Coaching Tip: Spiritual coaching: Part I – During the call.

Originally Submitted on 3/29/2002.

Introduction

Spirituality coaching may mean different things to different people, but many coaches who wish to work in the spirituality arena find it difficulty to know just how to go about bring spirituality into the phone session.

The Coaching Tip

The first and most important source of information, of course, is the client. How does the client view spirituality coaching? What is it that s/he wants from a spirituality coach? In what form? Is s/he seeking to develop intuition, which allies and overlaps with spirituality but is not exactly the same thing? Is s/he seeking greater depth of experience within a specific religion rather than spirituality in general? (In which case, if it is not a religion or denomination with which you are well acquainted with, a referral, perhaps to a spiritual director might be advisable.)

Once the focus is clear, here are some preliminary suggestions for inclusion (probably not all in the same session!) in a spirituality coaching session.

Take time to settle and center yourself and focus on the client for a few moments before the session.

Start the call with some moments of silence for client and coach to attune with each other at the beginning of each session, perhaps preceded with a few spoken words to bring you both into alignment with each other.

Some clients benefit from a guided meditation during the session. Choice of topic can be guided by what else has been the topic of the call. I have found this most effective if done at the very end of the session, so that the client can choose to remain in the meditative state after the call if s/he wishes.

Other aspects of spiritual development can of course be discussed and encouraged as outside-of-call activities ( I like to avoid the word homework – it carries too much baggage for some people).

(Part I – During the call.
Part II – Out-of-call activities.
Part III – Some of the many varieties of spiritual journaling)

These Spirituality Coaching tips do NOT presume to take the place of religious guidance and direction that may be given in the context of organized religion. They recognize that some clients seek a spiritual component to their coaching separate from any specific religious activity.

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