Transformational coach: what is it?

Transform into something new. Giving yourself a makeover helps you transform your appearance. You do this with a clothing stylist. A transformational coach helps you transform yourself into the person you really want to be. If you want to coach people to be completely themselves and learn more about transformational coaching, then this blog was written for you

Transformational coaching

In transformational coaching, you help people who have experienced something in their lives that has led them to the conviction that things need to change—that they no longer feel comfortable in the role they have taught themselves to play.

To change this, they must go through a transformational process, and for some people this is easier than for others. This is also called transformational learning. This involves shifting your deep thoughts, feelings and actions[1].

Mezirow developed a theory in the late 1970s about the stages people go through when they transform themselves and do so with transformational learning. These are tan formations that you then go through as an adult.

This model has the following stages:

Phase 1: You’re presented with a confusing problem.

Phase 2: You begin to examine yourself and start to experience feelings of guilt or shame.

Stage 3: You control any beliefs you have about the "unwritten" social rules and knowledge of your physical body.

Stage 4: You recognize how not fun it is to go through such a transformation and see that other people are also going through a similar transformation.

Stage 5: You explore the other options you have, such as new roles, relationships and actions.

Stage 6: You plan your strategy for the future (roadmap).

Stage 7: You explore whether you have the knowledge and skills to execute your strategy.

Stage 8: You try new roles.

Phase 9: You build your self-confidence and skills in your new roles and in your relationships.

Stage 10: You move on with your life based on your new beliefs.

You don't have to go through all 10 stages for transformation, but these are stages you can go through (unconsciously). A coach can help you go through each phase so you don't get stuck in doubt or guilt and shame.

Ultimately, it is those negative feelings that motivate you to do things differently in the future.

Transforming people into the person they want to be

When you look at these stages, it makes sense that a coach can help figure out beliefs one has that are now challenged by confusion.

Reflecting on those beliefs and what beliefs are true are important elements in transformation. And in that reflection, a coach can help.

Exploring the other options people have, the possibilities one can transform toward, is also something a transformational coach can help with.

How hypnosis can help if you want to be a transformational coach

In 2015, I was also engaged in transformational coaching, as you can see in this YouTube video. Of course, I also used hypnosis techniques in this process.

Hypnosis helps with transformations because it can help figure out beliefs when you just can't figure out why you are so confused by the situation.

One way to uncover those beliefs is through a Socratic dialogue. In this dialogue, the question “Why?” is repeated several times. This technique can also be used without hypnosis. If this doesn’t have the desired effect, regression can help you uncover your beliefs and help you process why they aren’t accurate—and why you don’t need to feel nearly as confused as you do at that moment. With regression, you go back to the moment when a belief first formed in your subconscious. These are often moments from your childhood, which is why they don’t always make sense. By recognizing this, you can immediately feel much less confused.

In addition, negative emotions such as guilt and shame can be used to motivate you to do something about a confusing situation. Hypnosis can encourage you to actually take action.

For example, if you are exploring other options and want to implement different behaviors in your life, hypnosis can help you with that in several ways. Initially, guided visualization can help you change behaviors when you are actually completely unsure how to change them.

This is because it is important for people to be able to imagine how they can approach behavior differently. They need to see it before them, so to speak. Hypnosis then helps promote this imagination with guided visualization. For example, when someone wants to be more assertive at work without being immediately overwhelmed with stress, a guided visualization can go as follows:

"You're at work and would like a pay raise. Your boss keeps giving you overtime and that should be rewarded. You've made an appointment. You've put on your best clothes, which makes you feel good about yourself. You also wrote down everything you did to earn the raise. You feel the piece of paper on which everything is written in your hand and this relaxes you. You start the conversation with your boss. You keep your attention on the conversation which allows you to catch up well at times when needed. You stay calm and relax your muscles during the conversation. It feels good to have pointed this out."

This is just one example. Depending on the transformation someone wants to go through, the guided visualization may be different.

These visualizations can also be used when trying out new roles.

Another way to change behavior is through post-hypnotic suggestions. These are commands to do certain things when a certain situation arises. For example, if a person wants to snack less at a party, the command might be to turn down every^2nd round of candy when offered some. Because people under hypnosis are more open to suggestions, this is better absorbed by the subconscious mind so one will also subconsciously carry out this behavior.

Helping people to be their new selves

Changing yourself requires knowledge and self-confidence. Some people can be very insecure about their ability to learn something new or about how other people view them.

It is important to identify the beliefs that have created this negative self-image, as you can then counteract them with positive beliefs.

For example:

Negative belief: I am stupid.

Positive belief: You can gain new knowledge.

Negative belief: No one likes me.

Positive belief: People who really know you like you.

By increasing self-confidence in this way and their feeling that they themselves can change their situation, you help people move more quickly through the steps of personal transformation to live the life they really want to live.

In addition to these techniques, there are an awful lot of other hypnosis techniques you can use as a coach to help your client transform themselves for whatever reason they want to do so.

Are you a coach and interested in adding hypnosis to the techniques you use to help people fully connect with their true selves? Then come to a hypnosis workshop to get started, or sign up right away for one of our training programs. Ask about our online options if that suits you better than in-person classes.

[1] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1541344608322678