Wingwave® coaching for fear of flying—a case series

Abstract

Background: Fear of flying is a common phenomenon. The term individualized coaching comprises person-based processes that aim to achieve the goals defined by the client. In the field of coaching, individuals often ask for help in order to influence their fear of flying. Aim: We present the results of ten clients with fear of flying who received coaching and discuss these on the basis of the current literature. Materials and methods: In all, 10 individuals who had fear of flying and received coaching using the defined criteria of the Wingwave® method by the first author between 2014 and 2018 were included in the analysis. Individuals were questioned orally; documentation was paper-based. Results: Of the 10 individuals, 8 were able to achieve a (considerable) positive effect on their fear of flying during coaching. In 4 individuals this impact was permanent and for the other 6 patients there is no information as there was no further contact after the coaching. Coaching lasted on average 1.8 units (one unit lasts 50 min). Conclusion: Within this case series, positive effects on the fear of flying was achieved during coaching and there was no indication that individuals who received coaching using the Wingwave method were exposed to any risk. To what extent Wingwave coaching may have a role in fear of flying should be addressed in future studies.