Coaching the Person in a Changing World: Marcia Reynolds on Connection, Identity, and the Power of Reflective Inquiry

In this full-circle conversation, Lyssa welcomes back Dr. Marcia Reynolds, Psy.D., MCC, the very first guest ever on The Coaching Studio and one of the most influential voices in modern coaching. Marcia has spent four decades exploring what actually transforms the human mind, and in this episode, she pulls back the curtain on the deeper mechanics of reflective inquiry, emotional co-regulation, and why authentic human connection remains irreplaceable even in an AI-saturated world.

The conversation ranges from neuroscience to identity to the simple, courageous act of being fully present with another person. Marcia shares the evolving insights behind the upcoming second edition of Coach the Person, Not the Problem, including new work on identity-based coaching and the expanding research on how our emotional state shapes a client’s capacity for insight. She and Lyssa explore the stories people live inside, how coaches can learn to listen for context instead of details, and why a real coaching partnership helps us bypass the brain’s built-in resistance to self-examination.

They also laugh about turning seventy by skydiving, reflect on the gift of being challenged with compassion, and talk candidly about the places where even seasoned coaches still hide parts of themselves. It’s a rich, warm, deeply human episode that will leave coaches more attuned to presence, more curious about identity, and more committed to creating the kind of space where people can finally hear themselves think.

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Season 5

Host: Lyssa deHart, LICSW, MCC, BCC
Let's Connect on LinkedIn
Website Lyssa deHart

Producer: Michele Logan

Video Editor: Sebastian Crespo

Social Media: Lizana Guillen

Music: Frolic by Harrison Amer

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