Summary
By Debra Berndt Maldonado, CEO & Founder of CreativeMind University

Discover why Jungian Depth Coaching is revolutionizing the coaching industry. By addressing both conscious and unconscious aspects of the psyche, this transformative approach helps clients achieve lasting change, uncover their true selves, and create a life filled with purpose and meaning.

The golden age of coaching is here and there are so many opportunities for individuals entering the industry. With so many different approaches to coaching, you may get lost in the choices and wonder which one is going to really work for you as a coach. Since coaching is an unregulated industry, you will discover many models that actually aren’t coaching or not based on solid theory. Sadly, so many coaches in the marketplace use the term “coach” and never received any training which lowers the reputation of the coaching profession. 

If you want to be truly successful and really help people, the first step is to commit to getting solid, reputable training. The coach training program you choose is the foundation for your future success. If properly trained, your coaching can be very powerful as 99% of clients report they are satisfied or very satisfied with their coaching according to ICF, International Coaches Federation. You can feel confident that you will help others and make a difference.

Difference Between Coaching and Therapy

A simple way to understand the difference between coaching and therapy is to look at how each approaches working with people. There is an overlap between the two which can cause some gray areas. 

Therapists are considered a part of the medical model of diagnosis and treatment of individuals who are not functioning at a typical level. For example, individuals with clinical depression, mental illness, personality disorders, PTSD and traumas are candidates for therapy. Therapists are specifically trained to treat and help these individuals with serious conditions return to typical functioning. Coaches do not (and should not) work with this population. Alternatively, more and more therapists are now offering coaching services and have expanded their practices to work with higher-functioning clients.

Coaches do not need a license to practice because they aren’t treating people or working with serious mental health issues. Coaches work with individuals who are high-functioning and their approach is to help them to reach their full potential in life. Coaches work with a different population with different needs and goals. 

The world of psychology is filled with research on how humans can live a better life. In fact, the high-functioning individuals benefit more from coaching because they have a healthy ego that is ready for change.

Two types of coaching models

With all the choices out there and trademarked techniques, it is easy to get lost in the type of coach that you want to become. There are two distinct schools of coaching, one that stays on the surface and the other that goes deeper into the unconscious mind. You can look at which model works best for you as you consider a coach training program.

1. Motivational and Behavioral Coaching Model

This is the most prevalent model in the coaching marketplace right now. There are many “brands” of coaching and methodologies, but they mostly fall into this category. This type of coaching works on the conscious level of the person. The coach examines the evidence the client presents in their narrative, how they say they feel and what actions they are taking. The coach then questions their self-beliefs, helps them get to a positive emotional state and encourages them to set goals and take action out of their comfort zone to change their life.

This is very effective for short-term changes. The client can learn to set boundaries, think positively and change actions to get a different outcome in their life. When you see those life coaches on reality shows, the pop self-help authors, this is the type of coaching they offer. 

This type of coaching only works on the conscious personality and doesn’t address the unconscious aspects of the psyche which is the key to lasting change. This type of coaching is what I like to call “re-arranging the furniture” because the client still identifies as the surface self which is still limiting compared to the depth coaching model.

Some coaches in this category get trained in emotional techniques to treat the symptoms for the client of stress, anger and other uncomfortable emotions. This may mask the symptoms but do not provide clients a path for continuous growth and evolution.

If you don’t like to get too deep with clients and enjoy the basics of personal growth, this model is ideal for you. If you love to go deep and explore rich, soulful experiences with clients, then the Jungian Depth Coaching model is a better fit for you.

2. Jungian Depth Coaching Model

An emerging field in coaching is Jungian Depth Coaching. The Founders of CreativeMind were inspired by the Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung and his Individuation process. This coaching model is based on a spiritual psychology that not only includes the conscious personality but addresses unconscious aspects of the psyche for lasting change. The depth coach helps a client master their outer world but also brings in purpose and meaning to their life journey

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will think of it as fate.” – Carl Jung

Early in life we are shaped by our experiences and the people around us. We create a “Persona” that is a part of our conscious personality tied to the ego or sense of “I, me, and mine.” In the behavior method of coaching you are guided to update this persona by changing on the conscious level. Unfortunately, this change is short-lived as the real, authentic you is buried in your unconscious. 

So, is it safe for a client to access their unconscious mind? In fact, it makes a client’s life much more difficult if they do not approach the unconscious. If the unconscious is not addressed, the client remains powerless to its forces and can, at best, learn to adapt to what appears to them as outer circumstances that are happening to them. When they approach the unconscious, they begin to have access to inner resources, creativity and imagination. They see their inner world creates their outer world and that changes their life.

Jung believed that we all have a true self that wants to live in us. This is why most people after 30 feel unfulfilled and lack meaning. Jung developed a process of becoming your true self, self-actualization or as he called it “Individuation.” A Jungian Depth Coach can guide clients to use tools to uncover unconscious aspects of themselves that they have repressed or denied. The first stage of this is called “shadow work.” 

Shadow Work is not about healing the past, but reclaiming aspects of ourselves that the Persona has suppressed and rejected so we can be whole again. We get to choose who we want to become outside of the expectations of others. We begin to live an authentic life. 

The second phase that a Jungian Depth Coach can help a client is through cultivating a Creative Mindset. After shadow work, the client now has free will. Is no longer bound by past patterns and can truly create something new in their life. The Jungian Depth Coach understands universal archetypes that can help them reclaim their power to create in the world. To go from ordinary living, to creating an extraordinary life.

How a Jungian Depth Coaching is Applied 

How do you access unconscious content if a client is not conscious of them? A Jungian Depth Coach uses these tools:

• Recognizing projections and emotional triggers from people in their life;
• Emotional Power Integration™ technique that involves self-inquiry and meditative practices to face difficult emotions so they no longer rule the client’s life and choices;
• Active Imagination (an advanced meditative practice to interact with content from the unconscious mind); and
• Dream Interpretation – Jungian Depth Coaches assist clients in interpreting dreams and their symbolic meaning that are providing them wisdom for their conscious life.

In depth coaching, the client gets a direct experience of their deeper nature, can access inner wisdom and is equipped and empowered to use the tools for the rest of their lives.

Want to Learn More or Become a Jungian Depth Coach?

There is so much more to Jungian Depth Coaching than we can describe in this brief article. If you are interested in becoming a Jungian Depth Coach, you can visit CreativeMind University. 

Coaching is a powerful and growing profession. We hope you get the right coach training for you in whatever model speaks to you. We know you will find so much success and fulfillment as a coach. Don’t be afraid to take the leap and begin this amazing journey.