listening and by using coaching tools and techniques such as powerful questions, silence, metaphor, analogy, and self-awareness exercises to develop actionable behaviors in service of his goals (International Coaching Federation, 2021).
Military and national security leaders recognize the value coaches bring. The Army Coaching Program (ACP; Army Talent Management Task Force, 2016) coordinates and selects both uniformed and civilian leaders to participate in a coach training program, designed to position them to seek ICF accreditation as a certified coach (International Coaching Federation, 2024). The Army’s sister services (e.g., Air Force, Navy, Space Force, etc.) are also investing in generating certified coaches to provide support throughout the ranks (Department of the Air Force, n.d.). Psychologists are selectively included in these programs, though the bulk of coaches within the military are likely to be non-psychologists. Numerous programs are available aside from government sponsored options, such as the College of Executive Coaching (College of Executive Coaching, 2024) which is a program geared for post-graduate psychologists.
Coaching competencies are frequently taught (Flatter Leadership Academy, 2024) and verified (International Coaching Federation, 2024) by non-psychologists. Many coaches are not licensed psychologists, and not all psychologists are trained coaches. However, psychologists are uniquely positioned to develop effective coaching skill sets. Coaching psychologists apply their knowledge of the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code (American Psychological Association, 2017) and recognize the contrasts and overlap with the ICF Ethics Code (International Coaching Federation, 2021). Non-psychologist coaches may not recognize their boundaries of competence, or potential pitfalls (Stringer, 2023). Coaching psychologists are mindful of parameters set by licensing boards, jurisdictions where they work, and guidelines for the delivery of services via digital means (American Psychological Association, 2024).
Here we provide our second example (deidentified) coaching case:
A field grade officer (“Sally”) transitions to a new role teaching and mentoring junior officers as they seek career progression to higher ranks. She enjoys the new role greatly, and the positive impact she has. In this role, Sally occasionally speaks to much larger groups (hundreds to thousands) of Soldiers than she is accustomed to. She is excited by this prospect, but also nervous. At a few of these events she has noticed herself rushing through her material and missing out on the opportunity to convey her passion for her work. Sally seeks out coaching to develop increased confidence and to optimize her response to stress.
The coach and Sally collaborate to create a clear agreement about the coaching relationship, process, plans and goals. Sally engages in coaching sessions to explore her values, then works to translate these values into actionable behaviors. She learns to own her stress, and to use it as a catalyst for improved performance (International Coaching Federation, 2021).
Vandaveer & Frisch (2022) describe how coaching is distinct from therapy, counseling, or mentoring (Vandaveer & Frisch, 2022). Coaching often focuses on leadership development, preparing for transitions to executive levels, improving performance and emotional intelligence, and addressing issues such as imposter syndrome. Coaching may focus on personal, professional, or both areas of one’s life. Vandaveer & Frisch (2022) review several models and an evolving evidence-base for coaching, which are well worth exploring as psychologists develop and refine their coaching skills. Therapy or counseling frequently focuses on improving diagnosable clinical concerns (e.g., depression, anxiety, trauma) with evidence-based treatments designed to treat or resolve pathology-focused psychological problems (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Mentors give advice and share insights from their professional experiences. Coaching psychologists have the benefit of years of clinical work, which positions them well to recognize and avoid blurring the lines between coaching and similar modalities.
Clinical, symptom-oriented psychological assessments such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2020) assess for and guide treatment of clinical disorders. However, non-clinical assessments can aid in the coaching process. For example, the Hogan (Hogan Assessments, 2024) and Workplace Big Five (Table Mountain Consulting Group, 2022) measures can provide insights into leadership and team strengths and weaknesses. Leaders often seek coaching to better understand their blind spots, or areas for growth they have already received feedback through the Army’s Command Assessment Program (CAP; Abrams, 2022). Within team coaching (International Coaching Federation, 2021), these measures can provide valuable insights into the dynamics between teams. The unique psychological assessment training psychologists go through primes them to recognize and optimize the potential gains from these measures.
Many elements are necessary to develop into an ethical and effective coaching psychologist. Coaching psychology certifications, mentors, research, and tools are all critical mechanisms to establish and demonstrate competence. As psychologists seek to expand their skills, curiosity and openness will serve them well. This moment is an important opportunity to champion coaching psychology and establish psychologists as a valuable resource in shaping our current and future leaders.
Our consulting psychology team is comprised of active military psychologists who are formally trained, and ICF accredited, executive coaches. To reach us: Dr. Bartocci can be reached at bartocci.psyd@gmail.com. Dr. Butcher can be reached at proconsultjb@outlook.com, and Dr. Symonette can be reached at sisympsyd@nexgentri.com.
References
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Angelo P. Bartocci, PsyD, ABPP, ACC
Board Certified in Police and Public Safety Psychology
ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
Correspondence: bartocci.psyd@gmail.com
Jimmie Butcher, PhD, ABPP, PCC
Board Certified in Organizational and Business Consulting Psychology
ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
Correspondence: proconsultjb@outlook.com
Sierra Symonette, PsyD, ABPP, ACC
Board Certified in Organizational and Business Consulting Psychology
ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
Correspondence: sisympsyd@nexgentri.com