A Proposal for a Book about Pair Coaching

A book on pair coaching is proposed. Pair coaching (also known as peer coaching) is a process in which any two people take turns life coaching each other, with no previous coach training or experience. A brief background of life coaching is discussed, describing its historical roots in the self-improvement industry and the impetus for creating the pair coaching system. Research into the efficacy of life coaching and pair coaching is then described, with an emphasis on studies that include randomized, control-group designs. Given the relatively small number of such studies, the paper explores and discusses numerous relevant research findings from positive psychology and other fields that will inform the construction of an effective pair coaching system. These include research findings in prosocial behavior, positive affect, goal theory, change theory, and more. A brief outline of each of the 8 proposed chapters of the book is then given, including descriptions of exercises and coaching agendas derived from the relevant literature. A draft of the introduction and first chapter of the pair coaching book is included in the appendix.