Q: Tell us briefly about yourself, your professional background, and what drew you to the IPPC’s applied positive psychology coaching program? 

I am a retired helicopter pilot and former battalion level commander from the United States Army.

I see my own personal mission to inspire leaders to bridge the gap between confidence and potential. My commitment to this purpose has guided my actions and behaviors throughout my military career – and now beyond the military.

I have always been fascinated by psychology and human behavior, and I even obtained a Master Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. I only learned about the field of Positive Psychology from a colleague after I had retired and began my coaching practice. In an effort to obtain my education requirements for my ICF Credential, I went searching for a program in positive psychology and positive psychology coaching. That’s how I stumbled upon the IPPC.

Q: What insights, change or transformation did you experience during the program, and how has it impacted you, your wellbeing, and coaching practice?

The IPPC’s program was inspirational for me because it satisfied my hunger for learning about the deeper science behind leadership, performance, and coaching. Through this program, I was exposed to resources that I previously didn’t know existed within the field of coaching or coaching psychology.

The evidence-based nature of this approach was unique from other programs of study and coaching. For me personally, I was able to integrate applied positive psychology into the best-selling book, “The Other Side: Flourishing in Veteran Life”, to help address the transition challenges that many career veterans experience in retirement, and I was able to apply what I had learned into a new coach accreditation program for senior military leaders who want to coach, teach, and mentor in life beyond the military.

Q: Describe your coaching practice today as a result of completing the IPPC’s applied positive psychology coaching program.

Today, I integrate evidence-based coaching techniques into my standard practice. I work with senior military leaders and veterans from the special operations community. My program combines Acceptance and Commitment Coaching, Strengths Based Coaching, Solution Focused Coaching, Cognitive Behavioral Coaching, and elements of the Broaden and Build Theory. I have worked with nearly 800 senior leaders through almost 4000 coaching hours, and using these evidence-based practices work!

Additionally, I have created a new model of leadership – the first of its kind that integrates the experiential learning of successful military leaders, applied positive psychology, and the professional standards of coaching from the ICF. The ultimate goal of this evidence-based program is to develop a research study that demonstrates the positive flourishing and post-traumatic growth for senior leaders in the military as an exemplar for retirement and transition services.

Q: Please provide an example or case study of how you are uniquely expressing applied positive psychology coaching in your own practice?

One of the practices I use with military leaders involves an application of Solution-Focused Coaching. We imagine the ideal day two or three years into the future. In this scenario, we focus on what the client wants to experience both professionally and personally based on what they find meaningful, fulfilling, engaging, and enjoyable. We explore the different work activities, the people they want to work with, and all the experiences that they want to have with family and loved ones both before and after the work day. We discuss those activities that leverage their strengths and contribute to their sense of resilience and positive emotion. In essence, we are building their ideal day based on the PERMA model of flourishing from positive psychology.

When you list out all the job activities that the client wants to experience in an ideal work scenario, they have essentially just crafted their own, ideal job description. This provides military leaders with a standard of what they are looking for. Furthermore, it provides a framework to understand how the job fits into the lifestyle.

Q: What advice do you have for other coaches interested in positive psychology coaching and the IPPC’s program?

For coaches looking into any program of professional education, I would recommend that you take a look at the faculty, the references, and the resources for that program. This is what drew me to the IPPC. Their faculty includes leaders within the field of applied positive psychology, coaching psychology and evidence-based coaching. Their coaches include PhD level academics and MCC qualified coaches. Their references include journals and evidence-based literature. This is a program that is grounded in the theory and science, and it is therefore distinctive from many of the other programs in this space.