From Self-Help to Science

McLean Hospital in Belmont is renowned for its research into heady issues in psychiatry. Brain scans, genetic screenings, and clinical trials of treatments characterize its usual fare. But now, the Harvard-affiliated hospital plans to add a different kind of research agenda. Next month, McLean plans to launch a new initiative to study the psychology behind "life coaching." It's become a booming business of personal guidance and goal setting, dispensed largely by phone, for big bucks.