Holistic and Ecological Relationships | by Martha Pasternack,MMC

As masterful coaches, we understand that our relationship with our clients and ourselves is ongoing and imperative for the continued professional development to which we aspire. The Coaching Masteries® guide us to this end in a powerful and integrated way. They are pertinent in any situation and within any niche.

Relationship coaching is a niche that is coming to the forefront of our profession. For those of us in corporate coaching, this is not new. Departments, teams, and focus groups have employed the services of coaches for a while. These “organizational consultants” support people to develop skills that bridge communication skills with strategic planning. All are relationship-based encounters.

More and more people are seeking personal life coaching these days for support with life transitions, compelling decisions, overall personal growth and of course relationships at work and home. No matter why a person decides to hire a life coach, a relationship comes into play.

Those of us who specialized in life coaching are familiar with the paramount importance of a relationship with self. I’d like to invite us to imagine relationship beyond the interpersonal realm.

Simply put, we are holistic beings. We are united within our body, mind, soul, community, nature, and spirit. I am suggesting that we extend, from the center of our being, beyond ourselves. Facilitating self-discovery, via the coaching relationship, is the first step on the pathway.

The next step is to nudge the inertia of self-importance so that our clients are courageous enough to expand into what I call the ecology of self. Deepak Chopra said it this way; “People need to know that they have all the tools within themselves. Self-awareness, which means awareness of their body, awareness of their mental space, awareness of their relationships – not only with each other but with life and the ecosystem.”

Establishing a relationship with the ecology of who we are and the life we live, our ecosystem, is potent. Because they are supported holistically and ecologically, the gain clients make in insight and empowerment, remain sustainable.

Personal ecology is our relationship to our home on earth, both inwardly and outwardly. The circumstances that face us globally are complex. To fulfill the IAC® mission to be leaders in the coaching profession requires us to expand our vision of what is possible holistically and ecologically. May we all be blessed to do our part.

Martha Pasternack My passion for witnessing the beauty and mystery of life, healthy healing and the promotion of Peace on Earth are integral to my daily life. I have been life coaching since 2004 as a Fearless Living Coach after working 30 years as a health care professional. www.CircleofLifeCoach.com