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An Introduction to Coaching Skills
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An Introduction to Coaching Skills
A Practical Guide

Fourth Edition
Additional resources:


October 2025 | 256 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

This bestselling book introduces you step-by-step to the key skills needed to become a successful coach. Focusing on the main coaching skills of listening, asking powerful questions, playing back and noticing, this practical book supports you to become more self-aware and confident as you support others to learn, grow and develop.  Supported by a suite of video examples and practical activities, this book is an invaluable companion for novices and trainee coaches. 

Now in its fourth edition, this book is more aligned to the competencies of the leading professional associations of coaching and has been revised and updated to take into account developments in the field.

New to Fourth Edition:

  • New learning features, including “What the professional associations say”, “Reflect on your practice”, and “A question for you”
  • New suite of 30 online video examples displaying a range of key coaching skills in action
  • New chapter on “coaching in context” on the implications of coaching in different contexts, such as education and health settings
  • Increased focus on online coaching
 
Part I: Context
 
Chapter 1: First Things First
 
Chapter 2: Becoming a Coach
 
Part II: Coaching Skills
 
Chapter 3: Noticing
 
Chapter 4: Listening to Encourage Thinking
 
Chapter 5: Playing Back
 
Chapter 6: Asking Powerful Questions
 
Part III: Coaching Process
 
Chapter 7: Conversational Frameworks
 
Chapter 8: Ways of Thinking
 
Chapter 9: Positive Bias
 
Part IV: Tools and Techniques
 
Chapter 10: Body Language and Emotional Intelligence
 
Chapter 11: Inspiring Creativity
 
Part V: Coaching Way of Being
 
Chapter 12: Being Human
 
Chapter 13: Inspiring Others
 
Part VI: Next Steps
 
Chapter 14: Coaching in Context
 
Chapter 15: Reflecting on Practice

Supplements

Click for Online Resources
Student Resources

- 30 video clips of key coaching skills in action (hosted on YouTube)

Christian van Nieuwerburgh

Christian is a well-respected executive coach, internationally-recognised academic and sought-after consultant. Christian van Nieuwerburgh is Professor of Positive Psychology and Coaching at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Global Director of Growth Coaching International. Previously he was a Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer within the Coaching Psychology programmes at the University of East London, one of the world’s leading centres for the postgraduate study of coaching. He lectured on a number of MSc programmes in the School of Psychology, and continues to undertake ground-breaking research and international... More About Author

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