Coaching is often described as a journey—and for me, the MSc in Coaching and Behavioural Change has been exactly that. Not just a professional qualification, but a structured path of development, reflection, and transformation. I think that through its many phases, I’ve explored how the coaching profession can evolve through experience, theory, and practice. This post shares key insights from that journey and how they continue to shape my work today.
“The MSc journey helped me integrate experience, theory, and practice — shaping not just how I coach, but how I continue to grow as a practitioner.”
From Foundations to Frameworks
The early phase of the journey was about orientation. I entered the PCEC (Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching) programme with curiosity and a desire to deepen my understanding of evidence-based coaching. The initial training helped me build a foundation and begin noticing how my existing skills translated into a theoretical coaching context. It was a time of asking many questions, observing personal patterns, and becoming more aware of my own learning process. I also learned more about English coaching expressions.
As I progressed to the MSc programme, I encountered a wide range of coaching theories, models, and approaches. This exposure was both energising and demanding. It pushed me to hold multiple perspectives at once, to test assumptions, and to explore how different frameworks could be integrated into my own practice. I began to see coaching’s diversity as a dynamic, evolving and relational process. Learning together with others on the same path was hugely supportive.
The Master's dissertation phase brought a shift in focus. I conducted a phenomenological study exploring how coaches relate to online coaching environments and technologies, and how self-awareness is experienced in those spaces. This research allowed me to step into the lived experience of coaching in digital contexts—where time, presence, and embodiment take on new forms. It deepened my appreciation for subtle shifts in awareness and how they influence the coaching relationship and how coaches see themselves.
Now, as I reflect on the final stages of the programme, I find myself applying what I’ve learned in more intentional ways. I’ve begun shaping my development around key themes: expressing competence through action, sharing expertise in collaborative settings, staying open to personal growth, and navigating uncertainty with more trust. These aren’t abstract ideas—they’re visible in how I coach, how I communicate, and how I plan my next steps.
Integrating Learning and Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, I’ve scheduled a development plan that includes taking further steps in writing and publishing, continuing supervision studies, and participating in research communities as a coach practitioner and developer. I’m also exploring how to bring more embodiment and philosophical inquiry into my coaching practice. These actions are grounded in the path I chose before and in what I’ve learned during the studies, but they also leave space for what’s still emerging.
"Coaching development is not about arriving at a final destination—it’s about staying in motion, curious, and connected to the evolving nature of our work."
This journey has shown me that coaching development is not about arriving at a final destination—it’s about staying in motion, curious, and connected to the evolving nature of our work. Each phase of the journey has offered something valuable, and together they’ve formed a foundation I’ll continue to build on. As I move forward, I do so with clarity, intention, and a deep respect for the process. The MSc learning journey at Henley offered a diverse, international, and timely learning environment for the coaching profession.
Our Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching covers the first module of the MSc programme. Learn more about the MSc in Coaching for Behavioural Change programme here.
