Integrative Coaching - Whole Person Development
You can choose to go back to safety or forward toward growth.
Growth must be chosen again and again.
Fear must be overcome again and again.
– Abraham Maslow –
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The methods used in the ASE Integrative Coaching Program are based on well established principles in psychology including applied transformative practices for harnessing your full potential on all levels and in all contexts.
With the guidance and support of a Licenced ASE Facilitator/Coach, you will have the opportunity to address the five main contexts that underpin the way in which you experience yourself and your life – these being the physical, mental, emotional, interpersonal and spiritual contexts. By working on these five levels systematically, you can create a synergistic energy to propel your life forward.
In six sessions – one per week – you can take care of the main issues and challenges in each context, establishing wiser and more resourceful responses in all situations, while tapping into your deeper sources of knowledge, creativity and motivation to achieve your desired outcome in each context.
After each session you will be given a context specific practice to help you prevent any potential issues that may limit your ongoing success, so that you can continue moving toward your desired outcomes with greater ease in each context. These practices typically involve easy and enjoyable exercises – like taking a few deep breaths, looking at a situation from different perspectives, or applying a simple mindfulness based skill, for example. The exercises are selected and customised according to your needs and goals in each context as well as your overall objective for the program as a whole.
In the sixth session you will consolidate your insights from the program and establish a personalised ASE Practice (merging your distinct practices from each context) for the purpose of integrating your new state, perspectives and resources into all relevant areas of your life.
The success and sustainability of your ASE Practice pivots on the vision and energy of fulfilling your core needs and values in each context, by which you become motivated to keep it up. The program is designed to set you up for success in the long term by ensuring that everything is in place for you to engage in your daily ASE Practice without hindrance. After five weeks you will know what makes you come alive – on every level – and you will know how to integrate this into all areas of your life.
The ASE Integrative Coaching Program is facilitated by Licensed ASE Facilitators and Transpersonal Coaches who have received specialised training and who undergo supervision with Licensed ASE Trainers.
Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to highlight the importance of addressing core needs and values on all levels in the coaching process
In his famous theory of motivation, Psychologist Abraham Maslow (1954), first described four levels of fundamental human needs: 1. physical needs, 2. safety needs, 3. love and belonging, 4. esteem. He referred to these as deficiency needs, since a deficiency of them will motivate behaviours in an attempt to fulfil them. This is a most observable theory, since we can see how it occurs in our own lives.
According to this theory, deficiency needs must be satisfied in order for us to aspire to higher order needs, which, in the context of motivation, can be considered highly valued criteria (values). With the exception of self-actualization, these higher values were not yet part of Maslow’s original theory, but were referred to in his more recent publications, (E.G., Maslow, 1970a,b and 1971). Building upon esteem needs, the higher values include 5. cognitive values – knowledge, understanding and meaning, 6. aesthetic values – beauty, balance and form, 7. self-actualization values – peak experiences and realizing one’s true potential/purpose, and 8. transcendence values – altruism and the integration of transpersonal perspectives. In Maslow’s words “Transcendence refers to the very highest and most inclusive or holistic levels of human consciousness, behaving and relating, as ends rather than means, to oneself, to significant others, to human beings in general, to other species, to nature, and to the cosmos” (Maslow, 1971 p. 269).
Cultivating potential on all levels and in all contexts
For practical purposes in coaching, the ASE Integrative Coaching Program model refers only to the five levels of needs/values in Maslow’s original theory, with self-actualization serving as a basis for all of the higher values – from cognitive through to transcendence values. By fulfilling each of the five levels of needs/values, you will be optimizing the conditions for growth and development in each of the respective five contexts – physical, mental, emotional, interpersonal and spiritual – thereby cultivating your potential on all levels and in all contexts.
As complex beings, our emotions and behaviours can be motivated by different needs and values on any level – depending on the circumstances we face. However, Maslow (1954) argued that a particular need will dominate at any given time. This makes sense, since we can relate it to our own experience again – by identifying that our current behaviour is always driven by our most dominant need and/or value in the moment. Thus, in coaching, by eliciting the client’s current dominant need and/or value in each context, the coach can help them to identify the intention behind their present (less resourceful or negative) behaviours. Next, using one of the approaches described below, the coach can then help the client to achieve more resourceful and ethical behaviours, which also fulfil their dominant need and/or value. In this way, the client’s intrinsic motivation strategies can be harnessed to generate success momentum toward the fulfilment of their needs and values in each context. This process, according to Maslow’s model, promotes an evolution of needs and values that typically leads to higher order functioning, characterised by greater levels of integration and wholeness. The experience of this in everyday life may be increased levels of clarity, creativity, flow, performance, behavioural flexibility, emotional freedom, empathy and a deeper sense of meaning in life.
The role of open awareness in the coaching process
The quest to fulfill one’s dominant need in any context typically becomes the primary focus of one’s attention – either consciously or subconsciously. This can be both a blessing or a curse, depending on the need that one is striving to fulfil and one’s level of awareness in the process. In addition to one’s needs, attention and awareness also play a determining role our experiences. The principle of where attention goes, neural firing flows, and neural connection grows, espoused by Dr Daniel Siegel (2018) suggests that attention directs energy and influences the brain as well as our range of responses in any given situation.
In stressful situations, including experiences of emotional reactivity, anxiety, fear, anger, envy, regret, sadness and loneliness, as well as in instances involving negative behaviour, attention is usually fixated on the trigger of the problem. I refer to this as tunnel awareness. We also find ourselves in tunnel awareness when our attention has become locked in by digital devices, for example, the zombie mode of smartphones addicts. In this state we have great difficulty accessing our full potential to respond resourcefully, mindfully and empathically to people and circumstances in our the world around us (Dängeli, 2020). Left unresolved, the state of tunnel awareness may manifest into a personality trait and become our default mode in life. Research suggests that repeated states can become traits (e.g. Perry et al, 1995), therefore being able to identify the triggers of tunnel awareness along with having the skills to reopen the aperture of your awareness is of tremendous value.
The flip-side of tunnel awareness is open awareness (OA), which can be described as “the flow of pure experience interconnected with the rest of reality” (Dangeli n.d.).
More specifically:
- OA is a mindful mode of perception accompanied by a calm and receptive state.
. - OA cultivates metacognitive introspective awareness – in which the mind can observe its own state and activities – an awareness of the mind itself.
. - OA enhances extrospective awareness – sensory perceptions and somatic experience.
. - OA reframes one’s current experience of self, placing phenomena within one’s expanded awareness, as opposed to these being perceived as separate from oneself. This reduces distress, enhances intuition and promotes a sense of interconnection, which in turn promotes empathy and compassion.
Coaches and facilitators who are trained in how to apply OA skills are able to help their clients to accurately identify the trigger of their presenting issue, and then guide them to anchor OA in that situation, thereby counteracting any negative effects of the trigger. By doing so, not only does the client establish a more desirable and balanced response to the trigger, their dominant need in that context is met with more understanding and equanimity. This affords them the freedom and flexibility to shift their focus onto a more positive and meaningful outcome, including the resourceful actions that can lead toward the fulfilment and sustainability of that outcome.
Furthermore, OA equips coaches and facilitators with an effective means to hold the space for the client’s growth and transformation (Dängeli and Geldenhuys, 2017). This approach promotes deep rapport between the coach and the client, enabling both to be open, receptive and responsive in the process. OA also serves as the basis of the Transpersonal Coaching Model – which is one of the primary means of intervention used in the coaching sessions of the ASE Integrative Coaching Program.
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The Transpersonal Coaching Model in the ASE Integrative Coaching Program
The Transpersonal Coaching Model (TCM) is perfectly suited for application in all contexts, as it is a highly versatile coaching model with a variety of versions designed to address the needs/values and goals on all levels of human experience. The TCM equips coaches to help their clients update the unconscious programs and patterns that give rise to their current thoughts, feelings, behaviors and their resulting circumstances. It enables clients to establish more resourceful states and perspectives, and then integrate these into the contexts where they experience challenges.
Depending on the issue/challenge raised by the client for coaching, there will be at least one version of the TCM (incorporating OA) that can be used for this purpose. We have written extensively about the TCM in other articles and in the Transpersonal Coaching Handbook (2022).
How the ASE Integrative Coaching Program works
There are six one-to-one sessions in this coaching program, each spread one week apart. Follow up sessions after the 5-week program are optional. Each session lasts between 60 to 70 minutes.
Whilst the program can work well to help clients achieve greater levels of success in just about any pursuit, being integrative and holistic, it can also serve as a means to escalate the client’s level of personal development and to help them progress toward self actualisation and transcendence (should this be of value to them).
Prior to the first session, the prospective client fills in a ‘Needs and Values Elicitation Form’ which is designed to elicit their current dominant needs/values on each level – 1. physiological, 2. safety, 3. love and belonging, 4. esteem, 5. self-actualization. Included is a ‘Needs and Values Fulfillment Scale’ to identify their present levels of satisfaction in terms of fulfilling their needs/values on all 5 levels. The form also elicits the client’s desired outcomes in each of the five contexts – 1. physical, 2. mental, 3. emotional, 4. interpersonal, 5. spiritual. Lastly, the form elicits the client’s overall objective for the program as a whole.
Following each session the client will be given a context specific practice (for one week) to help them integrate their experience from that session. This can also serve to develop competency and deepen motivation to continue their proactive commitment to their desired outcome. These practices typically involve simple ASE (including Open Awareness) exercises – most of which take only a few minutes and may be done at an at allocated time during the day or can be applied in specific situations. Each week’s practice is selected and customised according to the client’s needs and goals in each context, as well as their overall objectives for the program as a whole.
Session 1 – Addressing the body, physical health and energy
The first session is dedicated to working with the client’s physiological needs with regards to helping them establish their desired outcome in this context, while bearing in mind that this outcome should support the fulfilment of the higher needs/values that will be addressed in the successive sessions. Whilst each session focuses on the client’s personal needs and aspirations in the specific context, examples of what may be considered in the physiological context include taking optimal care of the body’s basic needs and its requirements for optimal performance, e.g., water, nutrition, sleep, rest, movement/activity, space/environment, physical health and well-being, input/output, energy, etc.
Session 2 – Focusing on issues like stress, burnout, overwhelm and negative states of mind
In the second session, the client’s safety and security needs are addressed, including their desired outcome in terms of development in the mental (intellectual, mind state) context. Once again, the client’s personal needs and aspirations in this context determine the focus of the session. Typical examples of what may be considered in this context may include personal security, emotional security, financial security, mental health and well-being, attention, concentration, memory, etc.
Session 3 – Freeing oneself from debilitating emotions – gaining clarity and flow
In the third session, the client’s love and belonging needs are addressed, and their desired outcome in the context of emotions (emotion regulation, emotional freedom, emotional intelligence) is also a determining factor of the focus in this session. Typical examples of what emerges for resolution in this session can include overwhelming emotions, negative emotional reactions, lack of emotional engagement, disconnection from emotions, family disharmony, friendship or intimacy challenges, commitment or companionship issues, etc.
Session 4 – Connecting, communicating and collaborating with confidence
In the fourth session, the client’s esteem needs are addressed, including their desired outcome in the interpersonal context. The issues and outcomes that are usually focused on in this session are often interwoven with those that were focussed on in the previous session, thus, this session may serve as a continuation of the previous process. Examples of what is typically focussed on in this session include: low confidence, relationship conflicts, acceptance issues (regarding self or others), work or social group concerns, respect and/or recognition issues, communication problems, inferiority complexes, people pleasing behaviours, difficulties in connecting with people, discomfort being alone, independence issues, limited ability to empathize or feel compassion (toward oneself or others), etc.
Session 5 – Accessing one’s sources of aliveness and embodying open awareness
In the fifth session, the client’s values relating to self-actualization are addressed. Such values may include cognitive values (e.g. acquiring knowledge, understanding and meaning), aesthetic values (e.g. bringing about beauty, balance and form), self-actualization values (e.g. manifesting peak experiences and realizing one’s true potential) and transcendence values (e.g. cultivating altruism and integrating transpersonal/spiritual perspectives into one’s life). Examples of issues that may be raised for resolution in this session can include a loss of meaning in life, lack of purpose, existential issues, spiritual awakening/crisis, making sense of changes in perspective, integrating significant life experiences, etc.
Session 6 – Integrating insights and setting up success in the 5 contexts
In the sixth session, the client will be guided to consolidate their insights from the previous 5 sessions and from their 5 weeks of engaging in the ASE exercises. Any ‘loose ends’ will be tied and the client’s overall objective for the coaching program will be crystallized in terms of commitment to next steps and the journey ahead toward the fulfillment of their clearly defined vision or purpose. Also within this last session, the coach will help the client to map out their personalised ASE Practice (merging their distinct practices from each context) for the purpose of integrating their new state, perspectives and resources into all the relevant areas of their life. Finally, the coach ensures that the client is congruent in their commitment to follow through with their ASE Practice and that they are clear and confident within themselves in terms of the process that they have undergone over the past 5 weeks, and in terms of their outlook going forward.
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Post program follow-up
One month after the last session, the client is asked to revisit the ‘Needs and Values Fulfillment Scale’ in their pre-program Elicitation Form, and to fill that in once again in order to compare their current score to their score prior to commencing with the program. The client is encouraged to email their current score to their coach in order to celebrate their success, and to discuss if follow up sessions may be useful.
If you are interested in learning how to facilitate the ASE Integrative Coaching Program, visit the Transpersonal Coach Training page
For more information contact us
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References
Dängeli, J. (2020). Exploring the phenomenon of open awareness and its effects on stress and burnout. Consciousness, Spirituality & Transpersonal Psychology, 1, 76-91. https://www.journal.aleftrust.org/index.php/cstp/article/view/9
Dängeli, J. (2017). The Open Awareness Handbook. Ebook. https://jevondangeli.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Open_Awareness_Handbook_Jevon_Dangeli.pdf
Dängeli, J. (2018). The Transpersonal Coaching Handbook. Ebook. https://jevondangeli.com/product/transpersonal-coaching-handbook/
Dängeli, J. and Geldenhuys, H. (2018). Open Awareness – Holding the Liminal Space in Coaching and Therapy. Integral Transpersonal Journal. April, 2018, pp. 105-117. http://authentic-self-empowerment.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/OA_Holding_Space_Dangeli_Geldenhuys_ITJ.pdf
Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
Maslow, A. H. (1970a). Motivation and personality. Second Edition. New York: Harper & Row.
Maslow, A. H. (1970b). Religions, values, and peak experiences. New York: Penguin.
Maslow, A. H. (1971). Farther Reaches of Human Nature, New York, p. 269. The Viking Press.
Open Awareness (n.d.) https://jevondangeli.com
Perry, B. D., Pollard, R. A., Blaicley, T. L., Baker, W. L., Vigilante, D. (1995). Childhood Trauma, the Neurobiology of Adaptation, and “Use-dependent” Development of the Brain: How “States” Become “Traits”. Infant Mental Health Journal, Vol. 16, No. 4.
Siegel, D. (2018). Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence. TarcherPerigee
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The ASE Integrative Coaching Program is a comprehensive, systematic and holistic approach to personal growth and flourishing
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