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We could all use a champion in our work and personal lives—someone devoted to our growth, success, and well-being. Workplace coaching plays a vital role in employee mental health, serving as a cornerstone of comprehensive support.
As a health and wellness coach, I've seen how this partnership can transform people’s lives. For workplace leaders looking to build more engaged, resilient teams, coaching has become an essential investment in both employee satisfaction and organizational success.
In the sections that follow, we'll explore workplace coaching—from its unique benefits and real-world impact to concrete strategies for organizational integration. But first, let's understand the landscape we're operating in.
Coaching as part of comprehensive care
The workplace environment has shifted dramatically in recent years, something I think we all understand intuitively as we’ve lived through it. Many employees are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout stemming from their work lives, personal lives, and the wider world.
Every week brings a new climate crisis, world politics remain chaotic and ever-changing, and personal lives are filled with the everyday challenges of illness, loved ones’ struggles, money concerns, housing, and childcare.
While traditional workplace mental health benefits address some of these issues, they’re often more suited toward reactivity, offering help only during times of crisis. Employees are increasingly seeking holistic support for non-crisis related issues, development, and preventative options. This is where coaching fits into a comprehensive mental health strategy.
The benefits of coaching
What sets coaching apart is its versatility. It’s not about fixing something that’s broken, but rather building toward what’s possible. Coaches are dedicated partners, offering both support and accountability for reaching goals.
Some of the main benefits I’ve seen in my own coaching practice are:
- Accountability without judgment
- A safe space to brainstorm
- Structured guidance for setting and accomplishing goals
- A place to learn and grow
- Tools for personal and professional development
I’ve seen this type of partnership yield both tangible and intangible results. Sometimes my clients achieve concrete goals like a promotion or finishing a project. Often, they learn to trust themselves, discover genuine self-acceptance, and a newfound resilience when facing challenges.
Another benefit I’ve seen consistently in my practice is that coaching provides a safe space to talk about work dynamics.
Venting feelings associated with difficult work situations can be toxic when they aren’t channeled in a healthy way. Through coaching, we can take work-related challenges, process them, and turn them into positive, actionable steps instead of letting those feelings fester.
Personal growth leads to professional success
One of my clients works at a big technology company and also has a passion for baking bread. Together, we explored the idea of her going all in on building out this hobby. She spent a significant amount of time and energy learning about pricing, deliveries, and baking schedules.
The joy, energy, and creativity she gained from her baking venture transformed her approach to work. Her manager quickly noticed this new level of creativity and the enhanced problem-solving skills she was bringing to the team.
Coaching helped her pursue a personal passion that sparked growth in all areas of her life.
Preventing burnout
One of the most valuable benefits of coaching as a workplace support tool is burnout prevention. Burnout can be rooted in several things:
- Boredom with current role
- Poor job fit
- Overwork and exhaustion
- Lack of work-life balance
When my clients face work-related burnout, we explore the root cause and work together to uncover clarity around their values and what truly matters to them. This helps them envision the life they want to create and map out a path to get there—building momentum instead of staying stuck on the same roadblock.
Addressing these issues before they become severe keeps burnout from evolving into a more serious and costly issue.
Accountability is critical
Accountability is one of the most powerful tools I bring to a coaching session. Just knowing they have a session scheduled and we’ll be discussing their goals often gives my clients the extra motivation they need to take meaningful steps forward.
And if something doesn’t work out, we process what happened and figure out why, with zero judgement. Setbacks are opportunities for discovery rather than moments of defeat. They can help someone uncover what’s holding them back from achieving their goals.
Everything is data that we can work with. Sometimes we discover that a goal doesn’t actually align with a person’s core values, leading us to uncover more meaningful objectives. The key is finding out what’s sustainable in the context of each person’s life.
What are people looking for in coaching?
People often turn to coaching during key moments in their lives:
- Navigating transitions or uncertainty, particularly when important decisions are on the horizon
- Feeling stuck and unsure of the best path forward
My clients often want clarity around big decisions in their lives—for example, whether to move or pursue a promotion—and need a non-judgemental space to talk things through and create strategies for moving forward.
Many of my clients also focus on developing better daily habits:
- Taking better care of themselves
- Prioritizing health and wellness
- Managing time more effectively
- Reducing screen time
- Building sustainable routines
The most important thing I can do during a coaching session is listen actively, be fully present, and provide a non-judgemental space. I tailor each session to meet the unique circumstances, goals, and needs of the individual.
The difference between coaching and therapy
While coaching and therapy can work hand in hand, they serve different purposes.
I think of coaching as architecture, and therapy as archeology. While therapy helps people excavate their past to better understand their mental health, coaching allows people to build up a foundation of practical skills and strategies to achieve future goals.
Many of my coaching clients also work with therapists. They use therapy as a place to process their emotions and experiences, and then transform those insights into actionable steps toward their goals with coaching.
Coaching quality matters
As the coaching industry grows and becomes more prevalent in workplace mental health solutions, quality standards are increasingly important. I’ll admit that before I became a licensed coach, I had misconceptions about coaching.
I associated it with quick-fix self-help trends and wasn’t sure how impactful it could really be. But after doing some research, completing formal coaching training, and learning about global accreditation bodies like the International Coaching Federation, I realized that when done properly, coaching is a legitimate, powerful, and effective tool for mental health support.
Understanding these quality standards is crucial as organizations begin planning their own coaching programs. On that note, let's explore how to implement one effectively within the context of comprehensive mental health support.
A blueprint for success
For organizations considering offering coaching benefits,the process often begins with thoughtful planning and research. For workplace leaders, implementing a coaching program can be seen as building a new wing of your company’s wellness architecture.
The foundation has to be solid, the structure carefully planned, and the integration with existing mental health benefits seamless.
Here’s one possible blueprint for successful implementation.
1. Comprehensive needs assessment and employee feedback
- Survey employees about their development goals and challenges
- Gather insights about current gaps in support
- Understand what employees value most in professional development
2. Normalize coaching
- Get manager training and buy-in
- Educate managers about coaching benefits
- Train leaders to spot opportunities where coaching could benefit team members
- Provide managers with tools to discuss coaching opportunities constructively
3. Clear communication about confidentiality and scope
- Establish explicit boundaries between coaching and performance management
- Define the relationship between coaching and other wellness benefits
- Make it clear that coaching is confidential and doesn’t have to be about work
4. Regular program evaluation and adaptation
- Set clear metrics for program success
- Gather ongoing feedback from participants and managers
- Adjust the program based on utilization and outcomes
5. Integration into mental health support
- Align coaching with other mental health benefits such as therapy
- Create clear pathways between different types of support
- Ensure consistent messaging across the solution
The goal is to normalize coaching as a standard professional and personal development tool rather than a punitive intervention. When employees understand that coaching is a proactive resource, they’re more likely to engage with it.
Our approach
At Spring Health, we've integrated coaching into our broader mental health solution, recognizing that different organizations—and different employees—need varying levels of support.
By combining board-certified coaches with dedicated Care Navigators and a centralized platform, we create personalized pathways that make mental health support both accessible and effective.
This integrated approach ensures that coaching isn't simply another standalone benefit, but part of a cohesive strategy for employee well-being.
A powerful piece of workplace well-being
When organizations invest in coaching—especially as part of comprehensive mental health benefits—they send a powerful message about valuing their employees as whole individuals.
I’ve seen firsthand how life-changing coaching can be. It empowers people to design the lives they want to live, while organizations gain the benefits of a more engaged, productive, and loyal workforce—prepared to tackle tomorrow’s challenges with confidence.
Watch this on-demand webinar to learn more about the power of coaching and its dual role in benefiting individuals and the workforce.
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