From Coaching to Neurocoaching: A Neuroscientific Approach during a Coaching Session to Assess the Relational Dynamics between Coach and Coachee—A Pilot Study

Life transitions represent moments characterized by changes that can profoundly influence
individual life trajectories and subjective well-being. Recently, career coaching has become an
important method of helping people expand their self-awareness, facilitate personal development,
and increase their performance in the school-to-work transition. Although previous studies have
confirmed that one of the most important keys to the success of a coaching program is the quality
of the relationship between coach and coachee, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how to
objectively measure it. In this pilot study, we adopted a neuroscientific approach to introduce
objective measures of the relationship between coach and coachee through the phases of a coaching
session. A sample of 14 university students and a professional coach participated in career-coaching
sessions while their affective states were measured by recording brain (EEG) and physiological
(Skin conductance) activity. Electroencephalographic indicators of valence, arousal, and engagement
showed differences between session phases, highlighting the possibility of a neurophysiological
measurement of relational dynamics. Our results provide initial evidence that neurophysiological
activity can be considered a way to understand differences in the coach-coachee relationship, thereby
providing information on the effectiveness of coaching interventions and facilitating a better life
transition from school to work.