Coaching in liminal space
Valentina Canessa-Pollard
May 11, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781003593713-16 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that liminal states—transitions of ambiguity and emergence—catalyse personal transformation when coaches hold them with spaciousness, safety, and symbolic depth, and proposes that outdoor practices, somatic awareness, metaphor, and ritual can deepen integration and foster personal and ecological renewal. |
Abstract
Liminal moments name transitions of ambiguity and emergence: periods when clients are no longer who they were, not yet who they will become. The chapter adopts a coaching psychological and ecotherapy perspective, grounded in psychological development and an embodied relationship with the natural world. Drawing on adult development, transpersonal psychology, and ecotherapy, it that argues liminal states catalyse transformation when held with spaciousness, safety, and symbolic depth. It invites coaches into that threshold between identities, roles, and stories to act less as problem-solvers and more as steady companions. Three themes follow: (1) the psychological and ecological foundations of liminality; (2) how coaches can skillfully work within transitional terrain; and (3) how outdoor practices, somatic awareness, metaphor, and ritual can deepen integration and foster personal and ecological renewal.