Coaching: Experimenting with a new way of being

I love experiments. Whether my experiment is in the kitchen combining new flavors and ingredients, out in the world discovering new ways of living this chapter of my life with my husband, or in my practice, with new approaches to deepening the healing experience.

All experiments are successful in that they reveal information. I learned from my wise scientist husband that there are no failed experiments. That is actually a pretty profound and liberating revelation. The experiments that provide the results we least expect can be the most rewarding. Think about this in your own life. Can you recall a time this proved to be true? It certainly has been so in my professional work and personal life. It’s when I finally could admit to having more questions than answers that the “rich and juicy” information came forth.

It was my letting go of any expectations of outcome that led me to study the fields I have thus far – homeopathy and then Gemmotherapy. I can now say this is true for the art of coaching. I really did not know where this coursework would take me, but I did know I needed to try something new. I wasn’t content with the feedback I received from some clients who felt they had failed to experience Gemmotherapy’s full benefits because they returned to old habits. The last thing I wanted to do was encourage this negative self-judgement. Yet, I felt my toolkit was lacking in skills to deepen self-awareness and build stamina to make lasting change. I knew my personal health journey had required more than protocols and dietary changes, but what had I received that led me to lasting change?

In my daily prayers and meditation, I asked for clarity and guidance. It wasn’t long before I heard from a respected and familiar educator, Joel Kreisberg. Joel, who I knew from his homeopathic trainings, had just organized a new coaching program within his school’s Teleosis Institute. Reading his personal invite to join the program I received a strong and quick “absolutely not for me.” This is always a clue for me to take a step closer and examine my reaction. What was that about?

As a lifetime learner, the idea of being exposed to new skills is always intriguing. Why, then, did I feel resistance? The thought of embarking on a full-time program while running a busy practice and training program of my own felt absolutely overwhelming, for one. And coaching? Really? There are so many coaches out there, and the field is so undefined! While I’d had a remarkable personal experience with business coach extraordinaire, Gail Hurt, I just didn’t see how this was a fit for me.

The idea, however, percolated within my subconscious and, of course, references to coaching began to pop into my everyday life. Urghh, I kind of hate that as much as I love it. And before long Joel sent out another message offering a “sample” course. This time it didn’t require a full year commitment but was a single class that would count towards the program if I chose to move forward. Ok, I thought, that lowers the risk. And then – get this – the course was called “Narrative Healing: Engaging Writing as a Tool for Healing.” What happened next was that the writer in me responded to Joel’s offer before my inner skeptic even had a moment to think. That turned out to be a very good thing.

The sample course Narrative Healing was a dream setting. It included a few familiar colleagues, a masterful teacher and a rich, rewarding curriculum that in many ways confirmed what I already knew to be true. Yes, it increased my weekly workload and had me up at night after a full day of seeing clients, but the reward of more writing made it worthwhile. The curriculum was not too edgy, concepts discussed fell into alignment with my established belief system, and before the course concluded I had committed to the year-long program. Done.

Then came the next course. Foundations of Health Coaching. I cruised into that in my blissful state of confidence, and after the second class, I thought my head would explode! What is this stuff? Ken Wilber’s quadrants, learning cycles, awareness practices and more. Just how was I going to wrap my brain around all of this new information with my limited bandwidth? I felt like I’d been dropped into an immersion language course against my will!

What was happening? Oh, that. It’s called resistance, the stage we can get stuck in when exposed to change. Hmmm. I knew that and I sure didn’t like how it felt. But just what was I resisting? That question was answered over the next few months as I began a personal voyage of self-discovery that was completely unexpected. More questions arising than answers again and again. The experiment was underway and a new way of being would emerge after some time.

Today, 18 months after starting down this path, I’m so excited about what the future holds for my practice. I’ve taken the new ideas learned and integrated them to offer a richer, more meaningful experience. My work now begins with building self-awareness so that the areas that need attention are naturally illuminated. We co-create a plan with practices and protocols to assist your journey to a destination you have established. It’s the perfect setting to experiment with your own new way of being with support to help you reach your goal. You can read more about my offerings here.

If any of this sounds appealing, I’d love to talk. And if you find yourself reacting as I did you might just want to make a note and see what you hear from the universe in the weeks ahead!

Be sure to drop in next week when I share Cassie’s coaching story.