Coaching Glossary

Coaching is a personalized professional partnership designed to help a person reach their goals, develop their potential, and overcome obstacles. A coach does not give advice or solutions: they ask powerful questions so the client finds their own answers. Coaching is distinct from consulting (expertise), therapy (treating the past), and mentoring (passing on experience).

See also: Coaching session, Goal, Powerful questioning

A coaching session is a structured conversation between a coach and their client, usually lasting between 45 minutes and 1h30. It follows a precise framework: clarifying the session goal, exploring the current situation, identifying resources and blockers, and defining actions to take. Each session is part of a broader process spanning several weeks or months.

See also: Coaching, Goal, Action plan

In coaching, the goal is the destination the process is working toward. It differs from a vague wish through its precision and grounding in reality. A well-formulated goal meets the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound). Early in the process, the coach helps the client articulate a life or session goal that is clear, motivating, and aligned with their deepest values.

See also: SMART goal, Action plan, Personal values

The action plan is the set of concrete steps a client commits to completing between two sessions to move toward their goal. It is co-built with the coach and describes: what to do, how, by when, and with which resources. Reviewing the action plan at the start of the next session helps assess progress, identify resistance, and adjust course.

See also: Goal, Coaching session, Follow-up

Follow-up is the longitudinal dimension of coaching: it ensures continuity between sessions and overall coherence of the process. It includes reviewing commitments made, measuring progress against the original goal, and adjusting the action plan. Good follow-up builds accountability, the awareness that the client answers for their own actions, which significantly increases the likelihood of follow-through.

See also: Action plan, Goal, Coaching

Accountability is the process by which a client takes full ownership of their actions, choices, and results. It is one of the pillars of coaching: the coach is not there to act on the client's behalf, but to help the client become the author of their own life. Accountability stands in opposition to a victim mindset and builds autonomy and proactivity.

See also: Coaching, Follow-up, Comfort zone

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to identify, understand, manage, and use one's own emotions and those of others effectively. Conceptualized by psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer, and popularized by Daniel Goleman, it includes five components: self-awareness, self-regulation, intrinsic motivation, empathy, and social skills. It is considered a more reliable predictor of success than IQ in many domains.

See also: Empathy, Self-awareness, Emotional regulation

Self-awareness is the ability to recognize one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors as they happen, along with their impact on oneself and others. It is the foundation of emotional intelligence: you can only manage what you recognize. It develops through mindfulness practice, regular reflection, and feedback from others. Self-awareness also includes knowing one's values, strengths, and limits.

See also: Emotional intelligence, Mindfulness, Personal values

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage the intensity, duration, and expression of one's emotions in a way that fits the context. It is not about suppressing emotions, which would be counterproductive, but about welcoming them, understanding them, and choosing how to respond. Regulation techniques include conscious breathing, heart coherence, cognitive reframing, mindfulness, and physical exercise.

See also: Emotional intelligence, Heart coherence, Mindfulness

Empathy is the ability to feel and understand another person's emotions by putting yourself in their place, without merging with your own emotions (which distinguishes empathy from fusion). It differs from sympathy (sharing pain) and compassion (a wish to help). In coaching, empathy is a core skill: it creates the psychological safety that allows a client to open up and explore their vulnerabilities.

See also: Emotional intelligence, Active listening, Coaching

Resilience is the ability to overcome hardship, trauma, and failure by bouncing back and continuing to grow. It is not an innate trait but a skill that can be developed. The pillars of resilience include a strong support network, the ability to make sense of difficulties, psychological flexibility, self-esteem, and the ability to ask for help.

See also: Self-esteem, Emotional intelligence, Letting go

Stress management is the set of strategies and techniques used to reduce the negative impact of stress on physical and mental health. Stress is not inherently bad, eustress (positive stress) is motivating, but chronic distress is harmful. Approaches include identifying stressors, relaxation techniques (heart coherence, meditation), cognitive restructuring, lifestyle habits, delegation, and time management.

See also: Heart coherence, Mindfulness, Resilience

The SMART goal is a goal-setting framework developed in the 1980s. SMART is an acronym: Specific (clear, unambiguous), Measurable (with clear success indicators), Achievable (realistic given available resources), Realistic (aligned with the person's values and context), Time-bound (with a clear deadline). This framework turns a vague wish into a concrete commitment.

See also: Goal, Action plan, Coaching

The wheel of life is a diagnostic and visualization tool used in coaching. It represents the different areas of life (work, finances, health, romantic relationships, family, friends, personal growth, leisure) as segments of a circle. The client rates their satisfaction in each area from 0 to 10. The tool helps identify imbalances and set priorities for action. It is often the first step of a coaching journey.

See also: Coaching, Goal, Personal values

Visualization is a mental technique that involves creating vivid, detailed mental images of a desired state, situation, or outcome. Used in coaching, elite sport, and cognitive therapies, it activates the same brain regions as real action. Effective visualization engages all the senses and generates the emotions associated with success. It reinforces motivation and primes the brain to seize opportunities.

See also: Anchoring, Mindfulness, Positive affirmations

Anchoring is a technique from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) that consists of associating a sensory stimulus (gesture, sound, smell, image) with a powerful positive emotional state. Once the anchor is set, repeating the stimulus quickly brings back the desired state. For example, pressing thumb and index finger together during a moment of intense confidence, then repeating that gesture before a stressful situation. Anchoring is one of the most widely used techniques in coaching.

See also: NLP, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Visualization, Emotional regulation

Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a set of communication and personal development models and techniques created in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. NLP studies the links between neurological processes (Neuro), language (Linguistic), and learned behaviors (Programming). Its techniques include reframing, anchoring, timeline work, rapport-building, and metaphors. It is widely used in coaching, though it remains controversial in academic psychology.

See also: Anchoring, Reframing, Coaching

Active listening is a communication technique developed by Carl Rogers that involves listening to the other person with full, non-judgmental attention and reflecting back what has been understood. It includes eye contact, welcoming silence, paraphrasing (restating in your own words), emotional reflection (naming the emotions perceived), and open questions. In coaching, active listening is fundamental: it creates the safety that allows deep exploration.

See also: Powerful questioning, Empathy, Coaching

Powerful questioning is the art of asking questions that open new perspectives, unsettle certainties, and generate deep reflection. These are open questions (how, why, what), hypothetical ones ("What if..."), mirror questions ("What do you mean by..."), or reframing questions ("What does this give you?"). Unlike advice, powerful questioning leads the client to find their own solutions.

See also: Active listening, Reframing, Coaching

Reframing is a cognitive technique that involves changing how a situation is perceived by giving it a different frame of reference. A failure becomes a lesson; a constraint becomes an opportunity. Reframing does not deny reality but changes the meaning attached to it, which shifts the associated emotions and behaviors. It is one of the most widely used techniques in coaching and cognitive therapies.

See also: NLP, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Limiting belief, Powerful questioning

A limiting belief is a deep, often unconscious conviction that narrows a person's sense of what is possible. It usually shows up as absolute statements: "I am not capable," "This is not for me," "I do not deserve this." These beliefs form in childhood or during formative experiences and filter reality to confirm themselves. In coaching, identifying and transforming them is some of the deepest and most freeing work.

See also: Reframing, Comfort zone, Impostor syndrome

The comfort zone is the psychological space where a person operates habitually, automatically, and effortlessly, with minimal anxiety. It is reassuring but limiting: growth happens just beyond it, in the "learning zone." Coaching regularly encourages expanding the comfort zone, but gradually, jumping straight into the "panic zone" is counterproductive and can be traumatic.

See also: Limiting belief, Resilience, Accountability

Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern characterized by a persistent inability to internalize one's own success despite objective evidence of competence. The person attributes their achievements to luck, other people, or circumstances, and lives in fear of being "found out" as incompetent. First described in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, it particularly affects highly qualified people and women. It is very common among high achievers.

See also: Self-esteem, Limiting belief, Self-confidence

The inner saboteur (or inner critic) is the critical inner voice that generates negative emotions such as fear, shame, anxiety, or guilt when a person tries to move forward. A central concept in Shirzad Chamine's Positive Intelligence method, it identifies 10 saboteur archetypes (the Judge, the Controller, the Avoider, the Victim, etc.). Recognizing your primary saboteur is a key step to stop letting it drive your decisions.

See also: Limiting belief, Inner dialogue, Self-awareness

Procrastination is the tendency to postpone important actions, often replacing them with less essential but more immediate activities. It is not laziness: it is usually linked to fear of failure, judgment, change, or perfectionism. In coaching, procrastination driven by fear (avoidance) is distinguished from procrastination driven by overload (unclear priorities). The solutions differ: emotional reframing in the first case, organization in the second.

See also: Limiting belief, SMART goal, Comfort zone

Inner dialogue (or self-talk) is the continuous stream of thoughts and comments a person directs at themselves. Its quality, positive or negative, kind or critical, deeply influences self-confidence, emotions, and performance. Studies suggest we produce between 50,000 and 80,000 thoughts a day, a majority of which can be negative. Transforming one's inner dialogue is one of the major focus areas of coaching and personal development.

See also: Inner saboteur, Positive affirmations, Self-awareness

Mindfulness is the ability to deliberately focus attention on the present moment, without judgment, observing thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations as they are. Rooted in Buddhist traditions and popularized in the West by Jon Kabat-Zinn through the MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) program, its benefits are scientifically documented: reduced stress, improved focus, and better emotional regulation.

See also: Meditation, Heart coherence, Self-awareness

Meditation is an attention-training practice that takes many forms depending on tradition. In personal development, the most widely practiced forms are mindfulness meditation (neutral observation of thoughts), loving-kindness meditation (metta), guided meditation, and breath-focused meditation. Neuroscience studies have shown that 8 weeks of regular practice structurally change the brain, particularly the regions linked to attention and emotional regulation.

See also: Mindfulness, Heart coherence, Stress management

Heart coherence is a technique for regulating the autonomic nervous system based on rhythmic breathing. It involves breathing at a rate of 6 cycles per minute (5 seconds in, 5 seconds out) for 5 minutes. This simple practice synchronizes heart rate with breathing, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and lowers cortisol levels. The 365 method (3 times a day, 6 breaths per minute, 5 minutes) is widely practiced.

See also: Meditation, Stress management, Emotional regulation

A morning ritual is a structured routine done at the start of the day to anchor good habits, clarify intentions, and approach the day in the best possible mental state. Popularized by Hal Elrod with the "Miracle Morning" concept, it typically includes silence/meditation, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading, and journaling. Its length can range from 10 minutes to an hour depending on each person's available time.

See also: Mindfulness, Positive affirmations, Visualization

Gratitude practice is the regular exercise of identifying and writing down the positive aspects of one's life, big or small. Research in positive psychology (Robert Emmons, Martin Seligman) has shown that keeping a gratitude journal significantly improves subjective well-being, reduces depression, and strengthens social relationships. Gratitude recalibrates the brain, which is naturally wired toward threats, toward recognizing what is good.

See also: Morning ritual, Positive affirmations, Mindfulness

Self-esteem is the overall, lasting judgment a person makes about themselves, the value they assign to themselves as a person. It differs from self-confidence (a sense of competence in a specific area) and self-love (unconditional kindness toward oneself). Self-esteem is built in childhood but can be worked on at any age. It deeply influences life choices, relationships, and the ability to assert oneself.

See also: Self-confidence, Impostor syndrome, Positive affirmations

Self-confidence is the belief that you are capable of accomplishing a task or reaching a goal in a specific area. It is situational, you can have strong confidence in your job and little in your romantic relationships. It is built through action (repeated small wins), preparation (competence), and work on inner dialogue. Albert Bandura conceptualized this phenomenon as self-efficacy.

See also: Self-esteem, Comfort zone, Inner dialogue

Positive affirmations are short, present-tense, first-person statements expressing a state or quality one wishes to embody. They aim to reprogram inner dialogue by replacing limiting beliefs with helpful ones. To be effective, they must be stated positively, in the present tense, with emotion, and repeated regularly. Example: "I am able to handle challenges with calm and clarity."

See also: Inner dialogue, Limiting belief, Visualization

Personal values are the core principles that guide a person's choices, behaviors, and priorities. They represent what matters most to them, freedom, family, security, authenticity, creativity, and so on. In coaching, clarifying one's values is often the first step: decisions that go against them create distress; decisions that honor them bring energy and meaning. A life aligned with one's values is a fulfilling life.

See also: Goal, Alignment, Authenticity

Alignment is the state of coherence between a person's thoughts, emotions, words, and actions, and between their daily life and their deepest values. An aligned person feels flow, energy, and meaning in their actions. Misalignment shows up as a sense of emptiness, inner contradiction, or exhaustion. The search for alignment is often what brings people to coaching in the first place.

See also: Personal values, Authenticity, Letting go

Letting go is the ability to accept what cannot be controlled, release attachment to outcomes, and trust the process. It does not mean indifference or passivity, but the freedom to fully commit without becoming rigid about the result. Letting go reduces anxiety, improves creativity, and opens up new possibilities. It is one of the hardest skills to develop and one of the most freeing.

See also: Resilience, Mindfulness, Alignment

Authenticity is the quality of acting in accordance with one's true nature, values, and convictions, regardless of social expectations or how others perceive you. It is the coherence between who you are, what you think, what you say, and what you do. In personal development, authenticity is considered an essential condition for lasting well-being and healthy relationships. It requires the courage to be yourself, sometimes against the grain.

See also: Personal values, Alignment, Self-esteem