It focuses on providing a proactive and personalized approach to support employee wellbeing, complementing other resources such as Digital mental health platforms and mental health aiders. In this piece, we take a closer look at what mental health coaching entails.
A mental health coach is a trained, non-clinical professional who supports individuals in:
Coaches use techniques to help individuals develop practical skills for handling everyday challenges. Sessions are typically action-oriented and tailored to each person's unique circumstances. Some of the most widely recognized coaching frameworks include:
GROW: Goal - Reality - Options - Way Forward - Usage. It defines what the client wants to achieve with clear, specific and measurable objectives, explores the current situation from strengths to challenges and brainstorms strategies and actions to bridge the gap between the two.
CLEAR: Contracting - Listening - Exploring - Action - Review - Usage. It establishes a coaching agreement, truly understands the client’s perspective, examines the goal more deeply, co-creates action steps, and evaluates progress.
STEPPA: Subject - Target - Emotion - Perception - Plan - Pace - Adapt. The idea is to place a unique emphasis on understanding and working with emotions as central motivators or barriers to goal achievement. Integrating emotions as a vital and explicit part of the conversation is especially useful when strong or difficult emotions are part of the client’s challenge.
OSKAR: Outcome - Scaling - Know-how - Action - Review. This is a solution-focused structure that guides coaching conversations, helping clients clarify their goals, focus on strengths, and create actionable plans. It is especially popular in workplace, team, and performance coaching contexts.
Mental health coaches and therapists play different roles in supporting individual wellbeing:
Coaches help employees clarify priorities, break down goals into actionable steps, and stay accountable, leading to greater progress in both personal and professional areas.
Through personalised strategies and practical tools, coaching empowers individuals to respond more effectively to workplace pressures, thereby reducing the risk of becoming overwhelmed and preventing burnout.
Regular sessions strengthen psychological flexibility, adaptability, and self-confidence, equipping employees to handle change and setbacks with greater ease.
Successful organisations go beyond simply offering coaching sessions. Indeed, integrated programs have been shown to reduce stress rates and increase goal achievement and engagement. Effective integration strategies include:
Coaches are readily available because they are not restricted by strict licensing or the necessity of a diagnosis, and are commonly offered through digital services or workplace programs. Coaching is also often seen as a self-improvement strategy rather than a response to a mental health issue, which creates less stigma and makes people less reluctant to seek this type of support.
This flexibility means people can often find and begin working with a coach quickly, with fewer formal hurdles or waiting lists. Therapists must have licenses, and their availability can be limited, especially in specific speciality areas and locations, which increases wait times. Cost and stigma are also usually higher with therapy.
That being said, therapists remain essential for clinical mental health concerns, and coaches should not be seen as a replacement.
Mental health coaches play a valuable role in the modern workplace by empowering individuals to navigate their mental health and work responsibilities more effectively. When the coach's expertise is combined with digital mental health platforms, companies can truly achieve a scalable, inclusive, and impactful approach to employee wellbeing, addressing a broad spectrum of needs and fostering a culture where everyone can thrive.
About the author
Mental wellbeing content writer at Siffi
Morgane crafts compassionate, engaging content that makes mental health conversations more human and accessible. At Siffi, she combines storytelling with strategy to foster a culture of care and connection in the workplace.
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