My Certificate of Professional Coaching arrived! While this will sit in a clear file in my cupboard, I like that tangible proof that I have finished it.
I was reflecting on what I learnt through the process. Despite one of my final assignments being about setting up a business, (which I really could have talked myself into doing if I wasn’t already too busy in homeopathy,) what I am doing is incorporating what I learnt into working with homeopathy.
So here are some of the similarities and differences, and what I am trying to do to incorporate them. It doesn’t always work, and it’s not always appropriate, but it definitely makes me a better practitioner.
Coaching meets you where you are, and is supporting you to make changes in your own life. Homeopathy supports you through a remedy that stimulates the body or mind to heal or change. If there are appropriate tools, or goal setting, or some other scaffolding that I can do with coaching techniques, it will only further facilitate change and the remedy will give that extra push.
Coaching uses tools like mindfulness and self reflection to promote self awareness. The process of a homeopathy consultation actually invites self reflection – often there is a moment where connections are made, particularly between physical and emotional complaints. With my learning through ACNEM and Primal Trust I have become more and more aware about polyvagal therapy, so when appropriate I do talk about vagus nerve support and exercises – but I can also provide remedies that support this calming and presence.
Coaching works to shift limiting beliefs and cultivate a growth mindset – and Homeopathy does the same thing only using a remedy. I recently had a client who had a concern around money, never enough to do everything that needed to be done. I gave a remedy that was indicated for that, among other things, and at the next appointment she told me that it had changed – she couldn’t figure out why, but she now no longer had that financial stress. I cannot explain how that happened, but it was clearly an action of the remedy. I have seen similar effects with negativity, where the remedy just unlocks hope and a brighter side of life.
Balance is something integral in life – and in life coaching and in homeopathy it is something to be considered. While coaching is a conscious reflection of your current experience and making decisions about how and what needs to change, the right homeopathic remedy fosters change without it feeling like too much effort, and can help it be sustained. I took a remedy in February, and for the first time I have managed to sustain an exercise programme long term. I now do 20 minutes (or more) of yoga every day of the week – in 6 months I have missed 4 days: 2 sick days and 2 when I was travelling home from Greece. I even took my mat overseas with me and did yoga in Singapore airport on the way over. I can directly attribute this to the “New Moon in Scorpio” remedy I proved for Jo Douglas.
Some of the coaching tools that I have used:
- SMART goals is one I have used for years, making goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound. I know if I personally make a goal that way (instead of a generic “get fit”) I will actually make the effort and do this.
- Metaphors and storytelling is another technique I resonate with – you will have noticed I often use it in my posts, to give a vivid picture of a remedy (such as last week in my post about Staphisagria and Elsa from frozen). I find it helpful on its own as a technique, and then the right remedy backs up any changes that are needed.
- Pain and Pleasure principle – first identifying the good things and bad things in the current situation, and then either reframing negative behaviours to pain and linking new habits to pleasure, or considering what cannot be changed, and then working within that to find the enjoyable aspects to make it more bearable. (This is not my favourite technique, I find it too black and white, but can be useful to name and recognise in this way before coming up with other ways to move forward).
- Logical Levels is based on a pyramid model of levels of change, starting with environment, and working up through behaviours, capabilities, beliefs, identity and spirituality. If you can identify the area where there is a particular difficulty, you can look at the next level up for a solution which will resolve the problems below. For example – if someone is overworking and heading towards burnout (behaviour, and perhaps capabilities), looking at the beliefs behind that, “I have to do everything because no one else will” or any other belief, and addressing that feeling will then resolve the overwork. I really appreciated learning this as a model, because in homeopathy we instinctively work our way up the pyramid to understand the motivations underlying the behaviour.
There are many many more coaching techniques, I have been enjoying reading a neurolinguistic programming book, and also learnt a lot reading about somatic coaching and the way how we move and body language affects the way we think and present.
My coaching business idea for my final assignment was focused on women experiencing periods of change in their life (as we needed to have a niche). I want to share my vision and mission, as while they were for an assignment, if we remove the gender from the statements they are what I want to see with everyone I work with.
My vision statement:
Glimmer & Grow coaching envisions a world with women who are comfortable in their own skin, confident in their abilities and courageous in their efforts. Women who are empowered to shine brightly, sharing their unique talents with the world and being authentic and true to themselves.
And my mission: empowering women through transformative coaching and supporting their self discovery, to find and embrace their inner light – their unique gifts, strengths and purpose. Supporting them to honour their true selves, and grow into the most confident and radiant version of who they are meant to be.
I don’t think that Glimmer and Grow Coaching will ever be more than an idea, I love being a Homeopath, and the ability to find a remedy that embraces the whole of a person and works on many levels is transformative on a whole different level. However, the learning has been very valuable and I’m glad to have more tools in my tool belt, and I can also identify when I’m working with someone who needs the scaffolding or support a coach can provide, and will refer them on to the appropriate person.