[Kent-Singing Panther]

Summary Post:

This section on trauma has been incredibly influential for me. Trauma was not even really on my radar before now, and I’m so glad to have learned what I know thus far. I don’t see myself diving into more extensive education/training about trauma, or working with clients greatly affected, but just to remember that ALL of us carry some form of it is extremely important to keep in mind. Trauma informs all of us at our deepest levels and most of us are not conscious of it. But depending on the clients wants/needs, it may be very necessary to uncover, or approach, their trauma to determine if they are able to resource enough to continue to move forward. And that is a place I see myself working; guiding people into the resource of their OTHER body…nature. Nature is invaluable in her innate ability to hold space for us and share in her grounded-ness. Like the experience my client had; she borrowed the posture and energy of the tree during a time when she felt uneasy, but then shifted to her own body and described how quickly she felt aligned with herself. Nature IS our source; our breath is nature’s breath, our cells are nature’s cells. Unfortunately most people live as if nature doesn’t matter, which in and of itself is a developmental trauma of sorts. The body’s intelligence connects with nature’s intelligence in it’s determination for homeostasis. As a coach I want to help my clients clear out enough space to allow that connection to continue it’s course.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

My client recently had a breakthrough of understanding where her anxiety is rooted. During our last session she braved entering into the woods as she felt led, facing the unknown with courage and resources her and I have been working on. She grounded herself before entering into this threshold that acted as a prevention technique and provided a safe container for her to face her fear; “…active steps can be taken to create a psychologically safe container within which clients can take more calculated risks” (Emotional Risk Management: Asmus/McDevitt Pg. 24) I don’t think her experience would have went as positively as it did had she not done utilized this preventative technique.

For me, as a coach, this really emphasized the importance of prevention with everyone I work with. Everyone has trauma on some level and I don’t know if, when or how that trauma will present itself. For my clients sake, and mine, I think it would be valuable to teach and use more preventative techniques so that my client is more resourced and engaged before trauma even presents. Of course this is a major component of conscious nature-connection.

Back to the session: I reflected with my client that her experience is defined as Shock Trauma…”the result of a specific incident that poses a real or perceived threat to one’s life or the lives of loved ones and which overwhelms the capacity to respond effectively.” (ERM: Asmus/McDevitt Pg. 21-22) But as she opened up more about her father it seems like her anxiety is more deeply rooted from Developmental Trauma…”psychological based issues that are a result of inadequate nurturing and support within critical developmental periods of childhood.” (ERM: Asmus/McDevitt Pg. 22). She describes her father as a “complicated” man; emotionally distant, rigged, angry, and closed minded yet always provided for the family by working a lot to give them more than what he had growing up. She says he also struggled with alcohol and could be described as a high functioning alcoholic.

The more she describes her father and their relationship, I can see that her breathing becomes more shallow. I reflect this back to her and she said that she was getting tightness in her chest. More and more she is connecting her behavior and mindset to her relationship with her father. She recalls what I said during the last session about how her brain stored information, and the difference between the event(s) and her reaction to the event(s). She states, “when I was young I wasn’t aware of all these connections to my dad’s relationship but I unconsciously stored it all away. Does that mean I can consciously change my reaction now?” YES!!! I exclaimed, and I invited her to sequence the chest tightness.

I asked her what felt good for her to resource and she said she wanted to ground in her bare feet but was hesitant because it was cold outside. I suggested she could sit and put her hands on the ground and she felt attracted to do that. I invited her to really feel the ground beneath her butt, legs and hands then asked her to tune back into the sensation in her chest. She stated that the tightness was already feeling lighter and she began to recall this sensation at other points in time when she wanted to reach out to her father when he started getting ill. She said she didn’t want him to pass with their being any tension between them. She teared up and I could see the shallow breaths coming back. She described the tightness moving up into her throat, so I guided her to come back to her body and the ground. She calmed down quickly and I gave her some space in this moment.

Because of the tightness going to her throat I asked her if there was anything left unsaid between her and her father. She said that she has been realizing more and more how his own pain affected him and his relationships, and that she wanted to tell him that is wasn’t his fault. Emotion came on strong now and she could hardly speak through the tears. I noticed she kept looking at a big tree nearby; I asked if she felt an attraction to it and she described how peaceful, yet strong it is. I invited her to reflect the posture of the tree so we stood up and I asked her to envision what it feels like to be that tree. After several minutes of this I asked what she noticed and she said, “I switched from reflecting the tree’s groundedness to my own.” I asked what that told her…”it tells me that I am strong and peaceful.” What does that mean for you…”it means that I can access my strength and peace anytime. I need to remember to trust myself.” I felt the shift when she mentioned her need and I reflected the truth she just spoke with her own words

I asked about the tightness and she said it was gone, and the space was now filled with lightness that felt like the wind. She looked over at a pile of stones and I asked what was happening. She said the pile of stones reminded her of her father. What would you like to say to your dad? I asked. She picked up a large stone and said “Dad, I know you did what you could for me and our family, but I can’t carry the weight of this feeling of abandonment anymore. I am strong and I am at peace.” She put down the stone and breathed deeply into her belly.

I was so humbled to hold space for the healing that I witnessed during this session. My client’s awareness and intuitiveness has become so present and all it really took was being in that space with her, allowing her to flow with her own knowing, but also helping her to see herself more clearly and inviting her to go a little deeper. She has dove in and discovered her own strength, and that she has peace knowing she can access it anytime. I reflected to her how her independence has shown up in these ways; that her sessions where really guided by her and look at the healing she has experienced because of it.

Within these sessions I really began to see how differently trauma can affect a person. My clients trauma was subtle in some ways; really under the surface for most of her life. If I hadn’t known what was under the surface I wouldn’t have thought she struggled with anxiety. But now I see how she has distracted herself from it and the triggers that brought it back to focus. The deeper trauma was really held by her father from what I could gather. We didn’t go into his story, but clearly his pain influenced the way my client authentically moved in her life. These sessions have served her in her want to be more independent and within these sessions has uncovered her need to trust herself.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Summary Post: I believe adding in the neuroscience of NCC balances, layers, and deepens the ceremony of Severance/Threshold/Integration. I know for myself, in the past, it has been easy to ignore the more logical/reasoning side of human-ness when approaching matters I viewed as “spiritual.” I identified more with the spiritual and at one point wanted my ego to die. But I see now that that kind of mindset was not honoring my whole being. In ways I cannot explain, my soul and my brain/body work together to reach homeostasis. With greater understanding of my brain there is a greater understanding of myself. I better understand my own complexity of patters, beliefs, traumas, and genetics. With that understanding I am empowered to chose and know that I AM NOT MY THOUGHTS. I can sit back and observe my thoughts but be free of my reactions to them. I can see where they come from and how they have affected my well being so I can honor them and work with them…perhaps even release them when I’m ready. Having this knowledge empowers me and presents an authentic, empowered coach to my clients.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Before this session began I notified my client about the education I received through EBI regarding the neuroscience of NCC and that I had intention to incorporate it into our session together. I made her aware that this session might present a little differently since I will be taking time to share neuroscience education with her in order to help her understand the HOWS? and WHYS? of how her brain works in relation to the topic(s) she desires coaching for. I asked for consent to present this information and let her know that if at anytime she was uncomfortable, or in disagreement, with the information I provide she has the choice to go back to a more traditional session. I emphasized that these are basic concepts and, by no means, am I acting in a role like a psychologist or psychiatrist. She agreed and was very curious and excited to learn more about her inner workings! She also expressed her gratitude for my thoughtfulness of asking her consent and stating my intentions clearly.
My client struggles with what she considers moderate anxiety that correlates with GI issues, though has expressed that because of our sessions and the emphasis on connecting more intentionally with nature, she has reduced episodes of inflammation. She has become a better observer of her reactions and now makes the choice to ground herself with nature’s support. The root of her anxiety has yet to be fully uncovered. She states that anxiety has only showed up in her life over the past few years and isn’t completely sure where it came from. I shared with her that anxiety doesn’t always have a traceable point, but can be built over time depending on various factors.
She has very much been in a contemplation stage regarding her anxiousness and is thoughtfully moving into a more indepth planning stage of tracking where anxiety began to show up in her life. As I stated before she has learned some action steps with support from our sessions and conscious nature connection to aide in resourcing when her body begins to express uneasy sensations. She values being able to resource and ground, but realizes that it is only temporary. She believes that since her body continues to tell her something is “off” then something must still be “off.” I shared with her that whatever her brain/body experienced has stored that information in her amygdala. Not the memory of the event(s) itself, but her bodies reaction to it. But since she is not cognizant of past events leading to anxiety, she has formulated a pattern of belief that her body has something wrong with it and that it could lead to serious illness or even death.
I went on to explain that whatever is triggering her anxiety is the outcome of a pattern she has unconsciously developed over time pertaining to the stimulus which her body is reacting to. And now she is reacting to her bodies signals with a thought that her life is threatened and she has no control. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor explains it this way in her book, My Stroke Of Insight, page 146; “Because our neural networks are made up of neurons communicating with other neurons in circuits, their behavior becomes quite predictable. The more conscious attention we pay to any particular circuit, or the more time we spend thinking specific thoughts, the more impetus those circuits or thought patterns have to run again with minimal external stimulation.”
At this point my client has stated that she wants to track the stimulus that has caused so much disruption in her body and mind. She is tired of feeling and thinking like she is out of control and wants to reclaim her wellbeing. She stated the need to daily ask her body, mind and soul for support to recount the story of what is impeding her from moving forward in the direction of a life of courage and confidence. I could see the energy shift in her as she spoke about how she saw herself living; not in fear, but in freedom. Lately there has been more of a frustration coming from her then a despair that she had when we first met. I honored her righteous anger and asked her how she wanted to focus it.
She expressed the desire to a short wander. Wandering was something she and I had talked about before, but has shown some trepidation about doing it. I celebrated the fact that she was mustering up the courage to do a wander on her own. I asked where she would like to complete her wander and she decided to visit a smaller wooded area on the fringes of a park near her home where she thinks she’ll feel safer. I asked her if it would be beneficial to carry a question with her on her wander and with that focus in mind perhaps she wouldn’t feel as vulnerable. She took a moment to consider it, but replied that she felt like she just needed to be out on her own even though she was scared. I asked her what that fear felt like in her body and she said “in my gut.” She said it was the same kind of sensation that she experiences when she feels anxious.
Her wander proved to be quite revealing. She said that came upon and big deadfall that sparked a memory from her childhood when she was out in the woods with her father and siblings.. They were going out to pick raspberries and apparently she was accidently left behind when she was playing on a deadfall and got her foot stuck. She cried out but no one came back to get her for what felt like a long time. She was so scared that she vomited. When her father finally found her he told her “I guess I can’t take you anywhere” and he proceeded to get her foot unstuck. She stated that as this memory flooded back she became nauseous. But instead of escaping the woods/wander, she utilized the resources she’s gained to ground herself and face her fear.
Once her mind and body were more relaxed, she made a huge connection as to why she thinks this anxiety has come into her life. She realized that she began having stomach issues when her husband took a new job that requires him to travel and is at home only a few days per week. He took the job without asking how she felt about it and it was a complete surprise to her. As she is sharing this with me I can see that she is uncomfortable; I reflected this to her and she said that her stomach was really feeling tight. I asked her to name what the tightness is and she replied “abandonment.” As soon as she said that her energy shifted and she felt a release in her stomach. She shed some tears and said that she couldn’t believe that one instance in her childhood could have shown up so significantly in her adulthood. But as she reflected some more she came to see that her father was not really around as often as she was aware. Or more that when he was, he always seemed to be focused on other things and not very present for her emotionally. He expressed his love for her by taking care of her affairs which she thinks has affected her ability to really be on her own. She also correlated the possible connection of her husband’s new job with the death of her father several months prior.
More happened during this session but to keep this post short and to keep focused on the topic of how the brain works in NCC, I will explain what I attempted to explain to my client; how her brain is operating in the limbic and autonomic nervous system in light of things revealed during this intense session. In a general way I explained how her thalamus initially collected basic sensory information during the time she got her foot stuck when she was a child and how once she felt in danger of being left alone, that information was carried to the amygdala as fear and engaged her sympathetic nervous system, and possibly enteric nervous system which may explain her associated stomach issues.
The anxiety she has felt since her husband got the new job she unciously linked to her fear of abandonment which slowly ignited her amygdala and created a new circuit of anxiety response and associated fear that something must be wrong in her body causing all the other symptoms she has described. Once she identified “abandonment” as a root cause to her anxiety, she has since reported that her regular symptoms of anxiety have decreased significantly. With that identification she was able to disrupt that other circuit.
I think my biggest challenge during this session was just making sure that my information about how the brain works is correct. It’s easy to get lost in all the information, but for the most part I felt like I was able to track the basic workings and explain it back to her in relation to her experiences. I tried not to overthink it all and just go with where she wanted to go. She has become more trusting of herself and the fact that it was her idea to do a wander and why her soul wanted her to go there was awesome to witness. All I had to do was support her choice and nature took over. Seeing the confidence in her of approaching her fear reminded me of the deep level of trust I have experienced in coaching thus far.
And it has been so interesting to refresh my knowledge of how the brain works through the readings and see my clients experience through that lens. I believe it has helped to anchor my trust even more because it really is a physiological/psychological experience that is also communicating with soul, which can sometimes seem less grounded because of its mysteriousness. I can see utilizing this information as a regular part of my coaching process because of that. I’m not sure what that will look like exactly, but I can already imagine that using strong visuals will become a part of the process.
Specifically in this session I could better see how certain experiences and traumas need to be fully processed/sequenced before someone can fully move forward. My client expressed a lot of positive change of her anxiety symptoms and how to manage them, but without identifying her deeply rooted fear of abandonment she wouldn’t have been able to fully release, and authentically move forward. I met her where she was at and trust that the NCC practices would guide her to what she needed to do, while tracking where she was moving along the way and reflecting that back to her.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

In summary, I enjoyed the initial learning our what partswork is and how it operates, but I don’t think it really landed for me until I actually coached someone using partswork. Perhaps I initially didn’t quite understand what Gestalt really is and how partswork tied into it. But now I see that Gestalt is that which incompasses all the parts, but is also larger than them…just like the Soul. Gestalt is like the point of parts convergence, though coach or client may not even be aware of what parts are converging. I think of partswork like a map, but gestalt is the compass.

One of the most influential things I’ve learned from partswork is that my parts are my parts; they’re not good or bad…they just are. I was born with them and will probably die with them. And more so that I have the choice in how my parts operate so that they don’t operate me! Most people live out their lives not understanding how they function or fighting against themselves. They say “I don’t want to end up like my mother/father, but do because they have no understanding/awareness that they really do have a say in the matter. Not so that they don’t end up like a parent, but that they end up as their authentic selves with their “parent parts” healed.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Never too late for a Partswork post, right!?! Finally…

I have been discussing partswork with one of my practice clients for several months now and she seemed interested to learn more. We have also briefly used partswork in our sessions without going more in-depth. I shared the Self, Soul, Spirit writing by Roger Strachan to help her tie up any loose ends of clarity about what partswork is. She was eager to create her own mandala and shared it with me during this session.
She had little apprehension about her parts and felt like her mandala is complete for now. I honored her mandala and we shared how both of us have similar names/representation for our parts. I could sense a shift in energy when she described a few parts that she deemed “not my favorite part.” I reminded her that our parts are just parts; they are not inherently good or bad, and all parts have a light side and a shadow side. Her energy shifted again as I shared this with her; a sigh of relief was breathed, and she stated how valuable it is to know that.
To keep the energy up, and to help support the space with her as she begins this new journey with her parts, I asked her which parts feel closest to her soul. She shared that her “mother” part seemed to jump off the page of her mandala. I asked what her mother part brings to the system and she shared that as far back as she could remember she has always wanted to be a mother. She shared stories of how she was always the nurturer in her family; taking care of her dolls, pets, and siblings. However, now that she finally has young children of her own she shared that she sometimes has doubts her mothering ability. She admitted that she sometimes daydreams about what it would be like to not have kids and that way she wouldn’t feel like she was disappointing anyone.
This was a very quick change in posture and signaled that there is a lot going on with her mother part, and I reflected that back to her. I asked if she wanted to go deeper into this part or if she needs more space. She stated that she was surprised by how much of a shift there was from being excited about being a mom to doubting herself. Because of this surprise she stated that she was curious to go deeper and I honored her courage for entering unknown territory. I asked her if there were any parts that she thought could help her go deeper and be a supportive resource during the journey of this session. She decided to bring her “seeker” along for the time being to help her track where the tension is within her “mother” part.
She eventually discovered that there was unresolved neglect from her own mother when she was young. Her grandmother was more influential in raising her while her mother worked a lot and to provide for the family after her parents divorced. As an adult she came to understand that her mother was just doing what needed to be done and any neglect she felt as a child was due in part to her mother just being tired and stressed often.
She was able to speak from her “child” part to her “mother” part and offer the kind of forgiveness that she had previously felt she gave to her real mother, but realized now that she had still held some resentment toward her. That resentment was reflected within her “mother” part too. She sees how she’s a good mom and how much of her nurturing demeanor comes from her grandmother. However, she also realized just how much of the workhorse mentality she gleaned from her real mother and how she can sometimes focus too much on doing for her kids that she forgets about genuinely being with them.
I asked her whom within her knows how to BE and she immediately answered “Soul knows how to BE…Soul IS being.” I had her speak to her mother and child parts from the soul and the words she expressed changed her whole energetic presence. I reflected to her how at peace and ease I felt within myself when she let Soul speak. She smiled with tears in her eyes and said “I miss my mom, but I know she lives in me and wants this energy to be shared with the children.”
I asked her if she wanted to take a step outside and see what image/symbol she could envision that would support her new insight into who she is as a soul-led mother. She found an empty nest in a tree nearby and shared how intricate the nest is woven, all by a tiny creature who just knows what to do AND how to be while doing it…a bird knows how to be a bird and she knows how to be a mother. She also stated that the emptiness of the nest provided meaning as well; that to make room for new life, the nest has to be emptied. She said this session helped her to empty some things out and make room for the new. Really beautiful sentiment.
This session really seemed to flow even though there were definitely some hard things my client had to work through. She has a lot of self-awareness and it showed in this session. I think it flowed so well because she was willing and open to do some hard work; not only for herself but for her kids. She wanted to break the cycle of discord she sees in her family line. It was an inspirational session to be a part of. She intuitively led a lot of the session even though this was basically her first parts work session. She recognized right away how powerful a tool partswork is and wants to continue with it.
This session affirmed my level of trust. I went into the session trusting, I reflected that to my client, she reflected it back to me, and as we worked through the process, we both gained further trust in partswork!
It was interesting to see how genetics within partswork came into play for my client, especially what she said at the end about knowing her mother is within her and realizing how much of her “mother” part really is from her mother AND grandmother. But because she still subconsciously held things against her mom, it’s like certain parts of her brain weren’t effectively communicating with one another. It was like seeing the difference between caring for a child, and care OF a child. The former being more like a combination of primitive brain survival and higher brain functioning organization. But because of her neglect sparked trauma tucked away in the middle of her brain, she wasn’t fully able to connect her higher functioning to her heart space. “Caring for” her children became her primary goal to compensate for her own mother’s lack of being there for her. Essentially, she began doing the same thing her mother did, only in a different way…they both neglected to be present in their children’s lives.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Thank you for reaching out Mandy. As you and I discussed I am feeling the same way. I’m so happy y’all will be meeting together soon…I will be with you in Spirit! I would be available this Wednesday around 4 or 5pm MST. I’ve been feeling a bit heavy lately and I think it would be revitalizing to hear what everyone is up to, etc.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Summary Post:

For me, Gestalt is a highly valuable technique that challenges, and invites, me to bring my own humanity into sessions with my clients. I appreciate that it is about being in the present moment with clients in whatever state they find themselves in to honor their being and experiences. It is important to remind myself that Nature-Connected Coaching is very holistic in the sense that, even though it is about moving forward and creating goals, it is also about understanding and empathizing with the deep wounds and needs of clients.

Gestalt is a beyond a modality that challenges clients to see, and feel, their wounds within a safe space which leads them to confront their wounds in a way that helps them move past the pain toward what they want/need for themselves. I say “beyond” because Gestalt is so much more than a method, it is a way of being with, and for, the client. And while Gestalt may approach the very edge of ethically working with clients, it may also be the only opportunity a person has ever had to enter into a vulnerable state and be seen for who they are.

It is an honor, privilege and great responsibility to walk beside clients in such a way as Gestalt teaches. To dance in the moment with another human being, and to see the range of emotions and experiences they bring, is humbling and empowering both for coach and client.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Wow Rachel, what a testimony your clients experience was to time, trust and safety like you said. I loved reading about the map your client created and how you could navigate it with her even over the phone. It’s easy to see how connected you are to trauma based work and how valuable it is for the people that work with you. This part really stuck out to me…”In this moment, sensing that she was beginning to hit her window of tolerance for the discomfort, I decided to speak Kindly and firmly to “Weepie” and let her know, “I see you here to protect *client* from this experience and want you to know that we don’t have to go any farther today, and that you are safe.” “Oh…. Okay!” She said, somewhat startled yet relieved at the invitation to pause.” You showed a wonderful sensitivity in that moment; aware of the window of tolerance and her parts, being able to speak into the moment to allow space and “okay-ness.” Based on her reaction it was exactly what, and how, she needed to hear it.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Mandy, I appreciate your attentiveness to your client and allowing yourself to go into the unknown, trusting where the process and your client might take you. You honored her boundaries and by doing so, created a safe container for your client to trust herself and experience what she was ready to experience. I resonate with your awareness that helping others resource with nature is a big part of your work. I have been seeing that more and more too. It’s empowering to help others experience the resourcefulness of nature in hope that they can utilize nature as a major, personal resource even if they are working with other professionals to treat their trauma, or when we are doing online sessions and aren’t able to be with them in nature.

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Rachel, I love how you naturally wove parts into your session and incorporated the neuroscience of parts-work. You painted a beautiful picture of your clients experience in his art studio and I felt a big smile come across my face when you said “I have begun to see EVERYTHING as a collaborator, like nature. The books in the room, the location we choose, inside or out. Everything can be and is a reflection if we choose to use it, and I’m loving the little ways those keep getting worked in.” What a powerful shift in your perception that is so valuable to the people you work with! Your experience with your client has reminded me that “flow” only happens when we chose to work WITH and not against what is available to us in the moment. I see that reflected in your boundary setting too; instead of denying the potential for attraction, you honored it and set a healthy boundary which you both understood and consented to. Really beautiful to see how you are growing into yourself as a coach 🙂

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Mandy, knowing you, and what it feels like to work with you, I imagine your client felt safe with you even though he was approaching hidden aspects of himself. It’s so great that even something as simple as a questionnaire can safely support a transition from per-contemplation to contemplation, not to mention how fast that can happen! However, you were also aware that your client was in a vulnerable state, moving into contemplation while keeping a foot in per-contemplation and that this felt daunting to him. Your keen awareness told you that he just needed supportive space, with some valuable things to consider, before he could move on. Your invitation for him to step into that space in the natural world is why we do what we do and is evident in this statement you made, “I think for this client, increasing his awareness of himself through reflections, experientially with the land and parts, and through teaching moments is helping to create a pathway for him to land fully in contemplation and to begin the preparation phase.”

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Hannah, loved this statement ” I’m feeling like I’m morphing into a quiet and attentive tree in the woods who my clients can lean on, feel supported by, and be who they are without much obvious influence from me. “Less is more” feels right as I continue to practice.” What a great image/metaphor to be with! I’ve witnessed this transformation in you as a coach throughout the intensives too. And I feel like you’ve become much clearer in who you are as a coach…a kick-ass coach! 🙂

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Rachel, “PACE” is what stuck out to me the most in your reading through the experience with your client. Laying solid groundwork for our clients is so vital! And I appreciate that you followed your clients pace because I know I sometimes have the habit of leading my client because I think I know where they are going. But even if I’m right about where they’re going, it doesn’t mean that they are ready to go there! And I think that’s a reflection of myself; how I get impatient with myself when I feel like I should be moving faster, or be somewhere I’m not. You showed up for her in the way she needed, not in the way you wanted, and that gave both of you space to be in your own power! Awesome!

[Kent-Singing Panther]

Mandy, I really felt this statement you made “Through this process, I’ve witnessed myself being more and more in the allowing state as the coach, meeting what arises in the moment and moving with the flow of the session. I’m learning to listen on a different level, to hear different voices and tones as the client speaks, and to be super curious about the different parts that may be a part of the conversation. I’m also learning that I am super empathetic and can feel into the personality of a part deeply, which is helping me identify with my client’s parts and intuitively ask them questions on a deeper level. This allows me to tap into the complexity of my client and her wants and needs as well.” I got the same sense reading through your process. You are such a sensitive, receptive coach!

It is really valuable how you immediately tuned into where your client was at and guided her into a more grounded space right out of the gate! I have no doubt that resetting that baseline with her shifted the direction of where your session could have went had you not invited her to do that. Well done!