From Conversation to Insight: Turning Everyday Client Dialogue into Research-Led Growth
- Georgia Hodkinson
- Dec 8
- 4 min read
Jennifer's Bio
Jennifer's Blog
As a coach I find each client conversation fascinating. Each exchange offers a window into how clients think, feel, and make sense of their world. With a desire to get to know my clients through curiosity, exploration and actively listening, this dialogue can become a rich source of psychological insight into their intrinsic goals, even informal research that strengthens our practice.
I recently completed a master’s in psychology, which sparked a passion for a researcher’s mindset. When I began coaching, I found I could continue with this love for learning within each session. I started to see the patterns, metaphors, and themes that naturally arise in human conversation, and began to use these to guide reflective practice and help align and enhance the skills that enable me to meet the needs and expectations of the clients.
There are a few steps that I find useful in helping me turn client dialogue into research that fosters growth and greater practice:
Listen Like a Researcher
In my master’s research I thoroughly enjoyed using qualitative data. It brought such rich understanding of participant experience. Now, every client conversation is a form of qualitative data. The words people choose, the metaphors they use, and the emotions that emerge can tell us as much about psychological processes, as any published study we read.
When we listen with a researcher’s ear, we’re listening to the story being told, and noticing how it’s told. Stay curious to the meaning beneath the words noticing patterns, emotions, and shifts that reveal the client’s inner logic.
• Language as data: Clients rarely describe their experiences in textbook terms. You might hear burnout described as a fog, anxiety as a knot, or motivation as a spark. I had one client who had different colours for different emotions. These metaphors and symbols reveal how people conceptualize their internal states, and we can guide interventions to be tailored to their lived experience.
• Patterns across clients: If multiple clients express similar struggles, for example, linking their self-worth to their ability to perform in a role, that theme may signal a broader cultural or psychological pattern that may be worth exploring further.
As we listen like a researcher we cultivate curiosity and encourage a space of discovery that helps both client and practitioner to foster interventions that work for the client, promote growth and foster interventions that truly resonate with them, promoting clarity, growth, and lasting change.
Reflect and Record Ethically
Reflecting after each session has become an essential tool in my coaching toolbox. By taking this time to evaluate the session, we can observe the interactions, both the verbal and non-verbal, and enhance our active listening to become more aware of the perspective of the client. This awareness that we gain from reflective practice can be shared with the client, creating an open and safe space of collaboration where client and practitioner can discover and grow together. By looking inward, reflection can also help us to identify our own beliefs and biases that may be inhibiting the process of growth and change, and hinder the relationship with the client.
Some practical approaches that I use for reflection are:
• Reflective journaling: Writing brief, anonymized notes about patterns or metaphors that have been observed, any biases or emotions that arise, and thoughts on how things might be done differently.
• Supervision discussions: Bringing these reflections to supervision, where they can be explored and validated within ethical boundaries.
• Collaborative discovery: Thoughtfully sharing reflective insights, such as observed patterns, emotional shifts, or communication styles, can turn self-reflection into a tool for the client’s own growth, awareness, and agency.
Bridging Practice and Research
We can achieve our most meaningful professional growth when we apply client curiosity and inquiry to inform and evolve our practice. By approaching our work as both practitioner and reflective researcher, we not only deepen our understanding of human behaviour but also contribute to the evidence base that supports effective, ethical, and client-centred practice.
Research consistently shows that reflective and research-informed practice enhances both practitioner self-awareness and client outcomes (Hullinger et al, 2019; Kamp et al, 2024). When we turn our client conversations into sources of inquiry, we create a dynamic feedback loop between practice and insight. This process helps to keeps our work alive and responsive, keeping us attuned to the nuances of each client relationship.
If there was another reason for me to love my job, it’s the opportunity to integrate research and reflection by transforming everyday conversations into opportunities for shared discovery, continuous learning, and deeper human understanding for both self and client.
In what ways can your everyday client dialogues become small acts of research that move your practice forward?
References
PBI Take
We love this framing, it reflects exactly what makes practitioner development so powerful: curiosity as a research tool. Jennifer shows how the everyday moments inside client conversations can become rich qualitative data that strengthens practice, enhances self-awareness, and elevates the client–practitioner relationship. This is learning through doing, noticing patterns, and using reflective inquiry as a living, collaborative process.
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