What’s the story? The contribution of formulation to coaching practice in complex times

The ways in which a coach conceptualises the needs of a client is central to the way the coaching journey unfolds. In other forms of applied psychology interventions are designed and delivered through the aid of a formulation which is widely recognised as a core competence for professional psychologists. Formulation can be understood as a unique form of storytelling and is a process through which a coach and client make sense of the client’s aims and needs, identify the factors of influence, and use this conceptualisation to design a way forward. Although historically, the relevance of formulation to coaching has been underexplored, it is now gaining recognition as a distinct capability and one which may have particular value in contexts of complexity – the terrain that many coaches increasingly inhabit. Exploring formulation from the perspective of different disciplines, including the performing arts, as well as recent and current work within coaching, this article, based on a keynote presentation for the Division of Coaching Psychology’s annual conference in June 2023, considers how embedding formulation in our coaching might enable us to enhance our practice, co-construct more effective stories about our clients’ needs and contribute in new and ever more creative ways to meet the needs of our clients in a rapidly changing world.