What is Transformative Coaching? And solutions-focused coaching? What about other forms of coaching?

My work is grounded in transformative coaching.

This is a specialised form of coaching that encourages critical reflection of how you see yourself, your situation, the world and others. Rooted in modern humanistic coaching, it believes your paradigm, inner world of beliefs, assumptions, values, and expectations, hold the key to unlocking greater possibilities for ways of being in life.

Together we look at your deeper set of mental frameworks to explore how they are interacting with the challenge you are experiencing — and using your own inner potential, help you source new solutions. In other words, transformative coaching helps fish see the water that they don’t know they are swimming in.

For me, this is the most powerful form of coaching. Being big on plant medicine and the more holistic, integrated forms of healing, I believe that we are all our own guru and it’s about unlocking the answers from within ourselves. Transformative coaching helps you do that.

Other types of coaching that preceded transformative coaching include:

Behavioural Coaching

This precursor to transformative coaching focuses almost solely on achieving agreed outcomes and goals. Useful for linear objectives, this is more about setting tasks and strategizing how to achieve a goal. Whilst this coaching is excellent for those who are clear about their goals, the risk is that clients often don’t know what they really want or what is really getting in the way. When we’re so goal oriented and high achieving, we can strategize our way to anything and often miss the psychological blockers and stuff beneath the surface.

Developmental Coaching

This type of coaching focuses on long-term competency building in certain areas of life, like relationships, communication, health, and nutrition. Clients here typically are looking to develop greater strengths and capabilities in one area.

Transformative Coaching

With transformative coaching, clients learn to become aware of their subconscious, deeper, and often hidden assumptions that inform their lived experience. This type of coaching understands that for most people, life isn’t that clear. Our goals and expectations around our life direction can be there, but may be fraught or feel uncertain. We may think we know what we want, but often it misses the mark, and leaves us feeling unsatisfied. Or, life throws us a curveball that shakes our identity and sense of direction. In short, we may think we know what to do and aim for, but it isn’t always what’s best for us, or what our deeper authentic self needs. Transformative coaching is an excellent tool for when clients feel a bit confused or uncertain about their life path, or are seeking greater clarity and confidence in moving forward. Through perspective shifts, and changes in their frame of reference, they can develop that sense of confidence within themselves and become clear on what to do.

Solutions-focused Coaching

Within psychotherapy, Solutions-Focused Therapy (SFT) has over 150 randomized control trials, eight meta-analyses, and multiple systematic reviews, it is a proven approach. It is viewed as typically more impactful than traditional methods like CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy). Solutions-Focused Coaching follows a similar approach though is not therapy, but a present and future focused rendition. It requires little analysis of the past or digging into problems, but rather, focuses on solutions and identifying tangible action steps forward. It’s proven to have tremendous benefits and long-lasting results.

Have you tried any forms of coaching before? Have questions? Message me on LinkedIn or email me – I’d love to hear from you.