A Scoping Review of Mindfulness Coaching

<b>Methods:</b>The author searched eight electronic databases with broad and comprehensive coverage of academic disciplines, including psychology, sociology, social work, humanities, and philosophy. This search helped to map the literature on mindfulness coaching and provided an opportunity to identify key ideas, theories, and concepts about this topic. This scoping review offers a preliminary assessment of the scope of available research literature and is an important step before undertaking a full systematic review.<b>Results:</b>The search resulted in 212 possibly eligible papers. After screening titles, abstracts, and full-text, a sample (n = 41) of 28 journal articles and 13 theses containing keywords such as mindfulness coaching, mindfulness-based coaching, mindfulness-informed coaching, and mindful coach(es) was selected. The growth phase (2011 – 2019) marked a rapid increase of publications with journal articles becoming dominant. 73% of publications were originated from the U.S., UK, and Australia, while the Global South remains underrepresented. The author concluded how mindfulness coaching was conceptualized in literature and what evidence was there to support the effectiveness of mindfulness coaching and related interventions.<b>Conclusions:</b>It was found that mindfulness coaching was presence-based and informed by Eastern contemplative traditions. Mindful coaches should be nonjudgmental and able to practice in the present moment with strong awareness, curiosity, and kindness. Mindfulness coaching was proven effective in some areas of direct practice. However, a consensus has yet to be reached regarding the operational definitions of this specific form of coaching.