EIGHT COACHING SHIFTS FOR WORKING WITH EMOTIONAL STRAIN
Coaching often focuses on helping people move forward. But when someone is carrying uncertainty, pressure or emotional strain, the usual approach does not always fit. Moving toward action too quickly can create more pressure rather than progress.
In the fourth article of his five-part series on coaching through uncertainty and emotional strain, Andrew McDowell of TPC Coaching Academy sets out eight practical shifts coaches can make to create greater psychological safety, support a client's sense of agency, and help them move forward at a pace that feels manageable.
These are not abstract principles. They are specific, usable adjustments to how a coach shows up in the room, what they ask, and how much pressure they allow into the conversation.
Read the fourth article on LinkedIn Pulse →
Reading about a coaching shift and being able to make it in a live conversation are different things. Andrew brings this kind of thinking directly into TPC Coaching Academy programmes as a facilitator.
On the Fundamentals of Coaching programme, you build the awareness and the practical skill to adjust your coaching when a client needs something different. You practise in real sessions with feedback from experienced coaches, so the shift becomes natural rather than theoretical.
Series: This is article 4 of 5 in Andrew McDowell's series on coaching through uncertainty and emotional strain. Read article 1, article 2 and article 3, or watch the Insights page for the final article as it is published.