Coaching Chronicles – Part IV: What the Ancient Greeks Taught Us About Coaching & Change

There’s something timeless about Ancient Greek philosophy that deeply resonates with me. Their teachings honour both the mind and the soul: logic and intuition, questions and reflection. These thinkers understood human behaviour in a way that feels surprisingly modern. Their work reminds me that truth, healing, growth and hope aren’t new ideas, they’re ancient ones we’re still learning to live by.

I’m drawn to the clarity and simplicity in their messages: to live well, we must first know ourselves. This foundation sits at the heart of every coaching conversation I hold.

When we think about modern coaching and psychological tools like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), we often picture contemporary tools, evidence-based models, whiteboards, worksheets, and neuroscience.  But the roots of many of these ideas can be traced back over 2,000 years to the golden age of Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, three great minds of Western thought offered principles that still echo in coaching conversations and therapeutic work today.

The legendary trio—Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE), Plato (c. 428–348 BCE), and Aristotle (384–322 BCE)—laid the intellectual groundwork for reflective questioning, behavioural insight, and purposeful living. Their mentor-mentee lineage is remarkable:

• Socrates mentored Plato

• Plato mentored Aristotle

• Aristotle later tutored a young Alexander the Great

  
  

Together, they shaped Western philosophy and indirectly, the foundations of modern coaching and cognitive therapies.

Socrates: The Power of the Question (c. 470–399 BCE)

Famous Mentee: Plato

Socrates never wrote a word. Instead, he asked powerful, unsettling questions to uncover truth and challenge assumptions - a method still widely used in coaching and CBT today.

The Socratic Method lives on in:

• Coaching conversations that dig beneath surface thinking

• CBT techniques that challenge automatic negative thoughts

• Leadership coaching that helps clients examine limiting beliefs

At its core, Socratic questioning reminds us: You already hold the answers. The right question reveals them.

Plato: Inner Worlds and Ideal Selves (c. 428–348 BCE)

Famous Mentee: Aristotle

Plato believed that we all strive toward an ideal version of ourselves - a true self that exists beyond external noise. His allegory of the cave reminds us that we often live in the shadows of our own thoughts until we're guided into the light of awareness.

Modern coaching and CBT reflect this beautifully:

• We help clients articulate their ideal self or future vision

• We encourage alignment between values, thoughts, and actions

• We challenge limiting "shadows" and beliefs that keep people stuck

Plato’s emphasis on inner truth is echoed in the personal transformation journeys we see in coaching every day.

Aristotle: Action, Ethics, and the Practice of Virtue (384–322 BCE)

Famous Mentee: Alexander the Great

Aristotle believed that flourishing (eudaimonia) came through practising virtue by taking intentional action and building character. His focus was practical: how do we live well, and what habits shape a meaningful life?

This directly parallels coaching and CBT work:

• Establishing goals based on values

• Building healthy routines through habit change

• Supporting behavioural activation and sustainable action

  
  

Coaching isn't just about insight—it's about doing. Aristotle would have approved.

From Ancient Athens to the Coaching Room

What ties these great thinkers to today’s coaching work? A few timeless truths:

• The answers often lie within

• Our thoughts shape our actions

• Self-reflection leads to transformation

• True change takes both courage and consistency

Did You Know?

Although Aristotle (384–322 BCE) never met Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE) - who died 15 years before Aristotle was born, his thinking was still deeply influenced by Socratic philosophy.

That’s because Plato (c. 427–347 BCE), Socrates’ most famous student, later became Aristotle’s mentor. So, even though there was no direct mentorship, Socratic ideals, like self-inquiry, ethical living, and questioning assumptions found their way into Aristotle’s work through Plato.

Aristotle developed many of Socrates' ideas into more practical, evidence-based frameworks, especially in the areas of ethics and personal development. While Socrates used probing questions to uncover truth, Aristotle systematised virtue and reason into what we might now recognise as core elements of modern CBT and coaching psychology.

Three minds. One philosophical thread. Still shaping how we think today.

Whether you're navigating leadership fatigue, loss, or personal growth, you're not alone and you're not the first. Blaze Coaching today still echoes the wisdom of ancient Greece.