Julie Gandulla
Forum Replies Created
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When I think about coaching/guiding, an individual who is gathering energy comes to mind. More specifically, they have a critical level of desire for change, open-mindedness about what that change might look like, and drive to engage with a new way of being. I have been in martial arts my whole life and have delved more into the softer martial arts as I have gotten older. Although the learning is life-long (i.e. I will be a student my whole life), I now teach Tai Chi and in these classes we often speak of substantial and insubstantial – coiling and uncoiling – gathering and releasing. And it is this framework that keeps coming to mind when I picture coaching. I picture an individual who is naturally gathering energy, and simply needs guidance on how they would like to release it. Moreover, I picture someone drawn to and/or appreciative of nature. From there I get into who I don’t picture. For example, I do not want to work with someone in the throws of trauma or mental instability, or who has chronic issues with anger, or has a personality disorder, or hatred toward a particular group of people. I struggle to reduce this further in the sense of pinpointing my clients to be a certain sex, gender, age, race, financial bracket, because I know when I have been at the pinnacle of change in the past I have defied all of these. But I will continue to work on this aspect of focusing my approach.
As I consider all I have learned up to this point, I find myself gravitating towards solution focused coaching. Asking questions that focus on empowering clients to design their own solutions resonates with me. I can see working with clients in a solution-oriented fashion that keeps in mind connection to the authentic self (i.e. the soul, self behind the self), and thereby rooting that connection as the foundation from which life is lived. Overall, I see myself coaching from a solution-based orientation that anchors those solutions in soul. Nature as a support in this approach is crucial at all levels, as I believe nature is the direct link to the authentic self and teaches the deep listening required to revitalize that link. This could be done in any number of different exercises, incorporation of nature into the home, awareness practices and so on. I feel nature as a co-guide will happen without effort, but I will be conscious of its active participation which can increase the power of its influence.
After searching the web there are a ton of different organizations and coaches and healers that seek to work with those who are gathering energy. Many are education based, drawing on the approach of imparting a new way of thinking or a new perspective in order to encourage change. Others are focused on archetypal work that draw on the collective subconscious to illicit understanding into the why we do what we do. Not to mention those organizations that incorporate alternative medicines to encourage healing that will result in alternative thinking/perspective.
I believe there is a place for all of these. The human condition is too dynamic not to find soul food in any number of them…I think it would just depend on the individual client and their needs. However, what I enjoy most about the nature connected coaching approach is the empowerment and client driven paradigm. In other words, that the client is not searching for the treasure of the truth/solution externally in a scientific study, philosophy, or oil from a frog’s backside, but rather is the treasure of the truth themselves.
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Threshold in this sense is a very new idea for me. It seems simultaneously exciting, while uncomfortable and a bit nerve wracking. In my personal experience as client it has been a positive and exciting place to be, the unknown in many ways is a comfortable spot for me that signals adventure and opportunity. Nevertheless, I have had the flipside instances as well, where threshold has been uncomfortable and nerve wracking. In these cases, my discomfort has centered more around not having the answers for my coach. I found myself worrying I was holding things up or just not getting it.
Nature participated in my process when I did not force a metaphor for nature or a specific nature based activity, but rather when I breathed into the moment. It was then that I acknowledged myself as a part of nature keying into my mind the idea of cycle…a time for all things, the ebb and the flow, the yin and yang. It was in these instances that I relaxed into the none-answer moments and stayed tuned. It was also during these times that I let go of upholding some expectation for myself, my coach, the session and let be.
This helps me reflect in my own coaching about framework. The importance of setting the stage for discovery, and journeying that is not ladened with expectation, even goal oriented expectation of coaching. But rather to emphasize the journey, and that we are on a client led journey. While this is noted time and time again in the ICF Core Competencies the breakdown in Section 2 Embodies a Coaching Mindset and Section 4 Cultivates Trust and Safety, most pointedly remind me of how important these guidelines are…especially in the personal instances I note above. For example, that “open, curious, flexible, and client-centered” approach would help create a session less burdened by the worrying that derailed my process. Moreover, “respect…showing support, empathy and concern…and acknowledging the client’s expression of feeling,” would also foster an environment where I could relax and concern myself with the process and the session instead of the coach and the outcome.
Moving forward as a coach, not only would I benefit from keeping these ICF Core Competencies as a framework, but also employing them in a more expansive way. In other words, creating this environment for my clients would be mutually beneficial, as well as maintaining that environment with other aspects of the coaching mindset. For example, “acknowledging that clients are responsible for their own choices” (i.e. leaving room for them to not move into threshold – or any part of the process unless they are ready), “regulating my own emotions and being mentally and emotionally prepared” (i.e. maintaining awareness of myself as a coach and what vibes/expectations I am bringing to the session), and “demonstrating openness and transparency” (i.e. if things aren’t moving along talking about it and checking in with my client). Specific practices that may help me build these muscles could be a matra before each session, dialing me into where I need to be in the session as the coach, developing comfort in gentle/intelligent silence, and learning to cultivate constructive ways to communicate through the unknown
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Threshold is a concept and experience that I am definitely in an ongoing and active learning process with. I struggle with segueing into threshold, as the planning sometimes feels forced and unnatural. However, the actually experience of it when it does occur can be very profound. I look forward to learning more about this process and how I can facilitate it better as a coach. Moreover, each part of ceremony impresses upon the importance of how I am, in what way am I being as a coach, rather than having the right answers or path. This is paradoxical as I am actively trying to become a NCCoach, but liberating as well.
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Ecopsychology seems to have a number of different paradigms, possibly due to the sheer scope of the approach and/or because of its relative newness (at least in modern terms). Nevertheless, Buzzell & Chalquist in Psyche and Nature in a Circle of Healing, defined Ecopsychology with efficiency and inclusiveness when they stated simply that ecopsychology is the “study of our psychological relations with the rest of nature.” In contrast, coaching seems to focus less on the study and psychology of this relationship, and more on the relationship itself. Similar to ecotherapy being the “applied ecopsychology”, coaching focuses on the action of encouraging the relationship between a person and nature. Coaching refrains from the theoretical, clinical, or scientific, application of this theory. Instead, coaching assumes the connection, honors the personal and infinite nature of that connection, and focuses on its reinforcement. Moreover, ecopsychology has the potential to still place the psychologist in a healers role, whereas coaching places nature in that role. This simplifies the coach’s role from dominate healer to knowledgeable facilitator. While ecopsychology and coaching seem to have similar premises, they differ in their application.
The blend of ecopsychology and Nature-connected coaching adds to the foundation of my interests as a coach because it allows me to draw inspiration and context from the massive work that is being done by ecopsychologists, but as a coach I remain free from the assignment of having all the answers and possibly narrowing my audience by purporting a particular framework. This allows me to avoid the many rabbit holes involved in outlining paradigms and having all the answers.
For instance, Roszak outlined in Ecopsychology – The Principles, that “important to ecopsychology is the re-evaluation of certain compulsively “masculine” character traits that permeate our structures of political power and which drive us to dominate nature…”. Case in point, this principle immediately invokes a critical and diverging thought process in me. For instance, I am sensitive to generdization, but particularly in this case. In my opinion, by defining masculine character traits as foundations for modern unrest, we alienate those who identify as men from a concept and we potentially sow the seeds of self-loathing (which would be ironic based on Roszak’s point stating our current relationship with nature is a mirror for our unconscious projection; like taking a person struggling with insecurity and putting them down for being insecure). There are of course ways around this, by possibly highlighting there are shadow/dark sides to the continuum of the archetypes but that has all the markers of yet another rabbit hole. And even if Roszak’s use of quotations around the word masculine qualified its use, my mind would continue down the rabbit hole questioning the use of the term domination. In my worldview, dominion seems a crucial step shy, a step short from understanding the “compulsive character…which drives us” to use our planet. Instead, for me the word ownership, which can be equally found in the shadow side of the male and female archetypes, lies at the foundation of our ecopsychological disfunction. The minute we begin to own something…a person, an animal, a thing, a space, a time, the boundaries between ourselves are blurred; and it is a slippery slope to terms like “mine,” “yours,” and “them,” and an increasingly difficult task to comprehend appreciation and connection.
Waking up from my trip to Wonderland, not once in this intellectual exercise have I thought or worked on my/our relationship with nature. This is one of the many reasons I look forward to coaching. NCC coaching is in the same family as ecopsychology, and I looking forward to learning more and more from it as a foundational piece in my coaching work. However, I am grateful to be exploring a field that allows me and my clients to focus on active connection (not hyper-intellectualization, couch-work, and internalization ), and empowerment (not assuming I have the answers, there are no answers, or others have answers). However, this approach to coaching will not meet everyone’s needs. For instance, it is not structured to directly cure deep psychological trauma, or addiction. Therefore, the skills required for responsible coaching would seem to be:
Connection between coach and client to ensure authentic awareness of what is going on for each party.
Communication between coach and client to ensure both parties are on the same page regarding expectations and actions.
Care between coach and client to ensure a sense of safety and regard for both parties regarding sessions, referrals, and general relations.
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Summary Post:
In “final” reflection, the relationship between Ecopsychology and NCC seems interwoven. The efficacy of either seems to rest within each. Ecopsychology brings powerful practical awareness to NCC, that in a science driven world can provide great validity to “common-sense” claims. And NCC brings powerful practical application to Ecopsychology, that in an otherwise mentally taxed world can provide a hands-on outlet to unmet needs. The boundary of each can often become blurred, especially when we delve into the nuisances of different sub-paradigms within Ecopsychology. Nevertheless, they are different and those boundaries between the two are important. In Ecopsychology, clinical work and science based observations implies the domain of answer giving. While in NCC, creating opportunity and empowering relations implies the domain of answer generating. I look forward to learning more from each sister field, with the ultimate goal of healthy connection.
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Summary Post:
Time and space. Those are the two words that come to mind when I think of summarizing my take-away of this module. Like a huge tree, being connected to nature seems rooted in our very existence, and yet simultaneously requires looking after, in order to nourish the quantity and the quality of that relationship. The health of that connection has a profound effect on us, mentally, physically, spiritually; not unlike the symptoms any animal would suffer who has been totally removed from its ecosystem. Further, the connection itself appears to manifest like different languages, as infinitely diverse as the individuals in existence, times of life or even day, and space in which they occur. And incredibly, beautifully, nature speaks them all. With this in mind, as well as the pointed gifts of each of my fellow cohort’s contributions and the content of Foundations 1 and 2, I look forward to creating a North Star for my coaching. At its core this North Star embraces a very broad view of being connected to nature. Evidenced by the tell-tale signs of: nature being involved and the client “showing up,” while fostering that glue for all healthy relationships…respect and care. With these basic ingredients I look forward to creating opportunity for enduring nature-connectedness for my clients and subsequently myself. I cannot help but feel that by coaching nature connectedness, I will always be enjoying the growth of my own relationship with nature, and will have the good fortune to humbly bask in the “rebirth” of my client’s as well. The infinite possibilities of these dynamics is truly exciting and inspiring.
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It sounds like you are really listening to yourself on how to get the most out of your path with EBI. It can be a tough decision to make, but it sounds like it will afford you the time and space to do what you are doing now and continue learning at a pace that will maximize your experience. Do you think your idea of who you will work with will change over the course of it all? How are the other projects unfolding, do you think you will work with certain parts of the corporate world?
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Hi Greg! Thank you for you post, it really brought to light how important it is that we honor our unique styles and personalities as coaches. I think its amazing how you outline working with businesses and corporations, while I am thinking the opposite for myself. But how cool! How crucial it is to bring the empowering and healing approach of nature connected coaching to people from all walks of life, and there is no way one person could do that authentically. I am excited to continue to hear about how your path unfolds!
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Lilia when you brought to light that the most powerful threshold experiences you have had were those where Nature participated, it really resonated with me. I, myself have had threshold experiences where nature has been a participant in varying degrees, but you are so right it has been the most transformative ones where Nature is intensely present. Then when you went on to explain in detail those instances, I thought, “she is so right, Nature is such a great coach.”
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I really appreciate the vivid way you describe your own experience with threshold Greg. It is so vivid and full of feeling, not only physically but emotionally as well. It really calls me to remember this process is very much about feeling. Also, I liked how you touched on the ICF Core Competencies being detailed expectations. At first they seemed redundant and then the more I reread them the more I appreciate the individual context of them within each category, as well as how their intention is to cover the bases of intention and relations.
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Thank you Greg! Great insights. I really connect with your points about how the science helps people understand and get behind a concept, but that it can complicate things as well. And how Ecopsychology and NNC really go hand in hand, energizing one another. Your point about advice giving is very timely as well. I find myself drawn into this temptation often, especially when I am impassioned about something. The caution away from doing this really resonates with me, as you state…”it might not be the correct advice…they might shut down…we must let the client find the answers themselves.” Very useful boundaries and sign-posts!
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Greetings Lilia! I really appreciated how you lasered in on the perpetuation of humans being as separate and more important than nature when one delineates using nature as merely a tool for human healing. It really called the reader to the depth of concept. I also feel that your points regarding ecopsychology opening communication with the indigenous ways of thinking, as well as integrating shifts of being into everyday life hit on the important point of normalizing nature connection. Your wording and points made me think of when Koszak noted, “Is there, indeed, any more urgent measure of our alienation then the fact that we must speak of our emotional continuity with that world as nor more than a “hypothesis.” The theme being that of course this has been thought of, of course this is a part of our everyday lives…how crazy is it that that is debatable.
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Absolutely Simka! Thank you for your amazing and thoughtful engagement. In all honesty I am somewhat speechless and in awe about interconnectedness on the individual level and beyond… at least in a lot of ways. It helps me to think of mind, body, spirit (I am sorry I am not familiar with the distinction between soul and spirit…but love to learn so feel free to open doors for me), internal and external, but at the core of it I find my gut saying that each of these catagories are training wheels for my comprehension. Like how you learn to drive a manual, “here’s the gas pedal, break pedal, clutch, gear stick, etc. Each one effects the other in order to drive the car. Similarly, with the mind, body, and spirit. Each one seems to affect the other. However, unlike the car the degrees of those affects are unfathomable. The more we learn about them the more we realize how overlapping and immense they are, and the distinction between each of these aspects becomes increasingly difficult to delineate. Sigh…so my questions create more questions, but one thing I know for certain is that the process of this inquiry inspires great appreciation for existence in me. 🙂
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Thank you Erin. Your gift for description and of sharing story is greatly appreciated. The powerful connective experience was tangible, and a profound example of what nature-connection can be (not only for yourself but also for your client). Moreover, the layers of that dynamic where you began your post noting the macro/micro layers to existence, helped to solidify the experience of being pulled by forces, the peace beneath the waves, and going with the flow. However, what was most impressed upon me was the your experience with baseline truly showing how profound it can be.
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Thank you Simka. How you approached this post allowed me to go on a journey with. Not only by sharing in your own relationship with nature through various times in your life, but also by acknowledging that the connection to nature (even when we desire it passionately), it does not always flow fluidly. It made me think that many of us struggle with that connection for a variety of reasons; analysis, goal orientation, fear, culture, etc. Moreover, when you noted a transformation when you dropped into your body in kinship and began partnering with body you added another layer of our human dynamics. Do you feel at this juncture you were more in harmony with the body and did this include the mind? This juncture in your post made me consider mind, body, spirit and their “internal” relationship, and how they engage with the external world/nature…and ultimately where this boundaries meet or maybe blur.