As Chief Possibility Director and Founder of BETA Coaching & Consulting, I believe possibilities are inherently a part of the coaching conversation and overall journey. I consider possibilities as the sweet spot of seeing what might be possible beyond the why; beyond the conceptual and the thinking mind.
And I invited Karen to drop into the possibility for her future and explore deeply what she would like to celebrate in six months as a result of working with a coach.
Karen, a 53-year-old divorcee, recently moved to a new community. Through my assessment, I learned it was Karen’s first time living alone. She entered the coaching process to explore what it might mean for her to be more comfortable in her new environment, while continuing her sobriety journey. I also learned sleep was an issue, and she felt decreasing her weight would benefit her overall well-being.
Coming to coaching with clarity, transparency, and vulnerability, in our first session Karen spoke candidly and intimately about her three years of sobriety, substance use, complex PTSD, and social anxiety. To manage her anxiety and stress, Karen incorporated breathing techniques, meditation, and art therapy into her lifestyle.
In terms of a first step towards being more at ease in her community, while working towards better sleep hygiene and weight management, one thing top of mind for Karen was to devise a plan to explore her new neighborhood.
These explorations would consist of walking short distances that felt safe, say a five minute walk to the post office, and ensuring to make eye contact with at least one stranger. This would allow her to slowly adapt to the surroundings, as well as manage her feelings of social anxiety. Karen bravely embraced both with an open mind.
As our sessions proceeded, we unpacked how she would create a new space for herself, as a newly divorced person, living on her own for the first time.
Karen found a church and a women’s group that she wanted to participate in. Both venues offered opportunities to acclimate to her community, engage with others, and take part in rewarding engagements, such as offering meals to individuals who are unhoused or in a sobriety program.
Through entering these engagements, at a rate and speed that she controlled, Karen remained extremely sensitive to what activates her PTSD and social anxiety responses. Moreover, she developed ways to engage with others — frequency, length of time, location, what she would say yes to — that would be supportive. Karen eased into these new testing grounds with curiosity, observing the wins and learning from what did not work well.
Our continued sessions and discussions led to light being shone on the historical choices Karen identified as embedded in a lack of self-trust. In one of our sessions, she had the insight, “If I’m able to trust myself, I could then connect better with others. And I could trust them.” Although a work in progress, Karen is gradually building the muscle to trust herself for better, more meaningful connections.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of Karen’s story, where we delve further into her insight and reveal additional steps, she’s taking toward giving her well-being vision more life.
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At BETA Coaching & Consulting, we partner with clients to co–create ecosystems of well–being that help the individual’s and the organization’s purposes be in harmony with one another. We believe that well–being is not achieved alone; it is an interconnected societal web where we strive to thrive.
Ready to begin your well-being journey?
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Disclaimer: Unless otherwise indicated, all the names in writing above are fictitious to protect the individuals’ privacy. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
