The  Will  to  Grow:    

Transformational  Life  Coaching  The  Synthesis  Center  

(Nationally  Certified  Life  Coach  Training)  

www.psychosynthesiscoach.org  

www.synthesiscenter.org    

4 Great Coaching Exercises! PLUS

Qualities of a Good Helper & An Introduction to Psychosynthesis

#1  The  “Meaning  of  Life”  Exercise  (in  5  Minutes  or  Less!)  

 

In  this  short  exercise,  you’ll  ask  the  big  question  and  the  answer  (at  least  in  part)  will  be  right  there.    Enjoy!  

 

 

• Take  2  minutes  (no  more)  to  write  a  sentence  or  two  about  one  meaningful  thing  that  happened  to  you  this  week.  Big  or  small,  stopping  to  smell  a  rose  or  finding  true  love…  no  difference.  Write  it  down  here:              

• Drawing  from  that  one  experience  only,  next  write  a  one  liner  about  the  meaning  of  life  in  general!  (no  more  than  2  minutes  on  this  one  either!).    Write  it  down  here:              

• In  one  minute,  and  again  using  only  the  last  sentence  you  wrote,  extract  the  meaning  of  YOUR  life  from  the  above.  Write  it  down  here:  

 

 

 

This  may  not  be  the  whole  truth,  but  let  yourself  notice  how  much  truth  -­-­  about  you  and  the  purpose,  meaning  and  values  in  YOUR  life  -­-­  is  revealed.

 

#2  The  Call  of  Self:  Listening  for  Your  Own  Inner  Guidance  

If  you  think  about  the  “call  of  Self  “  as  a  way  of  knowing  who  you  are  being  invited  to  become  (in  any  given  moment),  then  the  process  of  transformation  is  about  listening  to  that  call  and  learning  to  differentiate  it  from    “should’s”,  outer  voices,  and  old  messages:    everything  that  is  not  your  core  truth.      Here  are  some  questions  and  themes  that  will  help  you  recognize  the  “call  of  Self.”    Having  found  the  Meaning  of  Life  (at  least  a  bit  of  it)  in  the  last  exercise,  these  questions  will  help  keep  you  tuned  in!  

• What  do  you  truly  want?    

• What  has  meaning  for  you?      

• What  do  you  value?      

• How  would  you  like  to  live  your  life  in  harmony  with  your  inner  vision?      

• What  qualities  do  you  feel  connected  to  in  the  world?        

• How  do  you  know  when  you  are  happy  or  contented?      

• At  the  end  of  your  life,  what  will  have  been  important  to  you?      

• What  specific  callings  do  you  hear  now?  Personally?  Professionally?  Spiritually?    In  specific  areas?        

Add  your  own  questions:    

   

 

 

#3  Circle  of  My  Life Choosing your own themes, name each section and fill in with words, colors or pictures, whatever is important for you in visualizing the circle of your life. Some typical sections might include: career, physicality, fun or play, personal growth, relationships, friends, health, money, spirituality, service, space, family. Make yours specific to your values and needs and use this circle to help you create balance!

 

#4  Choice  For  Change  

The  only  constant,  they  say,  is  change!  The  art  of  personal  growth  is  making  changes  that  invite  greater  wholeness,  authenticity  and  personal  well-­‐being.  Life  makes  that  a  challenge,  but  we  can  always  change.  We  can  always  choose  towards  our  own  growth.      Get  out  your  writing  journal  and  take  15-­‐20  minutes  to  respond!    

 

1. Think  of  a  situation  in  your  life  that  doesn’t  work  as  well  as  you’d  like.  Describe  it.      

2. How  would  you  like  this  situation  to  be  different?      

3. Why  is  it  important  that  you  change  this  situation?      

4.  If  it  were  different,  how  would  your  life  be  better,  more  satisfying?      

5. How  do  you  create,  promote,  or  allow  this  situation  to  exist?  What  do  you  do  to  keep  this  situation  going?  What  is  your  responsibility?      

6. How  could  you  change  to  improve  this  situation?     In  “inner  ways”:    attitudes,  thoughts,  beliefs,  expectations,  demands,  desires     In  “outer  ways”:    behavior  and  action!        7. Would  the  improved  situation  be  worth  the  required  change?  

In  what  ways,  Yes?      In  what  ways,  No?  

 

8. What  do  you  need  to  do,  specifically,  to  create  this  change?  Plan  of  action  –  step  by  step.        

9.  Do  you  choose  to  change  (or  take  the  first  steps  toward  change)?  Experience  the  choice  –  stay  inside  –  what  is  that  like?      

 If  yes,  what  affirmation  can  you  make  to  support  this  choice  ?  If  no,  is  there  another  choice  you  want  to  make?    If  no,  are  you  willing  to  let  it  be  OK  not  to  change  at  this  time?

If you are thinking about a call of your own to become a Transformational Life Coach, using all your own hard earned wisdom, your lifetime’s experience and your desire to help others, then here are a few things to look at! And visit us at Psychosynthesiscoach.org to see some of the fascinating things our coaches are doing!

Qualities of a Good Helper:

1. Empathy:    Communicating  that  you  have  listened  to  the  other  person  and  understand  how  that  person  feels  about  the  problem  being  discussed  and  that  you  are  truly  attempting  to  understand  the  other  person’s  world  from  his  or  her  frame  of  reference,  rather  than  your  own.  

2. Unconditional  Positive  Regard:    Communicating  to  the  other  person  a  deep  and  genuine  caring  message  that  “I  do  NOT  judge  you”  and  “I  accept  you  as  you  are.”  

3. Genuineness:    Your  offer  to  help  cannot  be  contrived  or  phony.  It  can’t  be  because  you  are  the  staff  member  and  it’s  your  job.  Your  communication  must  be  congruent  with  your  feelings  about  the  problem.    

4. Respect:    Communicating  that  you  have  faith  in  the  other  person’s  ability  to  solve  the  problems,  and  that  you  are  there  for  the  other  person.    

5. Meet  the  person  where  they  are  at:    You  must  understand  that  clients  sometimes  have  struggles  and  that  they  have  made  choices  that  have  caused  them  some  problems.  In  order  to  help  someone,  you  must  meet  them  where  they  are  in  the  struggle,  and  attempt  to  understand  why  they  are  doing  what  they  are  doing.    

6. Objectivity:    Involving  the  use  of  facts  without  distortion  by  personal  feelings  and  judgment.    

7. Confidentiality:    Communicating  verbally  and  through  your  actions  that  information  shared  with  you  will  be  respected  and  not  gossiped  about.  You  will  only  share  information  with  the  express  written  consent  of  the  client.    

8. Role  Model:    Be  a  good  role  model  in  regards  to  sensible  behavior  and  communication.  Role  model  availability  and  openness.    

9. Be  Caring,  but  be  firm:    Caring  about  a  client  does  not  mean  being  manipulated  by  them.  Avoid  making  promises  that  you  can’t  keep.  

10.  Authenticity:    Be  yourself!    Access  the  qualities  that  make  you  the  best  coach  you  can  be.  

11.  Add  Your  Own:    What  qualities,  unique  to  you,  show  up  when  you  are  in  a  helper  role?

 

 

WHAT IS PSYCHOSYNTHESIS?

An Introduction to the core principles of Transformational Life Coaching

In its most basic sense, psychosynthesis is simply a name for the process of personal growth: the natural tendency in each of us to harmonize or synthesize our various aspects at ever more inclusive levels of organization. In its more specific sense, Psychosynthesis is a name for the conscious attempt to cooperate with the natural process of personal development. All living things contain within them a drive to evolve, to become the fullest realization of themselves. This process can be supported consciously, and psychosynthesis is one means to do this.

Cooperating effectively with this process can be assisted by a conceptual understanding of the nature of this evolution, and by practical techniques. Psychosynthesis provides these and integrates them into an inclusive and ever-growing framework designed to support the individual, groups, and the planet in their process of unfolding.

As an inclusive approach to human growth, Psychosynthesis dates from 1911 and the early work of Roberto Assagioli, an Italian Psychiatrist. Though one of the pioneers of psychoanalysis in Italy, Assagioli maintained that Freud had not given sufficient weight to the “higher” aspects of the human personality, and recognized a need for a more inclusive concept of humanity. From this beginning Assagioli and an increasing number of psychotherapists, educators, physicians, social workers, clergy, and others have worked to develop and refine this inclusive view of human growth. The task is considered to be an open one, one that will never by finished. Each year, new discoveries in psychology, new developments in education, religion, anthropology, physics and other disciplines add to the principles and to the techniques of Psychosynthesis. Psychosynthesis, by its very nature, is always open to new approaches to human development.

Over the past sixty years, a number of conceptual points and a number of methods have proven themselves to be fundamental. These provide a working structure for Psychosynthesis.

A SYNTHESIS OF MANY TRADITIONS

Any comprehensive psychological and educational approach to the development of the whole person must draw from many traditions. While Eastern disciplines often have tended to emphasize the spiritual side of being, Western approaches usually have focused on the personality level. But humanity must be viewed as a whole and each aspect accorded its due importance. Psychosynthesis recognizes that we have a transpersonal essence, and at the same time holds that the individual’s purpose in life is to manifest this essence, or Self, as fully as possible in the world of everyday personal and social existence.

STAGES IN PSYCHOSYNTHESIS

Every person is an individual, and the psychosynthesis of each person follows a unique path. At the same time, the overall process of psychosynthesis can be divided into two

 

 

stages: personal and transpersonal. In personal psychosynthesis, the integration of the personality takes place around the personal self, and the individual attains a level of functioning in terms of work, relationships, and general living that is experienced as satisfactory and meaningful, and which might be termed “healthy” by current standards.

In the transpersonal stage the person learns to achieve alignment with and to work through the energies of the transpersonal Self, manifesting such qualities as responsibility, the spirit of cooperation, global perspective, love, peace, creativity and more, in service of life’s purpose. Having access to one’s own inner guidance and wisdom; an internal unifying center, that is not limited by conditioning, each person or group is able to hear their unique Call of Self.

The two stages overlap and may, in fact be considered intertwined elements, each working hand in hand with the other to support conscious evolution. Personal and spiritual integration become both the process and the outcome.

METHODS EMPLOYED IN PSYCHOSYNTHESIS

Any method that assists in the personal evolution of a human being is a method useful in psychosynthesis. To be maximally effective, we clearly need to have a broad range of methods and techniques to meet the needs presented by different situations and people. As each person must be treated as an individual, an effort must be made to choose the methods best suited to each person’s existential situation, psychological type, goals, desires and path of development. Some of the methods more commonly used include values clarification, guided imagery, self-identification, creativity, meditation, will development, symbolic art work, journal keeping, ideal models and development of intuition, and many more. The emphasis is on fostering an on-going process of growth that can gain momentum and bring a more joyful and balanced actualization to our lives.

As this process goes on, we gain the freedom of choice, the power of decision over our actions, and the ability to regulate and direct many of the personality functions. This entails developing the personal will—the will of the personal self. Through this development, we free ourselves from helpless or preprogrammed reaction to inner impulses and external situations and expectations. We become truly “ centered” and gradually become able to follow our own path, guided by our inner knowing, or true Self.

As we reach toward the transpersonal Self, we can liberate and encourage the synthesizing energies that organize and integrate the personality. We can make ever-increasing contact with the Will of our transpersonal Self, which provides clearer and clearer meaning and purpose in our personal lives and our social tasks. We become able to function in the world more serenely and effectively, in a spirit of cooperation and good will. Psychosynthesis is a powerful and effective mode of growth work and is applied in a variety of fields from counseling to business consulting, from pastoral and hospice work to coaching, from education to politics. It is a positive and dynamic framework from which to view the evolution of our planet.