Centre for Coaching, London, UK

INTRODUCTION
Neuroscience is increasingly used in coaching, leadership and personal development, yet popular explanations of the brain can easily become oversimplified or drift beyond the evidence. This two-day Primary Certificate introduces practitioners to neuroscience that is genuinely useful for coaching, while developing the critical literacy needed to recognise neuromyths, communicate uncertainty and avoid deterministic explanations of behaviour.

The programme connects core principles of brain and behaviour with coaching psychology. Learners examine attention, emotion, stress, motivation, learning, memory, neuroplasticity, social processes and individual differences, then practise translating these ideas into questions, formulations and interventions that preserve client agency. The emphasis is on helping practitioners use neuroscience carefully, accurately and proportionately.

AIMS
•    To develop a practical understanding of neuroscience relevant to coaching and coaching psychology.
•    To strengthen practitioners’ ability to evaluate neuroscience claims and distinguish evidence from neuromyth.
•    To support ethically responsible translation of brain science into coaching conversations and interventions.
•    To enhance coaching practice through evidence-informed skills exercises, case formulation and reflective application.

 

OBJECTIVES
•    Describe key features of brain organisation and neural communication at a level appropriate for coaching practice.
•    Explain how attention, emotion, stress, motivation, memory, learning and neuroplasticity interact with behaviour and change.
•    Critically appraise common neuroscience claims used in coaching, leadership and wellbeing contexts.
•    Recognise prominent neuromyths and explain why inaccurate brain-based labels can constrain self-understanding and agency.
•    Use neuroscience-informed language without overclaiming causality, certainty or individual prediction.
•    Translate relevant evidence into coaching questions, psychoeducation and behavioural experiments.
•    Consider developmental, contextual and neurodiversity-related differences without reducing clients to brain-based categories.
•    Identify ethical boundaries, scope-of-practice issues and situations requiring referral to appropriately qualified professionals.
•    Develop a personal plan for integrating neuroscience responsibly into coaching or coaching psychology practice

 

POST PROGRAMME REVIEW & CERTIFICATE
A CPD certificate is provided for all attendees. Learners wishing to obtain a Certificate of Achievement need to submit a 750 word Post Programme Review. 

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PROGRAMME RECOGNITION
The course Approved the International Society for Coaching Psychology and can be used towards becoming ISCP accredited coaching psychologist. 

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TRAINERS
Dr Gisele Dias is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at UCL Institute of Education, a Chartered Psychologist and Fellow of the International Society for Coaching Psychology. Her work integrates coaching psychology, educational and developmental neuroscience, positive psychology and evidence-informed approaches to wellbeing and behaviour change.
Dr Liory Fern-Pollak is an Associate Professor in Cognitive and Educational Neuroscience at UCL Institute of Education, a Chartered Psychologist and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her interests span children's cognitive, social and emotional development, with a particular focus on learning, attention and self-regulation. She is passionate about making research accessible and translating insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical approaches that support children, parents, educators and practitioners.

The course draws on the trainers’ joint work on neuromyths, coaching psychology and brain-informed approaches to behaviour change, including translating complex neuroscience into practical, agency-supporting coaching conversations.