What is Holistic Coaching for wellness and performance?

There tend to be 3 reactions when I tell someone that I offer holistic wellness coaching and holistic performance coaching online and in-person:

  • They are interested and want to know how I work

  • They have an aversion to one of the words: holistic, wellness or coaching, or

  • They ask what holistic coaching is.

The simplest way to address all 3 responses is to explain the way that I work in a 1-on-1 situation. The truth is that some words like “holistic” or “wellness” can call to mind any number of associations - positive or negative. The issue is exacerbated by the fact that there is no standard definition of what a holistic wellness coach does and how they work. A basic web search will lead you to any number of marketing pitches, explanations and self-promotion - many of which are dubious, disconnected from reality and place the emphasis on “me feeling good” rather than leading to true wellbeing.

In this post I intend to provide a clear picture of how I work by addressing the holistic coaching process and the guiding principles I use in holistic wellness coaching and holistic performance coaching.

The holistic coaching process

In our first contact, we will discuss what it is that brings you to holistic wellness coaching or holistic performance coaching. We will also discuss varying options for how we can work together including the tools that might be most useful to start with along with the initial number and duration of sessions.

A typical starting process for working together takes place over about six 1.5 - 2hr sessions. During these sessions we will:

  • define what you want or need to move towards

  • get a full view of where you are at now in life

  • gain awareness of what happens when you do/don't move towards this

  • do body-mind based practices which support you in building awareness, capacity and progress towards what you want

  • relaxation, integration and if applicable subconscious work with Yoga Nidra

  • taking concrete actions outside of sessions

  • adjust and evolve along the way

Principles of Holistic Coaching

Collaborative

First and foremost, it's important to mention that I work in collaboration with clients. Coaching is not something I do to you, it's a relationship and customised process that we engage in together aiming towards the outcomes you are seeking. Throughout the collaboration it is my aim to support you in moving forwards and cultivating greater well-being while leaving you with tools and knowledge that you can apply for the rest of your life.

Whole-life view

Whatever the issue you come with, we will look at and possibly address its interconnection with other areas of your life because no area of life can be fully isolated from another. Rather than compartmentalise, we recognise that the seemingly different aspects of life are really just a whole integrated system in constant relationship with each other. Zooming out to the whole-life view provides much more information and many more leverage points for creating positive change. This is similar to the biopsychosocial-spiritual model used in healthcare which acknowledges the interrelationship of biological, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions in creating conditions for health and illness and offers treatment across multiple dimensions.

Whole-person approach

When I work with clients, we engage both the body and the mind because they are deeply interconnected with some researchers making the case that "the body is your brain". Clients experience that working with both is effective, and leads to embodied change. This is no surprise as there is a rich tradition of researched body-based practices in the field of somatic psychology. Beyond the modern scientific view, it's interesting to note that the physical practices in the yoga tradition actually developed primarily as a way to understand, influence and work with the condition of the mind.

Cultivate Wellbeing

When I work with clients, I aim to support them in realising greater (collective) wellbeing across the multiple dimensions of their life. In this whole-life whole-person approach we consider ways to:

  • create the optimal conditions for wellness

  • reduce internal and external factors that contribute to reduction of wellness

  • handle the inevitable discomfort and suffering in life with presence, wisdom and compassion.

This is an approach which seeks to walk the middle path between a pathogenic approach of fixing and eliminating problems and a salutogenic approach of creating the conditions for optimal well-being to arise.

Integrated toolkit

You can expect to work with a combination of talk, movement, breathing, relaxation and other practices drawn from the full toolkit of knowledge and practices I've gained over the years. Alongside my training as a coach and years of experience in organisations, I have been trained as a mindfulness teacher, yoga teacher, yoga therapist, compassion trainer, CliftonStrengths coach and have completed studies in positive psychology, somatic coaching, use of essential oils and more.

Customised

The type of session, duration of session, and frequency of session can all be adapted depending on the client and their goals. The process and working methods are always customised based on and in collaboration with the client. This typically evolves during the course of working together. To have a clear understanding of the ways a program might be modified, consider the following spectrums:

  • dialogue based methods, body based methods, hybrid methods

  • weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly sessions

  • 60, 90, 120 minute sessions

  • health focused, development focused

  • individual, couple, small group, team

  • online or in person

Interdisciplinary support system

Personal development, healthcare and wellbeing can require a full support team of professionals. Alongside referring clients to external providers, Collaborative Motion works with a network of experienced professionals - coaches, trainers, rolfers, acupuncturists, psychologists and more who helps us provide holistic support at the needed scale for our clients.

There are a lot of terms thrown around to describe various coaching approaches - systemic, integrated, holistic, mindfulness based, yoga coaching, transpersonal coaching, performance coaching, somatic coaching, embodied coaching - and the list goes on. It can be confusing to navigate and know what type of coaching you actually need. Once in coaching, you may discover that the coach recommends you attend other trainings such as mindfulness, yoga, or yoga therapy which requires further research. With Collaborative Motion, I aim to take away some of the pressure and complexity of choosing the right type of coaching by drawing from my integrated toolbox and relying when needed on the network of professionals that work with us.

Experience holistic coaching

People come to holistic wellness coaching for countless reasons including sleep challenges, stress reduction, anxiety, high blood pressure, reduced sense of meaning, need for personal growth, desire for improved work/life balance.

Similarly, there are many reasons that people come to holistic performance coaching including navigating change, changing behaviour, looking to gain a better understanding of their strengths or developing as a leader.

Regardless of what has you curious about holistic coaching, the best way to see if it’s something for you, is to give it a try and experience it.

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Personal development and yoga in organizations