Mulhauser Coaching Philosophy
My approach to coaching is centred on you, the client -- your judgement, your ideas, your insights and creativity.
Fundamental Outlook On Coaching and On People
I believe that almost everyone already has within themselves the resources they need to live a fulfilling life. Provided with a conducive environment, I believe people are fully capable of applying those resources with courage and insight. Sometimes it happens, however, that circumstances -- external or internal -- make it hard to really make the most of these resources. That is where I believe a coaching relationship can be of some help. I aim to provide an environment in which clients can explore their own outlook on the world, can identify and build upon their own strengths and creative talents, can listen to what "makes themselves tick", and can learn from themselves and then apply that learning. Something of what this experience might be like from the client perspective is included on the page What to Expect?.
The human brain is the most complex object in the known universe. Together with the extended nervous system, this makes human beings astonishingly complex, creative, adaptable and inspiring creatures. No one can sensibly claim to have a good grasp of how it all fits together, but somehow it does, and I find it exciting to work alongside my clients as they undertake their own versions of the journeys I myself make -- journeys toward living the kinds of lives we want to live.
The Person-Centred Approach to Coaching
My coaching work is strongly grounded in the person-centred approach of pioneering US psychologist Carl Rogers, arguably the most influential figure in the field of counselling and psychotherapy since Freud. His work has exerted a profound influence not just on psychological fields, but also on management, diplomacy, conflict resolution and other related areas. Although the coaching world appears only comparatively recently to have discovered and begun marketing and promoting person-centred principles -- including deep respect for the client, empathic understanding, and authenticity -- these three 'core conditions' first became the focus of active research and practical application nearly 70 years ago. In my experience, coaches rarely acknowledge his contributions, but it is a fact that many of the central ideas of coaching were introduced long ago by someone else -- when the word 'coaching' hadn't yet found its way out of the sports realm.
And it is my understanding of the person-centred work of Rogers, and the empirical work supporting it, which informs and shapes my own views on topics like management skills vs. leadership skills, listening and business empathy, honesty and transparency, and the importance of accepting what is. (Full references to some of Rogers's work are available from the Annotated Bibliography at my counselling site, especially in the section on the person-centred approach.)
What do these three core conditions mean in practice?
Empathy
Being empathic means attempting to grasp the experience of another person from their point of view. I don't just try to understand your experience as if I were having that experience -- I try to understand it as if I were you having that experience.
Some clients report that it is specifically when they feel someone really understands that they feel the most able to express who they really are, and to accept who they really are.
Acceptance
Acceptance, sometimes known in psychology as 'unconditional positive regard' (sometimes abbreviated 'UPR'), means recognizing and appreciating the inherent value of a human being, without conditions and whether or not we like or dislike that person's ideas or behaviours or feelings.
I prize human beings as truly remarkable creatures, worthy of respect and acceptance whatever their circumstances, however vehemently I might disagree with some of them!
Authenticity
Finally, being authentic means sharing appropriate reactions and responses with you, rather than hiding those reactions behind a professional facade. I aim to be open and honest with my clients, so there is no doubt in my client's mind about what I'm 'really like'. Being authentic also means that if you have any question at all about the coaching process, you can just ask and expect an honest reply.
Other Key Aspects of Coaching
While I am fundamentally person-centred in my approach to coaching, I also draw on specific resources from two other traditions which I specifically apply to the coaching context.
Cognitive Behavioural Approach
Coaching offers a uniquely suited context in which to apply the insights of the cognitive behavioural approach, which within the counselling field is the single most well-researched and empirically supported of all therapeutic traditions. Cognitive behavioural techniques aim specifically to help clients replace unreasonably negative or self-defeating thoughts with more accurate and self-enhancing alternatives.
The cognitive behavioural approach can be especially beneficial when clients become aware of negative self-talk, or a the presence of a harsh 'internal critic' that gets in the way of their success or happiness. We might also explore ways in which thoughts which don't accurately reflect reality can impede success and happiness. With a little hard work, clients can sometimes transform their ways of viewing the world and personal problems via this approach. Significantly, when I do work with clients in this way, I am drawing on my own experiences and education and offering positive suggestions for change, not 'diagnosing' a client and then imposing my own view of what will work for them.
If you are interested in learning more about the cognitive behavioural approach as it used in counselling, as distinct from coaching, you can read the short introduction to cognitive therapy at my counselling site.
Existential Approach
I also may work existentially with clients who are particularly interested in clarifying or creating personal meaning in their lives. We might discuss questions about what is important to clients, what values they hold, and how different areas of their life balance (or don't balance) one another. Some clients working this way have reported real breakthroughs in clarifying their own path in life -- not because I have told them what that path should be, but because I have helped create an environment in which they can find it for themselves. Once again, this is not for me a matter of 'diagnosing' clients as 'needing' existential work, but a matter of drawing on my own experience in professional philosophy and my own life-long interest in the meaning of existence.
If you are interested in learning more about the existential approach as it is used in counselling, as distinct from coaching, you can read the short introduction to existential counselling at my counselling site.
My Ethical Framework
Although I have somewhat mixed feelings about the International Coach Federation (see my note on 'coaching credentials'), and although I am not a member, nonetheless I voluntarily abide by their ethical guidelines. I follow a strict privacy policy.
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