Originally Posted on The Coaching Tools Company as What AI Can't Replicate: Dr Marcia Reynolds on Coaching Presence and the New 2nd Edition of Coach the Person Not the Problem
Watch the interview above. Dr Marcia Reynolds, Master Coach and author of Coach the Person Not the Problem (2nd Edition, Berrett-Koehler Publishers), joins me to talk about what’s new in this edition, what coaching presence really means, and why AI has actually pushed us to become better coaches. Links and a free companion toolkit are at the bottom of this page.
I’ve interviewed a lot of coaches. What caught my attention in this conversation wasn’t just what Marcia knows. It’s her excitement about what she’s still learning. That energy is real, it’s contagious, and it’s on full display here.
A Book That Earned a 2nd Edition
When Marcia’s publisher said the 1st Edition had sold 100,000 copies across nine languages and it was time for a 2nd Edition, her honest first reaction was: “What else do I have to say?” She sat with that question, and then the answer came flooding in. The science has deepened. Our understanding of what we’re actually doing in a coaching conversation has sharpened. And one question in particular keeps pushing forward: will AI replace us? Rather than sidestep it, Marcia addressed it head-on in a completely rewritten introduction, not defensively, but with a clarity about what coaching is that goes well beyond technique.
The Presence Piece, and Why It Now Comes First
The biggest structural shift in this edition is that presence has been moved ahead of the skills chapters. If we don’t understand what we’re already creating before we open our mouth, the skills we layer on top are built on uncertain ground. Here’s the neuroscience, in Marcia’s words:
“The brain sees the coach as the socially dominant person in the conversation. And we always regulate to the socially dominant person. Whatever you’re feeling, my emotions are going to regulate to that.”
This is co-regulation, and it’s biology, not metaphor. AI can simulate warmth, but it can’t be warm. Without real emotional presence there’s no co-regulation, no genuine safety, and the kind of challenge that actually shifts something simply won’t land.
“It Felt Like We Were Just Having a Conversation”
After a demo session, a participant told Marcia: “It felt like we were just having a conversation. Then all of a sudden I had a breakthrough.” Her response: “Yes. It should feel that way.” The more present and natural the coach, the more profound the impact, and paradoxically, the less it looks like coaching from the outside. As Marcia puts it:
“I take in from you, I give it back. I take in from you, I give it back. I’m not thinking. My reflections and my questions come out of my curiosity.”
The coach tracking whether they’ve met the next competency is not fully present with their client. The two things are genuinely in competition with each other.
If you read that and thought “I want to coach like that — how do I get there?”, that’s exactly what the 2nd Edition of Coach the Person Not the Problem is written to answer. This is the book that takes you from understanding the concept of presence to actually embodying it, so that the conversation flows, the challenge lands, and the breakthrough happens naturally — not because you executed the right technique, but because you showed up in the right way.
Get the Book and the Free Toolkit
Coach the Person Not the Problem, 2nd Edition (Berrett-Koehler Publishers) launched on 3rd March 2026. Purchase through Dr Marcia’s website and you’ll also receive a free companion toolkit with highlights from every chapter and practical guidance on how to use them.
- Buy the book on Amazon and get the free toolkit >>
- Visit Dr Marcia Reynolds’ website — covisioning.com
If you found this valuable, you’ll love what’s coming through our emails over the next few weeks — coaching presence, the business of coaching, and some exciting things we’re building for the community. Subscribe here if you’re not already on the list.
About Dr Marcia Reynolds
Dr Marcia Reynolds, MCC, PsyD, is president of Covisioning LLC and a pioneer in the coaching profession. She was the 5th global president of the International Coaching Federation, is recognised in the ICF Circle of Distinction, and has consistently ranked in the top 10 coaches globally with Global Gurus. She has coached and trained in 47 countries, and her books, including the international bestseller Coach the Person Not the Problem, have appeared in Fast Company, Psychology Today, and The Wall Street Journal.
Visit Marcia at covisioning.com
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