If you've ever left a coaching session thinking, "I asked the right questions, so why didn't anything really change?" this book is for you.
Sticky Outcomes is built on a simple idea: coaching isn't advice-giving, and it isn't a performance of coaching competencies. Coaching is a relationship skill. It's presence. It's deep listening. It's knowing how to hold space so the other person can hear themselves clearly enough to find the insight they need and the actions they'll actually take.
Lyssa deHart, LICSW, MCC, writes for new coaches, aspiring leaders, and experienced practitioners who want their work to go beyond "good sessions" into meaningful, lasting change. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, and the ICF Core Competencies, Sticky Outcomes shows what's happening under the surface of a conversation: how we regulate and co-regulate with others, how language shapes meaning, why psychological safety changes what the brain can access, and how agency grows when the client (or "thinker") is the one doing the work.
This book gives you practical frameworks and in-the-moment tools you can use right away. You'll learn what to listen for beneath the words, how to work with silence and emotion without rushing to fix, and how to partner in a way that strengthens the thinker's agency and follow-through. What makes the book especially usable is that it doesn't stay abstract. You'll find:
- real coaching transcripts and examples, so you can hear the work, not just read about it
- "Choice Points" that show multiple valid pathways in a moment, and what each choice tends to create
- reflection prompts and activities designed to build your coaching muscle through practice, not perfection
Ultimately, Sticky Outcomes is about becoming the kind of professional coach who can create the conditions for transformation, not by fixing people, but by partnering better. When the thinker creates the dots, connects the dots, and owns the dots, the learning sticks.
If you want coaching that feels more human, more skillful, and more likely to lead to change that lasts long after the session ends, this book will support you.
About the Author :
Lyssa deHart is a Master Certified Coach, clinical social worker, and author who loves exploring how stories shape who we become. A self-described "recovering therapist," she brings a mix of neuroscience, metaphor, and deep listening to her work with leaders and coaches around the world. Lyssa has written books StoryJacking, the Reflective Coach, and Light Up: The Science of Coaching with Metaphors, and she hosts the Coaching Studio Podcast, where she digs into real conversations about growth, change, and the human experience.With a background in Social Work, Supervision, and Neuroscience, Lyssa is passionate about helping professional coaches refine their mastery of the ICF Core Competencies, deep listening skills, and client-led approaches-all with the goal of fostering transformative client partnerships. As a Certified Mentor Coach, Coaching SuperVision Partner, and ICF PCC Assessor, she integrates neuroscience and the ICF Core Competencies to elevate the coaching impact.
Review :
Sticky Outcomes is refreshing. It isn't about learning coaching skills but, instead, about how coaching works. Lyssa deHart provides a crash course in human psychology and highlights the many ways that it is at the heart of coaching. She draws on neuroscience, clinical psychology, communications, and other sources to reveal the inner workings of change. In doing so, Sticky Outcomes mirrors the coaching process itself: she invites readers to reflect on and experiment with their practice. deHart provides transcripts of her own coaching as well as refreshingly honest appraisals. This book is essential for coaches looking to understand and apply coaching skills.
Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, author of Positive Provocation
I refer to Lyssa deHart's work frequently to add creative and essential dimensions to the coaching skills I use and teach. Her research and transcripts of coaching sessions give depth to Sticky Outcomes that make the book a useful guide to refer to frequently on your coaching journey. As deHart says, have the courage to stay present when coaching. Let the thinker you are working with create the dots, connect the dots, and own the dots, and you will be amazed at the insights and wisdom that emerge.
Dr. Marcia Reynolds, MCC, author of the international bestseller Coach the Person, Not the Problem and Breakthrough Coaching
Sticky Outcomes gets to the heart of what makes change last. Lyssa deHart blends science, compassion, and real coaching experience in a way that feels grounded and encouraging. She shows how psychological safety, partnership, and the ICF Core Competencies all come together to create conversations that truly transform. If you're committed to helping your clients grow in meaningful, lasting ways, this book will resonate deeply.
Valorie Burton, MS, MAPP, MCC, CEO of The Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute and author of Rules of Resilience: 10 ways Successful People Get Better, Wiser and Stronger
Sticky Outcomes is a tour de force. Lyssa deHart blends multidisciplinary insight, practical tools, and lived experience to ground readers in coaching's core competencies. Her coach-client dialogues arrive precisely when you want to see her teaching in action, and her "Choice Points" highlight the creative coaching possibilities inherent in every conversation. This book is sure to become a coaching classic-don't miss it.
Carrie Sackett, MS, PCC, author of Social Therapeutic Coaching: A Practical Guide to Group and Couples Work
Lyssa deHart masterfully bridges the science and soul of coaching. Sticky Outcomes is a love letter to the art of true partnership in coaching. deHart's journey from 'fixing' to facilitating is one every coach must make. Her focus on client-led direction, metaphor, and vertical development makes this essential reading for anyone committed to coaching that creates lasting change. Sticky Outcomes will deepen your practice and remind you why this work matters.
Betsy Salkind, PCC and Amy Warshawsky, MS, MCC, co-authors of Coaching with a Twist: Improv for Coaches
I just want to say WOW! This is a resource I really wish I had when I started coach training. Sticky Outcomes offers a refreshing, grounded approach to professional coaching that goes beyond surface level techniques. Lyssa deHart masterfully integrates neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and decades of practical experience into a comprehensive guide that treats coaching as both art and science.
Loren Sanders, MBA, PCC, author of Empathy Is Not a Weakness: And Other Stories from the Edge
