I've been wanting to talk to you about holistic coaching for a long time. I have been coached by several people over the past few years and it has been such a transformation that I decided to make it my profession to help others as I have been helped myself. I've noticed that when I meet new people and they ask me what I do, the most common reaction is "wow that sounds great, but what is it exactly?
In this article, I'll give you an overview of what holistic coaching is and why it's a powerful way to find your joy and create a life you love.
Let's get started!
I used to think that coaching was only for top athletes or corporate executives.
If you are like my self from a few years ago, you must be thinking: "okay that's nice, but what is coaching really?". Good question! There are as many ways of doing coaching as there are coaches, so I'll give you my take on it.
In my opinion, being a coach is first of all a posture. We cultivate a willingness to listen and to be present. The coach holds a safe space for you to express your ideas, your thoughts, but also your blocks and fears.
The aim of a coaching session - no matter how long it lasts - is to give you the keys to move towards your goals, to give you motivation, as a boost to your confidence and self-esteem.
It is a powerful way to help you find clarity and joy in your life, and I don't know about you, but for me it is precious!
Mind you, I'm not saying that the sessions are always easy to get through. We can talk about difficult or complicated topics.
In reality, coaching does not erase difficult situations, it gives you tools so that you can act more and more with alignment and serenity.
This is very different from psychotherapy. Your coach will help you to move forward, to move towards your goals, whereas your therapist will help you to make sense of your past and your painful experiences. If you're not sure which format to choose, I invite you to look at the differences between coaching and therapy.
Now that you know a bit more about coaching, it's time to talk about the specifics of holistic coaching.
Holistic means that you look at a subject as a whole. It means that we try to understand the interactions and interrelationships between the different elements that constitute and impact this subject.
Holistic coaching therefore takes into consideration all areas of your life, and their interrelationships. It is valuable in helping you to regain your joy and energy, because it looks at the sources of the problems. Here are the four dimensions that are addressed in holistic coaching.
The spiritual dimension is the basis of everything in holistic coaching. It is your foundation. In a house, it would be your foundation, what everything else is built on.
More precisely, it includes everything that is related to your values and fundamental beliefs. The purpose of holistic coaching is to help you align your actions and choices with your values. To create harmony and balance between your inner self (your desires, your dreams) and the outer self (your situation, your actions, your environment).
For me this is a powerful engine for your transformation, because it is about the deep meaning you want to give to your life.
Let us not forget that we are beings of matter! We live in the material world. It is therefore important to take care of your body - your earthly vessel - as much as you take care of your thoughts and emotions.
The physical dimension - which goes hand in hand with the psychological dimension - concerns our health, our physical activity, our diet.
Please note: the coaches are not naturopaths or nutritionists, let alone doctors.
They are not there to give you advice, but rather to help you find solutions that work for you, and guide you in implementing them.
The psychological dimension consists of two main pillars: cognitive well-being and emotional well-being.
With holistic coaching, we will look at both what feeds you intellectually (learning, creativity, etc.) and your emotions.
A big part of moving towards your goals is awareness and acceptance of your emotions. They are precious messengers to better understand your mechanisms and your natural functioning.
The last area that is taken into account in holistic coaching is the social area. You may need to observe your relationships, your environment and your various "occupational" activities.
It is about understanding the external influences, the external energies that can impact you.
Holistic coaching helps you to find your joy through several considerations:
Each of these areas are interconnected and feed off each other. If you are having difficulty achieving your goals or changing a situation that doesn't suit you, it may be because you haven't looked at the "problem" as a whole. A holistic coach will help you get clarity on this!
As I told you before, holistic coaching focuses on understanding the connections between the different areas of your life. But what makes it even more powerful is that you will co-create with your coach the solutions that work FOR YOU.
Personally, I always start my coaching with a full assessment, so that you can know where you really are and gain clarity on what you want to achieve.
Everything is connected. When you move house, you check that the foundations are solid, that you are protected, and then you start to change what you don't like, to feel at home. It's the same with any change in your life, you need to rearrange your whole "house".
So there are infinite ways to do holistic coaching and as many coaches or coaching offers.
This is great for you because you can then choose what resonates most with your own vision and needs. You can choose THE person who will help you move forward in your life, with methods and tools that REALLY speak to you.
If you feel that you want to be coached but are a bit lost among all the offers, you can follow these 3 steps to choose your coach.
Let's recap
Holistic coaching is a great way to achieve your goals, find your balance and joy.
Here you are at the end of this article. Thank you for reading this far!
I hope you now understand a little more about the principles and benefits of holistic coaching.
It's really a fascinating subject and I sincerely believe that we should all experience it at least once in our lives. Your coach is the person who believes in you when you give up! And that feels good.
If all this resonates with you, you can book a Clarity Call, to experience what holistic coaching is all about through my personal method.
Credits: Sarah Lei © 2020-2022
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