How many times have you heard clients say, “I’ve been trying to figure this out but I’m going ’round and ’round and getting nowhere?” When this happens, clients are often seeing only a part of the picture and focusing solely on the mental or thinking parts of themselves. A multidimensional approach helps clients access imagery, body responses, sense of purpose and feelings, allowing them to make choices and take actions that integrate all parts of themselves. This additional information promotes fast and lasting change, as well as movement that aligns with all aspects of their being.
Coaching from multiple perspectives can be done using a holistic and integral coaching model. The Wisdom of the Whole® model is based on Jean Gebser’s integral theory. Gebser traced the development of human consciousness from its beginning until the present by looking at philosophy, poetry, music, visual arts, architecture, religion, physics and other natural sciences. He identified five specific structures of consciousness (ways of thinking, being, doing and knowing) throughout history. He named them and described their key elements as follows:
Archaic—undifferentiated oneness or connection to source
Intuitive—knowledge based on subtle information
Mythical—myths, archetypes, storytelling
Mental—logical, sequential, thinking
Integral—ability to function in all structures
Although these structures may sound foreign or unfamiliar, we experience them sequentially in our human development from conception to adulthood:
Archaic—fetus in the womb
Intuitive—toddler who believes in magic
Mythical—child who loves to listen to stories and play imaginary roles
Mental—teen who can conceptualize abstract thoughts
Integral—adult who can access all structures
We even travel through these structures of consciousness daily:
Archaic—deep sleep
Intuitive—dreaming
Mythical—between dreaming and being awake, when dreams can be remembered
Mental—awake
Integral—ability to access all structures
The Wisdom of the Whole® coaching model embraces mental, mythical, intuitive and spiritual aspects of coaching. It uses Gebser’s theory to create evidence-informed coaching practices and simple yet effective coaching tools that access all parts of self.
The table above shows examples of some coaching tools that match the ways of knowing, being, thinking and doing of each structure of consciousness. An integral approach is created when a coach can access and work from all structures of consciousness. Which skills do you use in your coaching practice? To assess your strengths, place a check mark beside each of your skills in the quadrants above.
How multidimensional is your coaching? Notice which quadrant has the most check marks beside it; chances are you will attract more clients who are comfortable working from that quadrant. As you expand your coaching skill set in more quadrants, you can then attract more clients. Which quadrant(s) would you like to develop?
An integral coaching approach can also help your clients move more quickly and authentically toward their goals. For example, a coach with a client focusing on work/life balance could invite the client to explore behavior patterns (mental) and to use imagery (mythical) to describe an ideal week. She could also invite the client to notice any somatic responses such as tightness in the throat (intuitive) that might shift when the client became more compassionate and clearer about values and sense of purpose (archaic). Using approaches from various quadrants accesses different parts of the self. Drawing from all four quadrants allows the whole person to be addressed and connections between parts of the self to become clear.
A multidimensional approach has even more far-reaching effects than growing your practice or helping your clients move more quickly and authentically. When both coaches and clients are able to come from multiple perspectives as they work with their internal worlds, they are more accepting of differences with the people around them (their external worlds). As they turn outward, they can appreciate multiple perspectives on any topic, celebrate differences, acknowledge individual gifts and skills, and discover how individuals complement one another in a group, whether it is a family, a health care team or a division of a company.
An integral approach not only brings comfort with and appreciation of differences, but also awareness of similarity, connection and being part of a whole. People are less likely to harm each other because they realize the extent of their connection and oneness. Metaphorically speaking, they are not inclined use the left hand to cut off the right hand. This could result in less violence and could create more kindness, caring and consideration for one another and the planet we live on.
This article was originally published in Coaching World.