Dr. Laura Rees-Davies is a Chartered Coaching Psychologist, Senior Lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University, and active practicing coach — and she's mid-way through something most researchers don't have the nerve to do: interviewing coaches at every point of the AI adoption spectrum, and following the data wherever it leads.

What she's finding surprised even her.

In this conversation with Rebecca Rutschmann, Laura shares what 25 qualitative interviews have already revealed: coaches who've built their entire practice around AI and coaches who want nothing to do with it don't disagree on what coaching is for. They carry the same hopes. The same concerns. The same core belief — that coaching exists to help people flourish, to grow, and to eventually not need the coach anymore.

The disagreement isn't about values. It's about the one question the whole field is working to answer: what is the actual difference between a human coach and an AI coach?

And then there's the risk she doesn't hear enough people talking about.

Not coaches being left behind. Coaches moving forward carelessly — using tools that hold sensitive conversations without informed consent, without data protection, without asking what a platform does with what gets said in a session. Or with what gets said about them.

She doesn't see the danger in resistance. She sees it in acceleration without guardrails.

Laura co-researches with Professor Jonathan Passmore, co-signed the Manifesto for AI in Coaching, and presented on the research panel at the NYU Coaching and Technology Summit 2026. My closing reflection might stay with you long after the episode ends.

In this episode, Laura and Rebecca explore:

• What 25 qualitative interviews have already surfaced — and what surprised Laura most
• The difference between coaches who are "unskilled and unaware" vs. those who actively choose not to use AI
• Why "evidence-based" and "research-informed" are not the same thing — and how to tell the difference
• The democratic promise of AI coaching — and its real limits
• Why Laura worries less about coaches falling behind, and more about coaches moving forward without protecting their clients or themselves
• What informed consent really looks like when AI enters the coaching relationship
• Why the gap between sessions — the discomfort of not having an answer yet — might matter more than we think

Resources & Links

• Manifesto for AI in Coaching: vivalacoaching.com/manifesto
• Laura's AI in Coaching research survey (with Prof. Jonathan Passmore)
• Become AI-informed — Rebel Store: vivalacoaching.com
• All episodes: vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast

Participate in Laura's Research:

Laura and Professor Jonathan Passmore are running a quantitative survey on self-efficacy, perceived ethical risk of AI in coaching, and professional identity. They need 250 participants — and want to hear from coaches whether or not you use AI. Listen within the next four weeks and use the survey link above to get involved.

There's a moment when competency stops being enough. You know the techniques. You've logged the hours. You've helped people move. And still — something in you knows there's a further shore, and the models you've mastered can't take you there. David Drake has spent 30 years mapping what lies beyond mastery. As the creator of Narrative Coaching and author of the forthcoming Five Maturities, he has been building a language for something most coaches can feel but rarely name: the difference between getting better at what you do — and becoming something different altogether.

This conversation is about that becoming.

In this episode, Rebecca and David explore:

• Why maturity is not just more mastery — and how competency models take you from novice to adequate but never to wise
• The Five Maturities framework and what it actually asks of a coach willing to move beyond identity and defensiveness
• The Third Spaces model — and why staying in the ping-pong match keeps us circling the same carousel
• What a rappelling guide taught David about presence, and why your feet know things your head doesn't
• How AI will reshape the coaching landscape — and what that frees humans to finally become
• And the question David returns to throughout his work: What is calling you?

This is a conversation for coaches who suspect the horses could run — if they'd just let them off the carousel.

Resources:

David runs the Moment Institute: themomentinstitute.com His personal website: www.davidbdrake.com His book on the Five Maturities is out in August 2026

No one prepared us for this. Not our leadership programs. Not our years of expertise. Not the organizations we built our identities inside. AI is forcing a shift that most leaders, educators, and coaches were never designed to support — and the gap between recognizing it intellectually and actually making the transition is wider, and more personal, than most people are willing to admit.

In this episode, Rebecca is joined by Sheila Boysen-Rotelli — organizational consultant, researcher, academic, and coach, working at BTS and across higher education at the intersection of leadership development, adult transformation, and the future of work. Sheila has spent 15 years researching the future of work, and for the past few years has been watching it arrive in real time — in boardrooms, classrooms, and coaching sessions — in ways that are both exhilarating and deeply unsettling.

Together, they explore why AI isn't just a technological disruption — it's a developmental one. Why the tools and identities that made us successful are suddenly inadequate, and what it actually takes to move from expert to learner when the stakes are real and the room is watching. They get into the uncomfortable irony of learning institutions being the most resistant to the disruption that catalyzes growth, how AI innovation is quietly emerging from the most unexpected corners of organizations, and what it looks like to co-design change instead of manage it from a distance.

And then there's the part that may matter most: the honest, lived gap between knowing better and doing better. Sheila doesn't offer this from a textbook — she names it from her own experience. Someone who is getting more frustrated than usual, who is being asked to be more supportive of herself rather than harder, who is learning that the expert hat, for all its comfort, was never the whole wardrobe. The real shift isn't about reaching a summit. It's about range — the capacity to move, flex, and meet other human beings where they are.

If you've ever felt quietly unprepared for what AI is asking of you — not technically, but humanly — this conversation is for you.

What you'll take away:

• Why AI is a forcing function for vertical development — and why horizontal skills alone won't get you through what's coming
• The "from expert to learner" shift: what it costs, what it requires, and why most leaders resist it even when they know better
• The "cup" metaphor: how we confuse adding skills with actually expanding the inner capacity to hold complexity Why AI innovation in organizations is coming from the least expected places — and what leaders need to do about it
• The uncomfortable irony of institutions built for learning being the most resistant to the disruption that makes growth possible
• Why it's not about the summit — it's about range, and what that means for every leader, educator, and coach navigating today

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Sheila on LinkedIn

Find out more:

https://vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast/

What if the biggest barrier to AI in coaching isn't the technology — it's the coach?

Jonathan Reitz has spent 29 years coaching leaders and building coaches. He has a wildly unlikely backstory — electrical engineering, stand-up comedy, radio, TV news — and an ADHD diagnosis just two years ago that finally explained all of it. Now a leading voice at the NYU AI Summit and ICF Germany, Jonathan joins Rebecca for one of the most honest conversations on this show about what "client-centered" actually requires of us in 2026.

Together they explore why humility — not methodology — is the single greatest predictor of coaching success, why clients are more comfortable with AI in coaching than most coaches are, and what responsible AI use really looks like (including the one clause that must be in every coaching contract). Plus: a German word that stopped a 29-year coaching veteran cold — and a question about silence that nobody in the coaching world has ever answered directly.

If you coach, lead, or care about humans in the age of AI — this one is for you.

What you'll take away:

• Jonathan's unconventional journey
• ADHD diagnosis
• Why heterogeneous conversations matter
• Leaders vs. managers
• "We're in it together": why AI is less threatening in a vision-based leadership culture
• The unanswered question no coach has ever answered directly
• The growing edge for coaches in 2026
• Augenhohe (eye-level): the German coaching concept Rebecca introduces
• AI as the "Third Voice"
• Build habits first, then invite AI in
• Jonathan's 3 requirements for responsible AI
• Jonathan's 3 AI tools
• Staying human

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Jonathan on LinkedIn

Find out more:

https://vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast/

What if the best way to be more human as a coach... is to use more AI? In this episode, Rebecca is joined by David E. Cooley — Director of Alumni Career Services and Executive Coach at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and founder of the David E. Cooley Executive Coaching Scholarship at NYU. David bridges two worlds: the strategic use of AI in coaching sessions, and the deeply human skill of showing up fully present for every client. Together, they explore why applying to jobs online has become an "electronic black hole," how AI note-takers are actually making coaching conversations richer and more connected, and why the coaches who embrace AI will have a massive differentiator over those who don't. They also unpack the gap between AI resistors and overconfident over-reliers, and what leaders really need to do to guide their teams through this change. And then there's this — the thing that might matter most: when fear gets in the way, when imposter syndrome creeps in, when the overwhelm feels too big to push through... the answer is almost never "do more." It's to take the next small, meaningful step. Just one. That's it. Drawing on BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits and Carol Dweck's growth mindset, David makes a compelling case that starting small isn't settling — it's the whole strategy. The coaches who get this will move. The ones who wait for perfect readiness, won't. Whether you're a coach, a leader, or just someone trying to figure out where you fit in an AI-powered world — this conversation will leave you with both permission and a plan.

What you'll take away:

• Why AI note-takers amplify the humanity in coaching sessions
• The "electronic black hole" of online job applications — and what actually works instead
• Over-reliance vs. over-confidence: the AI gap David sees every day
• What skills leaders and coaches need most right now
• Why the next small, meaningful step is often all it takes to move through fear, imposter syndrome, and overwhelm
• Why "AI is here to stay — but so are we"

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• David on LinkedIn
• David's private coaching practice
• UCLA Anderson Alumni Career Services
• David E. Cooley Executive Coaching Scholarship at NYU

Find out more:

https://vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast/

What happens when a room full of coaches, researchers, and tech innovators gathers in New York — and the biggest question isn't about AI, but about coaching itself?

In this special Guardians LIVE episode, Rebecca and Viva la Coaching community members who attended the 5th Annual NYU Coaching & Technology Summit reflect on what stayed with them, what made them uncomfortable, and what the coaching profession still needs to confront. From the growing call for government regulation to the "tear it all down" energy in a packed breakout session, this is an honest, unfiltered debrief from people who were in the room.

Together, they explore the maturation of AI in coaching — now normalized, no longer frightening — and what that means for the profession's identity. They discuss blended coaching models, the power of wearables in health coaching, and why the era of the session as the center of coaching may be coming to an end. The episode closes on a hopeful note: that coaching skills — reimagined, broadened, and freed from their rigid definitions — could become one of the most essential human competencies of our time.

Viva la humans.

Find out more:

https://vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast/

Join Rebecca as she sits down with Neal Sundberg (Director of Care Programs at Brightline) and Nicholas Wooters (Co-Founder of Coya) during a Webinar for a deeply personal conversation about thriving as a leader both at work and at home. Discover how wearable technology paired with health coaching creates powerful insights for managing stress, setting boundaries, and showing up fully in every role. This special request episode explores why self-care isn't selfish, it's essential modeling for your children and the foundation of sustainable high performance.

What you'll take away:

• A new frame for "putting yourself first" — it's not selfish, it's the foundation. Neal and Nicholas break down why your own wellbeing is the most powerful investment you can make as a parent, leader, and human.

• The truth about modeling — your kids (and your team) are always watching. Not just what you say, but how you treat yourself. This episode will make you look at your everyday habits with fresh eyes.

• A challenge to your "someday" thinking — we talk about growing, resting, investing in ourselves... but always later. This conversation will give you the nudge (and the permission) to start now.

• The ripple effect of coaching — how the work you do on yourself doesn't stay with you. It touches the people you raise, lead, and love. That's the real ROI of this work.

• Practical perspective on what integrated wellness actually looks like — drawing from both behavioral health and coaching, Neal and Nicholas paint a picture of what it means to truly thrive, not just cope.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Brightline - Pediatric behavioral health company
• Coya - Wearable technology + coaching platform
• Oura Ring - Wearable device for sleep and recovery tracking
• Headspace - Mental Health Coaching

Find out more:

https://vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast/

Dr. Moain Abu Dabrh is a medical humanist, researcher at Mayo Clinic, and board member at the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching — and he's been asking one question his entire career: How can we make care more intelligent without making it less human?

In this conversation with Rebecca Rutschmann, he unpacks four real concerns about AI in healthcare — dehumanization, overconfidence, inequity, and the regulatory unknown — while making a powerful case for whole person care and why health and wellness coaches are the missing link between the clinic and lasting human change. He's not a pessimist. He's a pragmatist. And his closing thought? These days, we're finally asking better questions.

What you'll take away:

• Why AI in healthcare could widen inequity — and the four risks every leader needs to know
• Why coaches are the missing link between clinical care and real, lasting human change
• How burnout became a pandemic long before COVID — and why individual solutions aren't enough
• Why the best leaders are healthy leaders — and the case for merging health and executive coaching
• What gives Dr. Abu Dabrh hope: we've moved from "can we?" to "should we?"

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Moain Abu Dabrh on LinkedIn
• National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching

Find out more:

https://vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast/

Susan Caesar is the first-ever Chief AI Officer at the International Coaching Federation and founder of Humane Org. Her career has had one red thread: being human. And her message to the coaching profession right now? You don't have to figure this out alone.

In this conversation with Rebecca Rutschmann, Susan makes a passionate case for community as the antidote to overwhelm — AI circles, chapter conversations, shared learning — because the coaching profession's greatest strength has always been how it shows up together. She also pulls no punches on big tech's accountability problem, draws a hard line on "AI is not a coach," and shares ICF's vision for where the profession is heading: a marketplace like the Apple Store, programming like Netflix, and a community that's finally moving from fear to action.

What you'll take away:

• Why Susan is calling on every coach to start their own AI circle — and exactly how to do it
• How the coaching profession shifted from fearful to practical between 2024 and 2025
• The three lenses of Susan's role at ICF — members, tech providers, and public safety
• Why big tech isn't accountable — and why the coaching profession needs to dial up its ethics now
• What "consciousness" means when you're deciding how and when to use AI

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Susan Caesar on LinkedIn
• ICF Coaching and Technology

Find out more:

https://vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast/

What if AI isn't pushing us away from our humanity but is forcing us back to it?

Dr. Anna Tavis, co-founder of the NYU Coaching & Technology Summit, joins Rebecca Rutschmann to mark five years at the intersection of coaching and technology. From a handful of masked startups and early scale-ups in 2022 to CHROs from Netflix and IBM rethinking everything — the landscape has transformed, and coaches can no longer afford to watch from the sidelines.

Anna makes the case that coaching is the antidote to automation. And that the next frontier isn't just the boardroom, it's health, education, and the whole of human life.

A conversation about technology, humanity, and what it means to shape the future rather than be shaped by it Join the NYU Coaching & Technology Summit next week 15/16 June https://www.sps.nyu.edu/about/events/human-capital-management-department-events/coaching-and-technology-summit.html

This is a Viva la Coaching Podcast Production

https://vivalacoaching.com/vivapodcast/