How socio-cognitive mindfulness can enhance wellbeing coaching

Socio-cognitive mindfulness (Langer, 1989) has been linked to multiple wellbeing benefits, yet its application within coaching has yet to be fully explored. This article aims to outline the value of applying socio-cognitive mindfulness in coaching contexts and to provide practical insights for coaching practitioners. Firstly, we describe the potential compatibility between socio-cognitive mindfulness and coaching. Secondly, we summarise the key findings from a programme of research, which aimed to develop and assess the feasibility of a wellbeing coaching programme based on evidence-based strategies from socio-cognitive mindfulness theory. The accumulated findings across five studies suggest that there are synergistic benefits of integrating socio-cognitive mindfulness into coaching, offering a promising approach for enhancing wellbeing outcomes. Finally, we propose how five key socio-cognitive mindfulness strategies can be integrated into coaching to support coachee wellbeing and cognitive flexibility.