The SGCP aim to ‘promote the development of coaching psychology as a professional activity and clarify the benefits of psychological approaches within coaching practice. We are committed to fostering excellence in coaching practice through: research, events, publications, discussion and professional development’.

A hallmark of professional psychology - as promoted by the British Psychological Society - is that member psychologists adhere to a scientist-practitioner model in order to maximise their credibility in the psychology and wider social communities, but what does this mean for a practising coaching psychologist? What exactly is the scientist-practitioner model? In essence, it recommends that psychologists adopt two interlinked roles in their work: that of Scientist and that of Practitioner. There are 3 articles that have recently appeared in The Coaching Psychologist that outline and discuss what this means.

Corrie, S. and Lane, D. (2009). The scientist-practitioner model as a framework for coaching psychology. The Coaching Psychologist. 5 (2)

Short E and Blumberg, M. (2009). Coaching Psychology in Action. The Coaching psychologist. 5 (1).

Whybrow A and Short E (2008). What is research to the profession of coaching psychology and what is the SGCP doing to promote it? The Coaching psychologist. 4( 3)

What is the SGCP doing to encourage and support research?

Publications, Conferences and Special events
We offer peer reviewed publications, such as The Coaching Psychologist and the International Coaching Psychology Review. We are particularly conscious, as a newly emerging subsystem of the British Psychological Society, of the need to develop new researchers in order to expand the knowledge base and the research networks that will develop and support this discipline within psychology.

Access for new researchers
A new section in The Coaching Psychologist, called Coaching Psychology in Action will be launched this year. It is aimed to encourage practitioners to embrace a scientist practitioner model and to support them in developing their work for publication. This section will rely on submissions from members.

Coaching Psychology in Action Proforma

The submission form invites you to outline the current development of your research in practice and/or state an interest in sharing progress with the membership. It is also a way of communicating your research intentions and to make a request for collaboration.

Awards
As part of the Special Group in Coaching Psychology’s commitment to encouraging and supporting coaching psychology research, a student award was launched in 2007.

The winner of the SGCP award in recognition for completion of a distinguished research project in coaching psychology receives a prize and an invitation to present their work at The Coaching Psychology Conference sponsored by the Special Group in Coaching Psychology

Representation on the Research Board of the British Psychological Society
As a Member Network of the British Psychological Society, the SGCP are represented on the Research Board, by a Research Officer nominated by the SGCP committee. The Research Board reports to and advises the Board of Trustees on policy, the funding of psychological research, the submission of evidence to public or private bodies and other matters relating to the promotion and advancement of psychological science.