Use Journaling as a Powerful Tool in Coaching | by Lynda Monk, MSW, RSW, CPCC

I have been a journal writer since I was a young girl. There have been times in my life when I got away from journaling for various reasons. However, the draw to put my pen, mind, and heart to the page, always calls to me again. Through the years, journaling has become my go-to practice for personal growth, reflection, self-care, and burnout prevention as a helping professional.

Over time, and with nearly two decades of coaching experience and over 30 years as a Registered Social Worker, I have grown to believe journaling is a powerful tool for transformation that has a place in every coach's toolkit! So much so that, together with my friend and colleague, world renowned creativity coach Eric Maisel, we co-created The Art of Journal Coaching, a training program that teaches others how to bring the transformational power of journaling into their healing and change work with others.

Journaling in Coaching Starts with Powerful Questions

As coaches, we naturally ask our clients questions and, typically, follow-up questions. A coach might ask:

• "What are your goals for the coaching?"
• "What have you tried before that worked well?"
• "What might get in the way of you achieving your goals?"

Every coach does this. And it takes very little effort to take the next powerful step and invite your client to journal to that question. Having clients write in response to a journal question is a powerful tool that coaches can add effortlessly to their coaching toolkit.

Journaling Supports Client Transformation

As coaches, we know that powerful questions can help guide our clients to transformation, learning and action. One way of bringing the power of these questions into your work with clients is through journaling.

Journaling in coaching is a proven and effective tool for achieving greater self-awareness, clarity, well-being, and success. These are all things our clients seek in one way or another. All we need to do is offer the invitation to journal—and clients will benefit tremendously!

From there we invite the client to bring the new learning and insights directly into the coaching session. This is where journal coaching becomes so impactful.

What is Journal Coaching?

Journal coaching focuses on guiding individuals to use journaling to increase self-awareness and to take inspired action towards their goals.

In this way, journaling is used as a core tool within the coaching session to help clients express their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and experiences through language and personal story.

Journal coaching helps clients to deepen their skills in the areas of self-reflection, goal setting, and decision-making.

Source: The Art of Journal Coaching Program by Lynda Monk & Eric Maisel >>

When to Use Journal Coaching?

It can be helpful to engage in journal coaching when a client wants:

• to gain insight for a life decision
• more clarity in some area of their life
• feelings of confidence in trusting their own inner wisdom
• a sense of direction
• to deeply know, grow and care for themselves through personal writing

How to Get Started with Journaling in Coaching

Using powerful questions as writing prompts is a really easy way to get started using journaling for insights, growth, and change with your clients. Here are a variety of journaling question prompts that you might use with clients directly in a coaching session to help explore some key areas.

Cultivating Feelings of Gratitude

• What do you want that you already have?
• What are 5 things you are incredibly grateful for at this time in your life, and why?

Making Decisions

• What decision are you trying to make? Why is it important to make this decision?
• What choice aligns most with your core values?
• What is at stake if you don't make this decision?
• Imagine you have made this decision - how will your life be different?

Self-Care and Stress Reduction

• What aspect of your self-care calls for more attention at this time in your life?
• When do you feel most replenished or relaxed? What are you doing or not doing that helps you feel this way?
• How do you actively reduce stress in your life?

Mindful Living

• How much of your time do you spend living in the past? In the future? In the present?
• In this moment, write about what your senses are noticing (what is something you might hear, taste, smell, see or touch)?
• Right now, what is one thing that would make your heart sing?

Other Types of Journaling Prompts

Using questions as prompts is one great way to bring journaling right into the session. But journal writing prompts can take many other forms as well: words, phrases, statements, sentence starters, quotes, photos, and song lyrics can lead clients to self-exploration and insight.

Good prompts of all kinds deepen your clients’ process of self-discovery and exploration —and yours as well.

Adding Free Writing to Coaching Sessions

You can also offer journaling prompts for a timed free writing activity directly in your coaching session. Free-writing is a journaling technique where you (or your clients) write for a set period of time and you just keep your pen moving - without overthinking, censorship or editing.

You write freely with your mind, body and heart engaged. You write spontaneously. This is sometimes called "stream of consciousness" writing. Write "wild and free" without worrying about grammar, sentence structure or even making sense.

Your clients will love this!

Journaling is a practice that can help us engage in our core coaching competencies of asking powerful questions, listening deeply and offering full presence. And journaling prompts offer a profound tool for change, growth and learning that benefits coaches and clients alike.

"Don't listen to the person who has the answers; listen to the person who has the questions." – Albert Einstein

Wrap Up: Transformative Journaling Is for Coaches Too

It's important that if you're a coach who suggests journaling to your clients, and I hope you are, that you also engage in journaling yourself. So, why not play with the powerful practice of journaling before you offer it to your clients?

Here are some journaling questions for you, as a coach, to pause, reflect and journal with:

• To what extent do you look within as a coach?
• How deep is your well of personal inquiry?
• What self-discovery tools are part of your daily practice as a coach?
• How does, or might, journaling enrich your transformative work and your life?

"Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding." – Jen Williamson

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like:

• Start Journaling With Your Clients: 10 Journaling Prompts for Transformation by Lynda Monk
• The Scientific Benefits of Journaling for Your Brain! by Dr. Irena O'Brien
• Why Journaling Should Be Part of Your Coaching Toolbox by Kerryn Griffiths PhD, PCC

Contributing Author:

Lynda Monk, MSW, RSW, CPCC, is leader of The International Association of Journal Writing, an inspiring membership community for journal writers worldwide. She is known for her profound insights into the therapeutic and life-changing power of journaling. Through her dynamic speaking engagements and educational sessions, she inspires individuals to harness the power of writing to heal and transform their lives.

Lynda is the co-editor and co-author of several books including Affirmations for Self-Love – a guided journal; The Great Book of Journaling; Transformational Journaling for Coaches, Therapists and Clients; and Writing Alone Together.  She co-authored, along with creativity coach Eric Maisel, BE A GREAT COACH! A Guided Journal for Coaching Mastery & Success. They also co-created The Art of Journal Coaching, a comprehensive training program especially for coaches, helpers and others who want to make a difference with journaling.

Lynda is Registered Social Worker and Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, with 30+ years’ experience in the areas of burnout prevention, self-care, resilience and writing for personal growth. You can learn more about her work at IAJW.org and lyndamonk.com. Click here to access her FREE gift and Journaling Museletter for ongoing inspiration >>

Learn more about Lynda & see all their articles here >>