Dr Andrea Giraldez-Hayes

Dr Andrea Giraldez-Hayes
Course Director, MSt in Coaching

Biography

I'm the Course Director for the MSt in Coaching at University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education (PACE), and I feel fortunate to do this work. My professional path began over 30 years ago through a deep curiosity about how people grow, connect, and thrive. Since then, I’ve worn many hats –musician, academic, community arts consultant, chartered psychologist, psychotherapist, coaching psychologist, supervisor– and each role has shaped how I support others in their learning and development.

Before joining Cambridge, I was the course director for the MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology at the University of East London. I’ve also worked as a consultant in international education and taught in universities across Europe, Latin America, Canada, and Australia. I am also the Chair of the BPS Coaching Psychologists Training Committee, author of several books and peer-reviewed papers, and associate editor for various journals, including Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, the International Coaching Psychology Review and the International Journal of Coaching Psychology. My research focuses on wellbeing arts, arts-based and creative coaching and the boundaries between coaching and psychotherapy.

What I like most about my role at PACE is helping students explore the rich possibilities of high-quality, evidence-based coaching from an interdisciplinary perspective and witnessing their growth into thoughtful, grounded researchers and practitioners. 

Research topics

My research explores the intersections between coaching, psychotherapy, and wellbeing, often through creative, arts-based methods. I’m particularly interested in how reflective practice, technology (especially AI), and the arts can enhance self-awareness and learning in coaching contexts. I’ve published on topics ranging from the professional identity of coaching psychologists to the impact of online group coaching during the pandemic. More recently, I’ve been exploring how AI tools can support coach development and reflective practice. I also co-edited the Routledge International Handbook of Wellbeing Arts and continue to write about how the arts can support health, personal growth, and ethical coaching. My goal is to make coaching more inclusive, human-centred, and attuned to the complexity of real lives.

Publications

Journal articles

  • Bridgeman, J., & Giraldez-Hayes, A. (2024). Using artificial intelligence-enhanced video feedback for reflective practice in coach development: benefits and potential drawbacks. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 17(1), 32-49., 2024
  • Nacif, A. P., Giraldez-Hayes, A., Finn, K., & Valdivielso-Martínez, E. (2023). Online group coaching: the experience of postgraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 16(2), 190-204., 2023
  • Giraldez Hayes, A. (2021). Different domains or grey areas? Setting boundaries between coaching and therapy: A thematic analysis. The Coaching Psychologist, 17(2), 18-29., 2021

Other

  • Jelodari, M., Amirhosseini, M. H., & Giraldez‐Hayes, A. (2023). An AI powered system to enhance self‐reflection practice in coaching. Cognitive Computation and Systems, 5(4), 243-254. Moin, T., Giraldez Hayes, A., Stopforth, M., Lynden, J., & Rees-Davies, L. (2023). Who is a coach and who is a coaching psychologist? Professionalising coaching psychology in the United Kingdom. The Coaching Psychologist, 19(1), 4-18., 2023

Books

  • Giraldez-Hayes, A., Seligman, M. & Burke, J. (in press). Routledge International Handbook of Wellbeing Arts. Routledge., 2025
  • Smith, W.A., Giraldez-Hayes, A. & Evans-Krimme, R. (2024). The Essentials of ‘The Good Life’. In J. Passmore et al. (Eds.), The Health and Wellbeing Coaches' Handbook. A Practitioner's Guide for Clinicians, Coaches and Health Professionals. Routledge., 2024
  • Giraldez-Hayes, A. & Eames, M. (2024). Arts-Based Coaching. Using Creative Tools to Promote Better Self-Expression. Routledge., 2024
  • Giraldez-Hayes, A. Internal coach and mental health. (2022). In W.A. Smith et al. (Eds.). Ethical Case Studies for Coach Development and Practice (pp. 121-124). Routledge., 2022

Book chapters

  • Giraldez-Hayes, A. (2023). Arts as medicine: Using art interventions to promote health and wellbeing. In Routledge International Handbook of Positive Health Sciences (pp. 252-265). Routledge. , 2023, 2023
  • Garvey, B., & Giraldez-Hayes, A. (2022). Ethics in education and the development of coaches. In The Ethical Coaches’ Handbook (pp. 267-278). Routledge., 2022

Courses Taught