I obtained my qualifications in life coaching in 2008. At that time, the idea of life coaching was just starting to become known and was not as popular as it is now. The approach that I learnt was structured and formulated which was a great foundation to have at the start of my coaching life. However, over time, I found that it was too rigid for me and engaged more of my mind than allowing me to use my intuition and enabling the session to flow more fluidly between myself and my client.
Throughout my 20s and 30s, I studied different alternative approaches to healing and finding peace and happiness with oneself. These included reiki, crystal healing, homeopathy, essential oils, TFT (the precursor to EFT), rebirthing (or breath therapy), tarot, astrology, numerology, meditation and more. I have always had an interest in metaphysics and the esoteric – I found this world far more interesting than the ‘real’ world I was living in. Little did I know at the time that these different techniques would form a part of my coaching sessions.
Several years after obtaining my diploma I started to follow a more intuitive approach to coaching clients and found that it allowed the sessions to go deeper and to access the real issues the client was experiencing. This new approach focused on seeing the client as a whole and tuning and feeling into what they were telling me rather than just focusing on their problem. I also used many of the tools that I had gathered along my journey including for example, astrology, numerology, meditation and conscious breathing to help my client. Some years after this I came across the word holistic coaching and realised that that was what I was doing.
Holistic coaching means looking at the client in all their parts, that is, their mind, body and spirit. Everything that the client discusses reveals something about their situation whether it be a physical symptom or something that they say offhandedly. Gathering this information enables the coach to gain a clear image of what is actually happening beneath the surface for the client and to deal with the root cause of the issue. A lot of the time we blame external circumstances or people for what is going ‘wrong’ in our lives. However, our power resides in recognising that situations outside of ourselves merely act as reflections of what is happening within us. We always have the power to react or respond to a situation to change the direction of our lives.
Each holistic coach will have a different technique or approach though the focus on wholeness remains the same. Some years ago, I started incorporating tarot cards into my sessions as I found that they quickly provided a clear image for both myself and my client of what was really happening in their lives. This enabled us to have a deeper starting point for our conversation. As a result, it helped create actions for the client which felt easy but also created a stronger connection with themselves. I feel that this deeper connection with our own selves is really important as we have everything we need inside of us (something I learnt from my own experiences in life). The more peace and love that we can start feeling for ourselves, the more we will find this in our relationships with others.
Holistic coaching really is a pleasure for me. It’s wonderful to see people regain their confidence in themselves and take steps that are helping them to live a life in alignment with who they are and where they truly want to be. I would recommend holistic coaching to:
- People who are wanting and ready to change their lives. When you are ready for the next stage or chapter in your life, it’s wonderful to have someone support and encourage you to reach your goals who is not personally invested in a certain result for you other than your happiness;
- People who are open to exploring deeper parts of themselves. Holistic coaching isn’t therapy; however, it can go quite deep in order to understand the client’s situation and how it may have arisen, for example, emotional blockages arising from an experience in childhood. This enables healing for the client and well as helping to identify positive actions for the client to take to move forward;
- People who are open to seeing that they have the power to change their lives. As I mentioned earlier, events and people outside of us are merely reflections of what is happening within us so knowing this, I help my clients to not judge their external world but to change their inner world to create what they want in their lives.
If you have any questions on holistic coaching or if I can help in any other way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at julie@borntobeyou.co.uk or you can find out more as follows:
Website: www.borntobeyou.co.uk
Facebook: borntobeyoucoaching
Instagram: @borntobeyoucoaching
Julie Lee is a holistic coach. She qualified as a life coach in 2008 and uses an intuitive coaching style which looks at the person as a whole, taking into consideration their mind, body and spirit. She incorporates a variety of tools in her sessions with clients to help them live the life they really desire. Check out Julie’s blog Born To Be You!
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