Coaching in its many forms is emerging as an exciting and important branch of positive psychology. This book is a landmark in coaching publishing - a collection of 15 peer-reviewed chapters by leading writer-practitioners that places the practice of coaching in the context of up-to-the-minute theory and research. The book presents key presentations from the First Evidence-Based Coaching Conference, which took place in July 2003 at the University of Sydney, Australia. The aim of the conference was to provide an academically grounded forum that would foster the development of a broad, evidence-based knowledge foundation and facilitate an intelligent, open and informed dialogue between coaches. The last 10 years have seen a rapid increase in interest in life coaching and in executive and workplace coaching. In the workplace, coaching is beginning to move from being the latest management fad to a mainstream component of organisation development and talent management. This growing popularity of coaching as a human and organisational change methodology carries with it enormous opportunities and challenges for those who deliver coaching services and coach training.The term 'evidenced-based coaching' was coined by staff of the Coaching Psychology Unit of the University of Sydney to describe executive, personal and life coaching that goes beyond adaptations of the popular self-help or personal development genre, is purposefully grounded in the behavioural and social sciences and is unequivocally based on up-to-date scientific knowledge. An excellent resource and guide for best practice, this book is essential reading for coaches, psychologists, managers and human resources specialists who wish to extend their theoretical and practical understanding of coaching in its various forms.