A Study of Coaching Practice as a Collaborative Narrative Practice: Metaphor as a Pivotal Point of Narrative Transformation in Coaching Sessions

Abstract

Coaching is increasingly regarded as a useful method for personal growth and professional achievement. It is now an industry, and it has experienced significant growth especially in the last decade. Whereas academic inquiry into coaching can be interdisciplinary, the present paper studies coaching as a collaborative narrative practice carried out between two individuals. This study is based on dialogic analysis of recorded and transcribed data from an actual coaching session. Specifically, this paper analyzes how metaphor (re)shapes the way in which narratives unfold, contributing to the collaborative and interactive transformation of a story. That is, this paper sheds light on the way in which metaphor can create a pivotal point at which collaborative narratives expand and allow for (re)creating a meaningful story.