[Elizabeth Wangler]

Summary Post

“We’re in constant grief because dying is happening all the time,” said Kim. I love the awareness that grief mirrors the cycles of nature and is perfectly natural. Following this module, I discovered my own grief and experienced a shift.

Just after our time together, I attended a retreat organized by a mentor I’ve studied with. Fifteen of us were invited because of our shared interest in Nature connection. The intention was to discover what might emerge collectively and individually. A facilitated deep dive into grief was a fundamental part of our exploration.

One of the pre-gathering prompts was the question “What breaks your heart?” My answer was “Our collective inability to live in harmony with Nature and one another.” I reflected on how this has played out in my life, realizing that it’s been an underlying sadness I hadn’t identified as grief.

I came to understand that this unprocessed grief was creating a pessimistic view of the future. I was focusing on the perils of climate change while imagining a bleak environment for future generations. We were asked to bring images that represent what breaks our hearts. Mine were of animals suffering from humanities’ unconscious behavior.

During the four days, rituals and ceremonies were offered that allowed us to process the grief. Space was held for us to be with it and to delve into the pain as much as we were ready to. Fortunately, I remembered, from Worden’s Four’s Tasks of Mourning, that avoiding grief can lead to carrying the pain throughout life. So, I dove in, even though this was somewhat uncomfortable for me to do in a group.

Afterward, I felt re-energized and able to move forward WITH grief, not in spite of it. For me, this is a subtle but profound distinction. Grief can be ever-present, given that we’re constantly in transition. When I allow, accept, and embrace it, I feel grief more fully than when I simply push through or deny it.

The more I feel into the pain of grief, the greater the joy I can feel as well. An intention that arose from the retreat was “To live life fully so that I can look back without regrets.“ Embracing grief will play a key role. Looking back over my notes before writing this post, I found things I’d marked on our Dimensions of Grief handout that have now diminished. I’m inspired to choose activities that are positive and light, versus ones that are fear based and heavy. Prior to this, unprocessed grief made that more challenging.

The issues I’m grieving will always be in my awareness and cause me sadness, but they’re no longer hindering me from living in a higher vibration, as they were before. I’m able to take a bigger picture, longer view of life. This provides comfort, knowing that everything in Nature cycles, and that our current situation is just a phase. Whether humans survive or not, I believe that Nature is eternal and we’re on an upward spiral of conscious evolution. Awareness of grief helped lengthen my perspective.

For me, processing grief provides freedom. Though, according to Worden, this can be challenging because we often hinder it. Either because society says we don’t need to process it or, from choosing to avoid, minimize or escape it.

As I ponder how all of this relates to working with clients, I know I will be much more attuned to the presence of grief. I suspect that many clients may be in grief because people who seek out coaching are often in some sort of transition which inherently contains a loss. I see the value of creating space for them to become of aware of it. To assist in that, I plan to review our Life Transitions handout regularly to remind myself of the vast array of transitions in a lifetime.

Grief awareness has helped me slow my coaching process even more as I continue to hone my deep listening skills. I love this passage by Roshi Joan Halifax that Kim provided: “Listening means that we have stabilized our minds so completely that the person who is speaking can actually hear themselves through our stillness. It is a quality of radiant listening, of luminous listening, of vibrant listening, but it is also very still.”

Radiant, luminous, and vibrant, yet still. What a beautiful presence to provide for someone in grief. Or in any situation at all. I’m reminded by this module how little we have to say to be of service. It’s our full presence that can be felt most of all.

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Amazing work, Kent! Taking your client from “stuck” to cracked open, in Nature, via Zoom. Wow! I’m impressed with the way you followed your instincts and how well that worked. Sounds like she had a truly profound breakthrough. Helping her add the mantra seemed very powerful. Well done!

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Thanks for your kind words, Lauren! I had not recommended to the client that she pull an oracle card. Though, I do love them and use them myself, I have not introduced them to clients. This certainly illustrates the many doorways we have for working with clients.

You mentioned PARTS. What a very powerful way to take clients deeper. I find the opportunity arises in most sessions to take that path, though I don’t always. I’m curious how you use Partswork in your sessions. In general, I’ve found that to delve fully in to parts (having client speak from various parts in first person, for example) takes some explanation which there isn’t always time for if it arises late in a session. I feel that Partswork can easily lead to long-term coaching.

I’m glad you brought it up because now I’m pondering how it applies to grief. I love how we learned that grief is not to be fixed but simply allowed to be. Seems to me that, depending on the source of grief, Partswork could be useful as the client emerges from it. Or, if ongoing grief, perhaps in examining ‘why.’

For example, a couple of weeks ago I participated in a 4-day, facilitated, co-creation gathering where a grief process and ceremony were offered. Many of us realized how deeply we grieve the state of the world. From destruction of Nature to human suffering. I’ve found myself pondering how to live with this collective grief while maintaining a high enough vibration to contribute to improving it. I’ve been learning a lot about myself in the process. I don’t know that there’s a definitive answer, but it seems to come back to allowing the grief, even embracing it, because the deeper I can feel that, the more fully I can also experience it’s opposite. I’m curious what we’ll experience working with clients and their grief. I hope we will all continue to share and learn from one another.

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Initial Post

Grief was fully present with the practice client I met with just before this module, though I didn’t recognize it at the time. Knowing more now, I will approach subsequent sessions with much greater awareness than I may have otherwise.

This client sought coaching to discover her life purpose and to decide on a new business. Before diving into that, I had the intuition to start off slowly. She seemed a bit ungrounded since she had rushed to arrive on time. I invited her to take a few deep breaths, then asked her to set an intention and we lit a candle.

She had pulled an oracle card prior to coming and brought it to show me. The card instructed her to go into the woods, gather natural objects and sit against a tree. Using sacred questions, we started there.

Almost immediately, she dove into all the reasons why she can’t do what she wants, how she feels hindered by her husband/business partner, and how they are likely to lose the business because of her husband’s actions. She revealed wanting to get divorced, but feels she can’t because of children and the fact that all of their money is tied up in the business. Plus, her husband has been diagnosed with a mental illness which he denies, further complicating her situation. She wishes she’d made different choices in her life.

I asked if she remembered a time in her life when she felt as she wants to feel now. She quickly recalled a time and then began to cry. She relayed that she was single and making art. She came to recognize that she has closed down parts of herself that mean the most to her and she wants to regain access to them.

At that point, I could see that she was experiencing deep pain, though now I recognize it as grief. She identified herself as an introvert who has had to be strong all of her life. Sensing that she needed time to just be with that realization, I focused on gently holding space as she tuned into her pain.

After a mountain of tissues, she shared that she’s never had the opportunity to cry like that, nor to recognize how much of herself she has lost. Since it was almost time to end the session, I reminded her of the card she had brought. I shared, that time in Nature and self-care, might be valuable. We talked about how the card prescribed picking up objects and she correlated it to the lost parts of herself. She decided to spend time in Nature considering the parts of herself she wants to reclaim before our next appointment.

Looking back over this session and recalling what I learned in this module, I see the significance of her many losses. It will be important to honor grief with sensitivity and without rushing toward her initially stated goal of finding purpose and a new business. I remember Kim sharing that it’s often not wise to start new things when in grief. I believe this is true when action’s purpose is to escape the painful feelings, either consciously or unconsciously. I’ve certainly done that myself and can see examples of it in others I know.

As we were advised by Kim, I intend to keep the door open for her to recognize grief while making sure that she is resourced. I intend to help her see things she may have overlooked, with the awareness that grief is not something to “heal from” nor “fix.” What stood out for me in this module is that we experience grief every day since life contains an ongoing series of losses. Grief can be present even without physical death.

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Summary Post

I’m working with a new client who came to me wanting to find a different career. She’s currently working with her husband on a start-up they co-founded, and it’s not going well. Their working styles are completely opposite and she feels unheard and disregarded for her contributions. On top of that, the marriage is suffering. She’s wanting to leave the business soon and the marriage eventually.

In our pre-session chat, it appeared she was in contemplation. When we met, I realized that she retreats to pre-contemplation as well. When addressing the career change, she said she can’t make a change because of money. If she leaves the existing business it will fail without her. If she stays, her husband will cause it to fail. No one will hire her because she has no proven skills, etc. She was very attached to this story and could see no way out.

I decided to offer a distraction from her default mode network by asking how she wants to feel instead. Then, when she tapped into that, I invited her to recall a memory from when she’d felt that way before. Her entire demeanor changed. She sat with her eyes closed and reported a feeling fully alive, when she was making art before she was married. An enormous shift in baseline had occurred.

Deciding to take it slowly, and to keep these neurons firing instead of the old ones, I asked if she’d like to explore her unique gifts. She was excited by that possibility. I took notes while she listed everything she could think of that was special about her. Near the end, she came up with “Sage” which seemed to be a “part.” I asked if that part had something to say and she began crying. She couldn’t speak for a long time and I encouraged her to “be” with the feeling.

Eventually, she stated that this part of her has been hidden for a very long time and that it needs to be nurtured. Time was up so we stopped here and booked another session. She reported feeling hopeful about reactivating parts that have been neglected and intends to continue to work on her list, which I emailed her after the session. We agreed that the intention of our future sessions will be to find a way to permanently rekindle this feeling she has remembered.

During all of my sessions, I find it distracting to think about what’s happening in the client’s brain in the moment. So, I use my intuition to decide what to do and, only afterward, do I begin to understand the neuroscience. Looking back at this session, I see SNAG was happening. Redirecting her from the old story began to stimulate neural activation and growth when she focused on what she wanted instead.

For the next session, we’ll start where she is at that moment, though I suspect that we’ll be able to begin where we left off. By staying unattached to outcome and present in the moment, I’m finding it much easier to “go with the flow” the more I coach. The brain science definitely helps as I consider what happened and what could be possible for the client in the future. I’m glad I’ll be repeating this module soon to understand it more deeply.

.

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Initial post

Following this module I’ve been much more aware of and intrigued by the RAS. I see it as a key reason why people remain stuck. I’ll attempt to illustrate what I mean through this example:

I attended a group gathering of about 40 people lead by 3 facilitators. The purpose was to co-create possibilities around a shared passion for Nature. The leader, someone I’m close to, curated the group, organized the event and invited the other two facilitators to co-create the program with her.

Early on, one of the leaders deviated from the agreed upon agenda and began sharing his own passionate plea for us to engage in Sacred Activism. He painted a dire picture of the future of humanity quoting the most recent science and imploring us to take big action. He became very loud and confrontational, even challenging the group by saying that most of our projects are not significant enough and that we need to do more.

For the next several hours, attendees responded with various reactions. Some shut down in defense mode, others fought back verbally and still others listened with open minds. The most fascinating part to me was watching the the three facilitators disconnect from one another. The activist was ready to forge ahead as if nothing had happened. My friend shared with me privately that she felt outraged and victimized, though she kept her cool in front of the room, trying to get the group back on the track. The 3rd facilitator remained nonplussed.

I was invited to join the leaders’ debrief two days later, which I attempted to facilitate. It was immediately evident that each of the leaders viewed the entire thee-day experience through the lens of their own beliefs. They each cited examples of what happened as “proof” to match their views. Their RAS’ found evidence for exactly what they believed to be true and not one of them could be convinced to view it from another perspective. This surprised me because each is experienced in leading groups.

In hindsight, I realize that I too held beliefs about how it should go, which is probably why it turned into a stalemate. I wanted the leaders to look at the experience from a macro view, to see how it mirrored what is happening in our world. I also wanted each of the leaders to truly hear what the others were feeling and to be able to take it in without judgment. I realize now that everyone was in a low road response, which made discussion impossible.

I found it fascinating and very challenging. I think I did well in making sure each had a chance to speak without interruption, but I really wanted to “fix” it, which obviously never works. As a coach, I know my primary role is to be fully present and aware of the energy so that I can guide without trying to steer. The more I can be open and accepting of whatever is happening, the greater the invitation for the partner to open too.

Since the event, I’ve had multiple chances to coach the organizer about what happened. Over ensuing months, we have gently approached the topic looking at it from multiple perspectives, including stepping into the shoes of her co-facilitators. I’ve witnessed myself learning patience and acceptance. I’ve seen her move through the stages of change. I love the metaphor we were taught about the river. In the beginning she was desperately clinging to the bank of her beliefs. Over time, she began to loosen her grip and start to play in the current, with just one hand. Recently, she phoned me, joyfully stating that she has let it all go and is ready to move on and host another gathering.

As I gradually learn to let go of concern about my abilities and attachment to outcome, the easier the process becomes. Understanding the RAS, I now see that whatever I hold to be true I will find evidence for. No wonder we were taught in the beginning to see the client as whole. That’s a powerful belief.

I’m learning to better monitor my own body sensations and to practice reading shifts in baseline. I seek to discover whether what’s arising originates within me or in the client. Intellectually I know that since we’re intimately connected as Nature, it doesn’t really matter, but I still want to grock that one. I trust that with enough attention my brain will eventually rewire to this intention!

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Hi Mandy,

I agree with you that “soul” can be off-putting or confusing to some. Recently I’ve been inviting clients to share their term for it, which I then make note of in their file and use in future sessions. This happens during Partswork when I introduce the concept that parts can serve the soul.

I love that you highlighted “…to listen deeply without agenda or attachment to outcome.” This might be my biggest challenge, though I am getting better at it. I believe that the space we hold for our clients is the most powerful aspect, yet a part of me still wants the client to feel that they’ve received value. I look forward to fully embodying non-attachment!

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Hi Kairon,

One thing you said really jumped out: “…change is definitely possible and effortless if we allow and welcome change.” I’ve been noticing lately how some people say and believe they want to change, yet a part of them resists it because of a hidden benefit in staying the same. For example, I had one client who realized that staying stuck allowed her to avoid taking responsibility for her own life. Another recognized that changing might cause her to lose the attention she was getting by having the problem.

Like you, I’ve found that I can “cut to the heart of the matter” with more direct questions when the client is in her heart instead of her head. And, she finds an answer immediately without analyzing. Posing the same question if she were in her mind, would likely be met with defensiveness. As you say “…the plans and stories from the mind could cover up the message of the heart.”

I’m also a Braden fan. During a workshop he said that everything he teaches has to be backed by sound science or Westerners won’t believe it. He then taught that there is actually a brain in the heart and that it’s the first part of the body to develop in utero.

He’s also postulating, based on the research of an Oxford physicist and Elon Musk’s team, that it’s highly likely we’re living in a simulated reality. Not sure how that fits into this brain studies module, but the notion is certainly messing with mine!

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Summary Post

First of all, Megan, Kairon and Brad, thank you for sharing your beautiful insights.

As I’ve pondered how to introduce Partswork into a long-term coaching process, it seemed logical to bring it in early. Now, I’m wondering if delving more deeply into the Soul isn’t the best place to start. As Kairon shared, Partwork too early can feel very awkward and like role-playing. My practice clients definitely felt uncomfortable with it at first.

For Partswork to make sense as a concept, it’s very helpful to understand that the point is to serve the Soul. I realize that Severance works toward this because the deeper need is an aspect of the Soul. However, I wonder if a conversation about Soul could set the stage for the client to understand the depth of what is possible through coaching. I doubt that many paying clients who seek it out have any idea that they’ll be working at a Soul level.

I wonder how many clients would even be able to define Soul or understand how parts of themselves can serve it. This could be a valuable conversation to have. At the same time, I can see the value in simply starting wherever they are.
Very likely, this will depend on the client. Some may be eager to investigate their depths while others might run for the hills at the thought of going deep. I’ve had practice clients on both ends of the spectrum.

If my goal were to work with long-term clients, then I’d need to think about how to frame my services so they understanding the value, while giving them some idea of what to expect. Earlier in this discussion I could imagine doing a stand-alone workshop for Partswork and including it on the front end of a long-term coaching engagement. Now I’m viewing it as a powerful tool to employ as needed, but not necessarily with everyone upfront. I think it’s best to feel into that as time goes on. From prior experience I know that it’s best to let services form based on clients’ needs, rather than on what I may want to provide.

At the same time, I’m aware of the value in discerning what types of clients or issues I want to work with. Rarely does a business flourish that tries to serve everyone. As I write about long-term coaching with clients, it’s theoretical.
For me, I see coaching itself as a tool rather than my primary endeavor. Partswork will be invaluable in everything I do for the clarity it provides in understanding others and myself.

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Initial Post

I had the pleasure of considering this post from the land on which I quested last October. I sat in the same spot by the creek, again pondering my parts. As I recalled the ceremony I did to honor and repurpose my challenging parts, I considered how I’ve used Partswork since then. I became aware of my tendency to most readily notice parts that are challenging, both in myself and in clients. As I gazed upon the rivulets of water flowing in the creek, I remembered the Grand Canyon example and how important it is to reinforce new behaviors and thought patterns rather than focusing on what is unwanted.

I began thinking about new ways to use Partswork to emphasize positive change. In the past, I’ve used it to help clients notice what’s happening when troubles arise so that they can choose new thought habits and behaviors. I haven’t helped them delve deeper into how these parts serve where they are going.

For example, my long-term practice client had bouts of snap-back that he would describe at the start of some of our sessions. We would look at which parts were in the forefront and he became aware of how he could choose differently now and in the future. Looking back, I think if we had worked with parts even more at the outset, he could have been more conscious of what was happening in the moment. Or, perhaps he would have more consciously guided himself with parts that serve the soul, avoiding snap-back altogether. I can imagine a point where the higher vibration of each part actually begins to pull us along.

Taking in the beauty of my natural surroundings, I noticed the perfection and harmony of it all and I realized that, in contrast, humans are quite obsessed with changing and fixing things we don’t like. I wonder what it would be like to help clients fully accept themselves as they are, without needing to change or fix anything. I realize that we have this opportunity with Partswork.

How different a client’s experience might be if, early on, I guided then into discovering that they have every part they need, right now, to become whatever it is they are working toward. We could begin a Partswork exploration by looking for parts that will positively serve the deeper need. Perhaps a beautiful flower symbolizes the mandala with each part as a petal. If a client uncovers “critic,” for example, I could ask how they feel about it. If negative, I might ask if a flower has negative petals. Then, investigate what the sacred flip of this part is and how it serves the soul.

Of course denying that challenges exist would do more harm than good. The point is to keep reminding clients that they are whole and complete with a beautiful array of parts they can employ for positive results. Guiding clients into choosing names for the parts can help ensure that they don’t carry negative connotations. I’ve noticed that, for me, animal names are neutral and at the same time expansive. “Turtle,” for example, carries a richness of possibilities that “hermit” never will. Spending time working with a client to name their parts could spawn even greater awareness and familiarity of themselves.

Because Partswork is so deep and involved, it seems almost impossible to do it justice without sessions devoted exclusively to that. I see why long-term coaching and Partswork 2 are side by side in this module.

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Summary Post

Long-term coaching sparks new ideas for how I can make a greater difference. Often, I’ve been frustrated with one-on-one coaching, feeling that it has a very small impact in the bigger picture of making a difference on the planet.

The reason I joined EBI in the first place was because of the Nature connection, not so much an interest in coaching, though I could see how coaching skills apply to everything. Since joining, I’ve been energized and inspired by the power of coaching but unsure how I might employ it.

Now that I see how I could engage someone for a series, doing less seems almost irresponsible. Knowing that real change requires ongoing work and reinforcement. I liked Megan’s idea of starting with a parts mandala. Another idea would be to present neuroscience. I definitely see the value in bookending the coaching with some education up front and some reinforcement tools on the back end.

By starting with education on the front end, it would establish a common language and provide the client with resourcing tools from the beginning. If they understand what it will take to change at the outset then perhaps they will understand the value of long-term work. Offering further support once they’ve attained their goal, might be a way to segue into an even longer engagement. If the client understands that the goal is to anchor their change and gain tools for self-reliance then I believe they may be more likely to accept a long-term engagement in the beginning.

All of my practice clients were with me for multiple sessions. I believe they all would have benefited from an upfront description of a longer-term view. I offered them more than one session when we began, but did not outline how a series would be more beneficial than each one as a stand-alone. Looking back after this module, I’m surprised that awareness of a long-term coaching overview never occurred to me.

Knowing that a client will be with me long-term might make it easier to weave in Nature connection beyond in Threshold. I frequently suggest Nature connection practices, but it has seemed like an aside. With a longer runway, the client could be encouraged to develop their own ways to integrate Nature into their lives. Plus, we know from the abundance of scientific research that, “Merely being in nature for brief periods—or even simply having it in our view—can reduce the stress hormone cascade and improve immune defense.” Your Brain on Nature, pg. 27.

My practice clients have all been long-distance with one-hour sessions via Zoom. I’m imagining multiple ways that Nature could support them more fully when we work together long-term–especially if the session length were increased to 90 minutes from 60. Or, by asking the client to connect with Nature in some way before arriving at the session. Depending on the client, some may appreciate “assignments” outside of the sessions and others may prefer to do all of their work together with me.

Though I see the benefit of creating a vision for long-term coaching engagements, I also understand the need for flexibility, and including the client in development of their unique plan. While long-term coaching lends itself to holding a “trail map,” I want to remember that sometimes a richer experience results from following intuition instead of the map. AND, that the journey is just as important as the destination.

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Initial Post

I have not met with a client since the F2F, but do have one long-term client that comes to mind as a good example. He entered the coaching relationship with a goal of wanting to decide whether to move forward on a course of study that would take him quite far beyond his comfort zone. Many factors were influencing his decision including finances, fear of traveling, discomfort among new people, time away from work and family and uncertainty whether it would benefit his career.

In the first session I began very slowly given how vulnerable I sensed he would become. We reviewed confidentiality and the fact that I view him as whole and capable. We uncovered the deeper need which was to overcome some deeply embedded social phobias that had prevented him from stepping into unknown situations. The magnitude of this fear prevented him from making a decision and every time he approached the thought of moving forward, what appeared to be a trauma response arose.

Because he was able to identify his fears, it made logical sense to deal with them one at a time over a series of sessions. We did not discuss a long-term plan specifically at the outset, but it naturally evolved from session to session. For example, we began with finances and he developed a plan that spanned several sessions—first gaining alignment with his spouse, then working out a budget and applying for a scholarship. As he moved into addressing his fear of interacting with new people, we began closer to home, with him practicing how to branch out in his workplace and by making new friends.

A discussion of neuroplasticity, using the Grand Canyon example, coupled with partswork, helped him reinforce new behaviors and thought patterns. Gradually his tendency toward seeing himself as a victim diminished and he began redirecting his thoughts from habitual fear responses and into seeing the new possibilities and better choices.

Looking back after this module and from the readings, I believe I could have guided him into creating even more powerful rituals for himself. Helping clients design their own rituals would support them in their ultimate independence of me, while extending the coaching engagement to accomplish this. Perhaps a way to introduce this would be to start by reviewing the life aspects that support neuroplasticity listed on page 8-8 of Daniel Siegel’s Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology. Incorporating other tools and models such as the Immunity to Change exercise and more in-depth Partswork, could also benefit clients like this one.

On one occasion, this client came to a session having experienced a significant snap back. Since he could see no way to make forward progress, I guided him into reviewing how far he had come, which shifted his somatic experience in the moment. From there I guided him into creating a reward ceremony to celebrate his progress. I see now that this provided an opportunity for further work.

Educating the client even more deeply about the brain, leads to logical next steps, even if just to reinforce the progress they’ve made. As I write this I’m imagining how I can lay out a long term coaching engagement that includes education and support so that the client understands the benefit of long term coaching as a path to guiding themselves.

I’d like to find ways to logically include Nature-connection when clients are long distance. With this client, we switched from Zoom calls to phone so that he could be outside. This has been more challenging from a Gestalt standpoint since I miss the visual cues. Perhaps Nature can be incorporated into the rituals. I’m pondering this and I welcome ideas.

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Hi Brad. I’m so happy that you shared this map concept of using the four directions to explore parts. I’m not familiar with it but now want to become so. Employing the four directions and the medicine wheel aligns beautifully with working in Nature. Exploring parts in a wander makes perfect sense to me. I can imagine this helping the client feel into it, discovering parts much more easily than if they were trapped in the mind. Thanks so much for your enlightening post!

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Hi Megan. I love your idea of having clients create a parts mandala “before diving in” with them. I too see the advantage of beginning coaching with Partswork. From your idea, I could see creating this as a stand-alone element, perhaps even pricing it separately or offering it as a workshop. I can imagine this creating enormous value and that it would highlight the need for long-term coaching. It might even attract clients for long-term engagements. I’d be open to exploring this together if you ever want to.

[Elizabeth Wangler]

Hi Megan. I love your idea: “…to create a timeline, lay out anchor points or benchmarks along the way, and make a clear destination point for when we had reached our goal of working together.” I too see the value in this. I imagine that with the destination goal, clients will be inspired to keep going when they’re tempted to quit or assume they are finished before changes are fully anchored. I admire that you are charging your practice clients. I haven’t managed to do that yet. Good idea to do the package rate.