The Four Discourses of Coaching

The Four Discourses of Coaching, was originally proposed by Simon Western in an chapter he wrote for The Handbook of Coaching in 2016.

At its core, the idea of “discourses” refers to ‘the essence of institutionalised patterns of knowledge and power that shape what appears normal, true, or common sense’. In coaching, these discourses influence everything, from how coaches are trained to the methods they use, and even how clients interpret their own experiences.

The four discourses are:

• psychological,
• soul guide,
• managerial,
• network

1. The Psychological Discourse

This is the type of coaching influenced by the psychology, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, professions. In coaching in general, and on our Transformational Coaching Diploma we use tools adapted from those different professions. We have both studied psychology, and w  definitely come from that angle with our training.

Most of the modules on our course have a psychology background, in one way or the other. The psychological approach to coaching is about supporting self-awareness and self-discovery for the individual, looking at behaviour change and personal development for them as an individual. We use tools and techniques that perhaps introduce new perspectives, change their thinking patterns, maybe, help them to manage emotions, build individual resilience, improve perhaps their communication and how they influence other people. All of that is wrapped up within that psychological approach.

Both cognitive behavioural coaching comes from cognitive behavioural therapy, person-centred coaching come from the therapeutic work of Carl Rogers. Solution-focused coaching, comes from solution-focused brief therapy. Gestalt, obviously, comes from Gestalt therapy. They all sit comfortably within this discourse around coaching.

We all think and we all act and we all have a psychology. To encourage our coachees to think about their thinking, to think about how they are and who they are is really powerful.

We don’t make any apology for coming from that psychological perspective. In fact, we think the reason we come from that angle is because it’s so important.

When we come on to talk about the other discourses, hopefully you will see that, whilst they have their place, they’re not the ones that we focus on.

You can also see that the coaching industry has borrowed the idea of supervision from the therapeutic industry. If we think about a managerial approach, why would they have supervision? Doctors don’t have supervision, generally. It only exists in coaching because we’ve tried to emulate therapy.

What Simon Western would also say is that some of this discourse comes about because there’s a scientific element to that. A lot of the Psychological models are well research. E.g. CBT and positive psychology,

The strength of this discourse lies in its evidence base and practical applicability. It offers structured tools that can genuinely support transformation. However, it is not without limitations. However, focusing solely on the individual can overlook the wider systems, organisational, cultural, or societal, that shape a person’s experience. In some cases, coaching risks becoming a way to help individuals “cope” with dysfunctional environments rather than challenging the environments to change.

2. The Soul Guide Discourse:

If the psychological discourse is about change, the soul guide discourse is about meaning. This perspective has deep historical roots, drawing from philosophy, spirituality, and ancient traditions of guidance and reflection.

Here, coaching becomes a space for exploring identity, values, purpose, and existential questions: Who am I? What matters most? What does a “good life” look like? Conversations are less structured and more exploratory, often delving into emotions, desires, and authenticity.

Helen resonates strongly with this discourse, linking it to philosophical traditions that predate modern psychology. Tom, too, acknowledges that much of his coaching naturally moves into this deeper territory, even if he doesn’t label it as “spiritual.”

The advantage of this approach is its depth, it allows for profound insight and genuine self-discovery. But there are risks. Without grounding, it can become overly abstract or “romanticised,” with clients focusing on ideals without taking practical action. There’s also the potential for coaches to be seen as gurus, which can blur boundaries and undermine the client’s autonomy.

3. The Managerial Discourse:

The managerial discourse is perhaps the most dominant in organisational settings. Here, coaching is closely tied to performance, productivity, and goal achievement. It’s the world of executive coaching, leadership development, and models like GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will).

This approach is highly valued in business contexts because it can deliver measurable outcomes. It helps individuals clarify objectives, improve skills, and enhance performance within their roles.

However, when coaching is driven primarily by organisational agendas, it can become something that is done to individuals rather than co-created with them. There’s a risk of prioritising efficiency over wellbeing, and of shaping people to fit systems rather than questioning whether those systems are healthy in the first place.

Some formal coaching qualifications, particularly those aligned with management frameworks, like ILM, lean heavily into this discourse, sometimes at the expense of deeper, more human-centred approaches.

4. The Network Discourse:

The fourth discourse, the network (or systemic) perspective, reflects the complexity of modern life. In an interconnected, globalised world, individuals don’t operate in isolation, they are part of dynamic systems involving teams, organisations, and wider societal structures.

This approach focuses on helping clients navigate relationships, power dynamics, and networks. It requires strategic thinking, adaptability, and an awareness of how different systems interact.

Tom describes this as a more advanced form of coaching, one that typically comes later in a coach’s development. It builds on foundational skills and extends them into a broader, more complex context.

While valuable, especially in leadership and organisational roles, it can feel less accessible for newer coaches and may overlap with training or consultancy elements. However, with concerns such as global warming, human rights, inclusivity and diversity, all of which would feed into this systemic network discourse, there may be people that we’re coaching that have a wider concern about things that are happening in the world and within their organisation that they want to do something about. So we could easily findourselves within this discourse with our coachees.

Is There a Fifth Discourse?

The well-being, or health discourse is something that Western doesn’t touch on. In the last decade that has become a much more prevalent discourse in the coaching world. You can’t really coach without having an eye on someone’s well-being. That’s certainly where we both start. In the positive psychology world, it is said that all coaching is well-being coaching, because if you’re talking to an individual, you’ve got to have their well-being at the heart of it. They might have goals, they might be pushing themselves for promotion, but actually, their well-being sits at the heart of that. If we ignore that discourse, then we’re going to be falling down as coaches.

This is definitely a discourse that exists now that maybe wasn’t as noticeable at the time Simon Western wrote about the other four

Integrating the Discourses:

Every coach will naturally lean towards one or two of these discourses, Helen towards the soul guide, Tom towards the psychological, but the most effective practice draws from all four (or five).

A strong foundation in psychological principles provides essential skills. The soul guide perspective adds depth and meaning. The managerial approach brings structure and action. The network discourse introduces systemic awareness. And wellbeing ties everything together.

Ultimately, the key takeaway is awareness. By understanding these discourses, coaches can make intentional choices about how they work, rather than unconsciously adopting one dominant approach.

Coaching is not just about how we ask questions, it’s about why we ask them, and the broader frameworks that shape those interactions.

To find out more about our Doctors’ Transformational Coaching Diploma click through here