Some key strengths of Gestalt Coaching…..

As Director of Training for the Gestalt Coaching Program (Online now and soon we hope in Istanbul) and the author of "A Gestalt Primer: The Path Towards Awareness IQ", I am often asked to elaborate on the key points about gestalt based coaching. That is a challenging task because there are so many "key points". But, today I offer a few thoughts for your reflection, whether you are new or seasoned to coaching. As I see it, the strengths of gestalt based coaching are:

1. It's a very human approach to working with other humans in the most creative and authentic ways. I mean "creative" in the sense that as a coach, I can see an opportunity to meet and join another human being based on being curious about what is happening in the moment and engaging in inquiry that results in generative discussion. To be interested in another person, or a team is also to spark/strengthen their interest in themselves. It is the process of bringing awarenesses that always begins the inquiry process. And, awareness in itself is always powerful because it brings energy, authenticity and surprise to even the most simple moments. Gestalt coaching is an awareness based approach and instrumentally teaches how to become skilled in using awareness-the master competency of our times.
2. Coaching "improvisation" has gotten a great deal of interest from the practice of "improv" which speaks to being able to find life and connection to what is occurring. What is also relevant is that to be improvisational with a client allows us as coaches to use our presence to support the client's exploration of an issue. Through use of our presence, the support we add to the client's work is interest, encouragement, provocative observations that are designed to make what is not obvious more obvious to the client. Every human being has a "blind spot". The work of gestalt coaching is to be intentional about offering different perspectives, in a safe environment which stimulates the client to be more expansive in their perspective. In concert with the recent work of Amy Edmondson, gestalt based practice has a "rule" that the conditions of safety must always be co-negotiated with the client with simple questions: a. What would support you in exploring this issue? b. What would stop you from exploring this challenge? c.What else do you need to consider in going forward? These questions "seem" simple and yet, they often touch what is primal in terms of safety-fear issues and when these are unspoken, leave an area of uncertainty that quietly does not support safety. The most competent and "strong" looking clients might even need more assurance about creating safety as they cannot otherwise trust the work of becoming vulnerable that learning requires.

3. Coaching is the most democratic, collaborative and creative of human based "learning" technologies. And, gestalt based practices are based on human processes about how we see, or are blind to the obvious. I quote a biblical saying that "We do not see the world as it is, we see the world as we are". How people "see" the world is now confirmed by neuroscience, emotional and somatic, and cultural intelligence awarenesses. What gestalt practice does is make us aware of all these learning possibilities. It's an inclusive approach that keeps being relevant by bringing in new learning combined with the gestalt technology of "awareness skills". Our "job" as coaches is to help make visible to the client what they are thinking, feeling or saying to themselves as they consider where they are stuck, or restrict themselves in terms of new possibilities. We work not to make the complex simple, but to make the complex available to work with. We can support our clients in working with "system" issues by their seeing their part in their picture of their world. It is the principle of seeing from the inside out and requires that we support our client in a deeply introspective inquiry into themselves and the challenge they are part of. And, our role as coaches is to be a trusted companion in the inquiry process, supporting our clients with our awareness, witnessing of the moment and confirmation of what they are saying that appears most important to them. Each person is a work of art and gestalt process supports people to discover the mystery of their art through contact with their awareness and integration of their learning. This non-formulaic approach is often chosen by those who wish to be more creative in their work, able to tolerate uncertainty in service of larger transformation and willing to trust that every behavior has a value and that appreciation always is what opens the door to the work.

We welcome your inquiry into our ICF-ACTP Gestalt Coaching Program: www.gestaltcenterforcoaching.com

For a workshop experience exploring Presence: https:/bit.ly/3mMNTIn