Personal Constructions of Effective (Health) Coaching Relationships

Understanding what makes coaching relationships effective remains underexplored in coaching psychology. This study applies Personal Construct Psychology and the Repertory Grid Technique to examine how coaches and clients construe effective (health) coaching relationships. Forty-two participants generated 424 constructs analysed through principal component and content analyses, yielding 27 thematic categories. Relational constructs—especially relationship depth, trust, openness, and self-determination—proved central. Findings show effectiveness is individually and contextually constructed. The study demonstrates the method's applicability as an idiographic, constructivist approach and offers foundations for theory development and practical insights for cultivating trust-based coaching relationships aligned with clients’ constructions of effectiveness.