Felt sense and figurative space: Clients’ metaphors for their experiences of coaching

Abstract

This study examines coaching clients’ metaphors for their experiences of coaching. Semi-structured interviews with a specific focus on metaphor were carried out with six participants who had recently completed a cycle of coaching as a client. Interview material was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The findings suggest that eliciting metaphors is an effective, though problematic, means of generating experientially-rich research material. Findings highlight the relationship between metaphor and embodied experience; the sense of having grown as a result of the coaching; and the experience of time during the coaching encounter. Implications for coaching theory, practice and research are considered.