I often find myself delving into matters with my clients that are possibly more suited to psychotherapy. Feelings of low self esteem, anger issues and negative thinking are the most obvious.
But the real differentiator is not the material being discussed – it’s the mindset of the person I am coaching.
The profound difference between a client (coaching) and a patient (psychoanalysis) lies in the principle of self-accountability.
If they have willingly taken on the responsibility for the outcome in their lives and realised that it is they who determine what they get in the ever-unfolding drama of being alive, then we have a workable relationship. If, on the other hand, they see themselves as a helpless victim, I have an excellent psychotherapist that I can refer them to!
With all prospective clients, I offer a free meet-and-greet session in which enables me to assess where they are holding in terms of this self-empowerment barometer.
This, for me, is the decider!
I am a little embarrassed to admit that I spent most of my earlier years as a victim – I blamed my parents, my family and my teachers for my own lack of achievement. As uncool as this sounds (and it does!) I now acknowledge the degree to which I expended copious amounts of energy defending my own failures!
It was only when I admitted that I was a creator of my own circumstances, that I began to gain a sense of myself. It was at this point that I ‘got’ that the experiences that I had had, were a direct result of the choices I had made.
This was a huge epiphany!
In this discovery it emerged that by making different choices I could get exponentially different outcomes!
So, in this wonderfully challenging game of life, who is holding your steering wheel?
If you are uncertain, you just might find psychotherapy more beneficial. But if you do, coaching will quickly power you to your next level!
Contact me on 072-280-6978 (SMS preferable) or clive@greenmindcapital.co.za if you would like to find out more.