Coaches Rising

Coaching is so much more than employing the skillset we’re taught in training. If we bring all of who we are to our coaching, then necessarily our own relationship with life in all its facets will inform how deep we can go with our clients. In this conversation with life coach Marita Bolles we explore the ontological approach of her coaching, some common pitfalls for coaches, how we relate to poss...

In a time that is rife with divisiveness in the exterior, how do we consciously integrate polarities within ourselves? In this conversation with mindfulness teacher Thomas McConkie we dive into the foundations of Integral Polarity Practice, its origins and applications, ascending versus descending streams, the value of voice dialogue, the deeper workings of polarity and the pitfalls of the constru...

We are living in times when we urgently need to start thinking in terms of systems rather than isolated parts. In this conversation with leadership consultant Paul Zonneveld we dive into the foundations of the systemic approach to working with organisations, locating the blockages, the role of sensing and intuition, presencing unwanted parts and working with the soul of the organisation. Paul Zonn...

The way we ascribe meaning informs every aspect of our lived experience; it may be the single most impactful place to look when we want to create change. In this conversation with executive leadership coach Darren Gold we explore the impact of meaning-making on leadership behaviour, locating leadership blockages, how adult development impacts meaning-making and wiring beliefs into the body. Darren...

The impact of our relating is becoming ever more recognised as a crucial piece of the puzzle in our ability to thrive. In this conversation with psychologist and consultant Debra Pearce-McCall we dive into interpersonal neurobiology, the emergent property of mind and how to harness it in coaching, emotional contagion and its implications, the dance of emergence and structure and relationality in t...

Learning how to motivate ourselves and our clients is key to creating the changes we want. Simply knowing what’s good for us isn’t enough for us to change our behaviour, so what role does desire play in the physiology of habit formation? In this conversation with desire coach Kiosh Iselin we explore the mechanics of desire, the role of desire in habit creation, hacking the dopaminergic reward syst...

We are facing the shifting of an age. Humanity can and must radically transform - what individual and collective actions are constructive to facilitate this process? In this conversation with entrepreneur Thomas Björkman we take a meta view of the current times of social and political upheaval and explore lessons from deep history to deep psychology, considerations in transforming complex systems,...

As coaches, we understand the need to meet our clients where they’re at and instinctively tune into their nervous systems. Polyvagal theory helps us refine this capacity and provides a framework to help our clients understand their nervous systems better. In this conversation with consultant Dab Dana we explore the three organising principles of polyvagal theory, coregulation, methods of self-regu...

The way we engage with the world is largely rooted in learned habits that are deeply embodied. How can neuroscience and embodied coaching inform how we help our clients change? In this conversation with leadership coach Amanda Blake we dive into the neuroscience of change, ways of knowing, how to work with embodied habits and the deep philosophical waters of transformation. Amanda Blake is a Leade...

Purpose is often spoken about as an elusive thing that requires a certain amount of luck to locate it. But what if purpose was something that was woven throughout our lives, leaving hints at every turn? In this conversation with master coach Holly Woods we explore purpose as a golden thread throughout our lives, how to recognise it, how purpose manifests through stages of development and the magic...

Coaching is still a relatively new modality and remains unregulated; as such it’s a rich ground for innovation as well as ethically questionable behaviour. In this conversation with master coach Ram Ramanathan we discuss the dark side of the coaching industry, systemic coaching, working with stakeholder perspectives and fostering collective intelligence. Ram S. Ramanathan MCC is a master coach for...

Organisations are increasingly aware of the extent to which their efficacy and success depends upon their teamwork. In this conversation with executive and team coach Kimberley Parsons we explore the scope and process of team coaching, decoding norms in the ecosystem, key issues that teams struggle with, and harnessing collective intelligence. Kimberley Lewis Parsons is an executive and team coach...

In this conversation with executive coach Amiel Handelsman we dive into the diversity within the anti-racism movement, how coaches can help, the Omni-American vision, working with white shame and embodied racism. Amiel Handelsman is an executive coach and change consultant, helping leaders and teams rise to the challenge of complexity. He is passionate about navigating cultural waters as an anti-r...

We live in times where information is rife but wisdom is in short supply, where ideologies abound but meaning is scarce, and the time for taking mediating actions on the abundant crises we face is limited. In this conversation with cognitive psychologist John Vervaeke we explore the symptomology of the meaning crisis, how we create meaning and lie to ourselves, the “religion of me”, the potential...

The responsibility we have as people working in a helping profession means it’s important for us to know when we’ve reached the limits of our expertise, but working out where that line is can be tricky. In this conversation with Executive Coach and Mental Health Researcher Verity Symcox we explore the distinctions between coaching and therapy, how to know when to refer, and methods of safeguarding...

What becomes possible when we include a much wider context? And what can the relationships between things and people teach us about what is occurring? In this conversation with coach and CEO Marita Fridjhon we dive into systemic coaching, the three phases of emergence, how systems speak and how to engage with them and the current challenges for coaches. Marita Fridjhon is the co-owner and CEO of C...

How does the work we do in the world relate to the times we’re living in? And what can soul tell us about the role we have to play? In this conversation with purpose guide and psychotherapist Jonathan Gustin we explore a deep-time perspective on this moment in time, the three types of purpose, the golden shadow and how to help clients access soul-level purpose. Jonathan is a purpose guide, psychot...

The importance of including the spiritual dimension in coaching is increasingly acknowledged, but weaving it into the world of coaching can feel clunky. In this conversation with coach and founder Saniel Bonder we explore the spirit/matter split, the language of awakening, the dynamics of spiritual hierarchies and the integration of coaching and spiritual growth. Saniel Bonder is the founder of th...

Coaching is changing, the methodology expanding. How do we balance goal-oriented techniques with space-holding for emergence? In this conversation with Dr. David Drake, coach and founder of The Moment Institute, we explore working with narrative, structured emergence, nonverbal coaching, and the importance of post-coaching integration. David B Drake, PhD, is the founder and CEO of the Moment Insti...

The world today is suddenly a very different landscape than three short years ago. It used to be enough for a coach to have coaching mastery but is that still the case? In this conversation with executive coach and CEO Kari Zeller we explore the new demands being made of coaches and the range of skills required to meet them, understanding stakeholders and systems, the shifting ground of the coachi...

The term “systemic” is bandied about quite liberally nowadays, but is there actually any consensus on what it means in the context of coaching? In this conversation with Dr. Paul Lawrence we dive into how systemic thinking can be applied in coaching, differences between adult development and systems thinking and the evolution of the coaching industry. Paul Lawrence is a consultant, executive coach...

As the pace of change accelerates and organisations begin to develop a systemic view in order to meet the demands of increasing complexity, how can the coaching industry best respond? In this conversation with executive coach Paul Byrne we explore the the current and emergent business model of coaching, transitioning coaching to a collaborative ecosystem and the architecture of organisational chan...

Many of us are aware that we weren’t really taught how to learn (and usefully retain) knowledge at school, and as adults the lack of this skill often leads to frustration when trying to learn something new. In this conversation with Dr. Theo Dawson we explore the central problem of the educational paradigm, how learning actually works, the relationship between context and performance, and how neur...

Coaching has some fairly established approaches, but they are generally not based on empirical data. Could the practice of coaching benefit from taking a more scientific approach to the development of its methodology? In this conversation with management consultant Dave Snowden we explore using the natural sciences to inform coaching theory and practice, the role of context and relating in behavio...

How does inclusivity foster high performance? How is the pandemic impacting the workplace? And what are the key qualities leaders need to be fostering in order to create resilient organisational culture? In this conversation with leadership development consultant Carley Hauck we speak about coaching in the pandemic, emergent workplace culture, the challenges of a VUCA world and the relationship be...