The underpinning thesis of this book - how to navigate the intersecting spaces of what we still too loosely call ''mental health'' - is one that has long been central to my thinking: that coaching has an important, still undervalued, role to play in this field. As the authors show with elegance and intelligence, asserting rigid boundaries between what we like to call mental illness and what we choose as normative does a disservice to everyone - these areas intersect . Here is a book that provides useful definitions and firm guidance, clear maps and models, exercises and explanation, conveyed in a tone of collaborative reflection and enquiry. This is a book that you will return to again and again. Hetty Einzig - Founder-Director, Spirit at Work; Co-Founder-Director, Purpose Power Presence This book is a marvelous and sensitive exploration of how a coach can add to a person''s path to a healthier and satisfying life by complementing the work of medical and psychiatric assistance without confusing the client or stretching their activities beyond ethically appropriate boundaries . Richard Boyatzis, PhD - Distinguished University Professor, Case Western Reserve University In its wide-ranging exploration of how to navigate the potentially challenging territory of coaching versus therapy, Anne Calleja and Ursula Clidière offer more than just an invaluable guide. The authors frame resilience as a function of flexibility, reappraisal, and self-regulation , rather than toughness or endurance, fostering clients'' and practitioners'' ability to expand their choices and engage in adaptive meaning-making. Ian McDermott - Founder of International Teaching Seminars, UKCP-registered psychotherapist "Mental Health in Coaching Practice is a powerful, clear, well written and structured, up-to-date, and illuminating guide on a crucial subject that has been long needed in the field.

At its heart is ethical practice, supporting us as practitioners to recognize when mental health concerns are present and then respond appropriately, with curiosity, clarity and care, developing our understanding of when coaching is suitable and when to step back and refer, encouraging us to notice, but not diagnose. This indispensable and invaluable book is an essential read for all coaches and supervisors, one to be well-used and referenced on a daily basis. I have found the discussions, such as excellent ones on contracting and referrals, neurodiverse practice and on attachment theory, the practical exercises, the "In a Nutshell" descriptions, the many case studies, the key learning points, along with two excellent, new models (the Flourish and Flounder Matrix and the Integrative Reflective Practice Model) very helpful already. An excellent addition to the literature". Eve Turner, coach, supervisor, researcher, and author; former Chair of APECS; cofounder of The Global Supervisors'' Network, The Climate Coaching Alliance, and the Sustainability Coaching Coalition "I''m very appreciative of this book which very thoroughly provides coaches and researchers of coaching with the wide range of tools and frameworks they may need to work in the contemporary coaching context. I especially appreciate how the authors have extended to coaching the framework and research approach my co-author Michael Mascolo and I first presented in Psychotherapy as a Developmental Process (2010: Routledge). That framework is based on understanding psychotherapy as a practice for facilitating clients'' development and the authors of the current book explain that coaching can be understood in a similar way. Furthermore, coaches can offer similar resources as therapists do to the 3 differentiated "dialectics" in which development in psychotherapy occurs, and presumably the methodology for tracking the processes of development in psychotherapy can be applied to coaching cases as well.

In this context, understanding the similarities, differences and relationship between psychotherapy and coaching is just one of the many tasks the authors'' of this new volume take on both thoroughly and successfully. I enthusiastically support their work". Michael Basseches, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Suffolk University, Boston, MA, USA "A masterfully crafted book which must be an integral part to any coach''s practice, whether new to the field or a seasoned practitioner. The authors have responded to a pressing need by writing this book, with the topic of mental health ever growing. The book does not prescribe but offers itself as a trusted companion to the coach in how to work at the edge of their remit and within ethical scope. It helps the coach recognize when mental health concerns might be present and supports the coach with navigating psychological complexity by adopting guiding principles and upholding ethical practice". Dr. Benita Mayhead, DBM Coaching and Development, EMCC global master practitioner "Mental health has become a challenge for the 21st century.

Mental Health in Coaching Practice is a timely guide which provides practical advice for professional coaches as we navigate the challenge our clients face, providing the support they seek within the ethical boundaries of professional practice. A great read and a useful resource." Prof Jonathan Passmore, Senior Vice-President EZRA, and Henley Business School, UK "When concerned about how to act when aspects of our clients'' mental wellbeing arise, we could easily lose our way. Here we are guided with clear thoughtful and key ethical considerations. This timely and comprehensive guide supports coaches to work reflexively, ethically and with clarity in the borderlands between coaching and therapy. By following the guidance in each chapter, we learn to navigate our path through the complexities and nuances in this process. The authors'' voices have combined well to give us their multi-layered conceptual framework that is evidence-based and their considerable experience in this field to guide us in our task." Fiona Adamson, M.

Litt., author, award-winning supervisor, EMCC and APECS master supervisor "This important new work bridges the gap between coaching and psychotherapy, offering models that provide a valuable framework for coaches who increasingly encounter clients with mental health challenges. It supports practitioners in navigating ethical boundaries and staying safely within their scope of practice. By emphasizing the development of self-awareness and mental agility, the authors highlight skills that are essential for both coaches and supervisors. These capacities foster a deeper appreciation of safety, containment, and trust within the client-practitioner or supervisory relationship. Exploring these themes through a neuroscientific lens adds an enriching new dimension to the learning. The gentle, mindful use of poetry and metaphor draws the reader into the narrative, sparking curiosity and inviting unconscious insight. In doing so, it allows the book''s lessons to settle in a profound and beautifully resonant way".

Joanna Taylor, Joanna Taylor & Associates, wellbeing coach, accredited psychotherapist (NLPt), clinical hypnotherapist "This is a serious attempt to help coaches recognize that clients will bring well-being and mental health issues into the coaching space. They make the point that we do need to differentiate coaching and therapy acknowledging that coaches are not trained clinicians. The defensive approach is to push back quickly referring the client elsewhere. The dangerous approach is to push on risking further traumatizing the client. They ask us as coaches to become traumatic-sensitive - not setting out to be therapists but taking the time to respect what the client brings. This enables the coach to understand the clients story while being clear when matters fall outside of their expertise. Referral elsewhere then becomes the ethical approach to take. The authors are very strong in their contention that understanding ethics and working ethically is central to our practice.

Hence, the book is not a primer on how to become a therapeutic coach but on how to make sure we are able to recognize issues in the way our clients are with us in the encounter. They clearly call upon us to be reflective and reflexive in our work but also centrally to become trauma informed so that we can identify when to intervene, when to refer and how to position ourselves clearly and ethically. As they say ''Define your beliefs, limits, and referral pathways to align with ethical and contextual realities''. I certainly recommend this book to any coach wanting to better understand and work with our clients'' well-being". David A Lane, Professional Development Foundation "Whatever our coaching practice, we can be sure mental health challenges will show up. Sometimes in obvious ways. Other times in more subtle forms. As coaches, we may unknowingly collude with our clients'' distress if we are not mental health-aware.

This book provides fresh insights on an essential topic. It emphasizes the importance of our own ongoing self-care as coaches. Perhaps the central message is its reminder: "You are not required to diagnose or fix. You are required to notice, reflect, and respond ethically." In helping coaches do that, this is a valuable resource which I hope will be embraced widely. In these complex times, it is much needed". Paul Heardman, EMCC UK''s executive board director for supervision practice, award-winning (Coaching at Work 2023) coach and coaching supervisor "While writing a book on just the topics of mental health and coaching would be difficult, Clidière and Calleja set their sights on an even higher goal--exploring both topics from an academic and a practitioner viewpoint.