BRING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO LIFE
Sara de Clercq - 2 September 2020
It's an interesting experience for clients to have the Whole of them-Selves met.
Coaching from an Integral perspective is an ever evolving methodology.
Integral coaching is wholesome in nature by looking at the separate elements
- the person, their interior world, relationships and their role in the environment, as a whole.
It is, at this point in time, the most comprehensive way to build someone’s competence to thrive in all areas of life.
The integral map is an all-inclusive comprehensive map that looks at variable cross-cultural studies to create an in-depth, across the board map that includes the profound elements from all of them combined. This map shows us all the known elements, models and systems of human potential that are available to us - from cognitive science to the ancient shamans and sages - from elderly traditions and rituals to the newest insights from cognitive science and psychology.
Simply explained, the Integral Approach helps us see both ourselves, the people we relate with and the world in more comprehensive and effective ways.
When well coached and practised, this approach allows us to step into a broad range of perspectives and therefore handle life’s situations in the most useful way possible.
One thing is important to recognize before we continue;
The Integral Map is a map. It is not the territory.
As Ken Wilber would put it: “We certainly don’t want to confuse the map with the territory, but neither do we want to be working with an inaccurate or faulty map. Although we know the Integral Map is not the territory, it gives us the most complete and accurate map we can work with, at this point in time.”
An integral perspective addresses four domains in a way unique to each client so that nothing essential is left out:
- Self-knowledge, self-management and self-awareness (subjective)
- Communication and relationship (inter-subjective)
- How our environment operates (Objective)
- Systems at play (Inter-objective)
The basic premise of the work that we engage in at YES& is via an Integrally informed approach where every individual's behavior follows directly from their ‘structure of interpretation,” which includes their values, beliefs, language, background/memories, education, ambitions, decisions, learning style and the way they code time.
Every individual has their own way of interpreting situations, people and themselves.
Why?
Because the map is not the territory: it is but a symbolic representation of the territory. And everyone holds a different map.
The approach we take at YES& in working with people is to engage a process where individuals, as well as teams, start to be able to see multiple perspectives available to them which comes with seeing the choice that is available in any given situation.
With the individual now seeing the situation from a more ‘all inclusive’ way they become more effective in their communication and decision making.
We look to see and open up the mind, to then create greater capacity for care and positive influence.
To expand your map of reality to a wider range of possibility and understanding.
This is how you bring the whole of yourself to life.
A hidden story for all of us,
And the greatest place to play.
Is found underneath the layers,
The layers of being a particular way.
We can be so afraid to look inside,
Inside in the garden within.
But if we are still and see what is really there,
We are able to come from a place of share.
- Sara de Clercq
Are you curious about above topics, for your own developmental growth, specifically?
In the coaching process we increase the capacity for self awareness and intentional developmental growth. Through self awareness and intentional developmental growth, we become powerful agents of change, achieving tremendous positive influence whilst simultaneously be-ing from a thriving, and playful place.
Links:
Introduction to Integral theory, Retrieved from here.