Coaching: Aligning Goals with Skills and Talents
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I had a professor in graduate school who defined the difference between counseling and therapy this way: Counseling consists of “technological input to help people readjust their behavior so that they can effectively function in the predominant society.” He defined therapy, on the other hand, as the process of “altering the underlying foundation of the individual in a way that sets the person into a new world.
Although the individual may be happier and more functional, it may make living in the predominant society more difficult. ”During my years of private practice as a therapist, there were times when counseling was all that a client would accept. Changes in society, economics, and mental health insurance coverage made therapy more and more difficult to practice and finally catalyzed my decision to make a career change and embrace coaching. So, where does coaching fit in? I have always seen coaching as a wonderful hybrid of counseling and therapy, a process I would define as “input that helps people readjust their perception of themselves and the world they live in.” And although coaching can, as my professor said “set the person in a new world,” making them happier and more functional, it seeks to do so in a way that makes living in society easier, not harder. With coaching, the challenges don’t revolve around deep-seated inner conflicts and psychodynamics, but they’re not as simple as basic problem solving or teaching the latest popular ‘techniques’. Coaching asks an individual to look at their behavior, their goals, and their skills and talents, and determine how well they align with each other. The task of the coach is to provide a process and a methodology that will allow the client to create a level of alignment in tune with how much effort and work they are willing to put in.
The coaching tools we have created, based on Perceptual Style Theory, are designed to do all of these things. The assessments and their results challenge clients to look more closely at what skills they are bringing to their goals, how they are applying those skills, and what the results of their efforts may be.
I love coaching with this system because it allows me to provide new and profound insights to my clients that challenge them to grow and develop, all without digging deeply into their psyches or merely skimming the surface of their concerns. It deals with their immediate concerns – what brought them into coaching in the first place – and provides them with tools and insights that they can bring to bear on all aspects of their lives, now and in the future.
If you’re a coach yourself and want to learn more about this complete coaching system, I encourage you to get in touch. And if you’re a potential client looking for an effective way to change your perspective on your current situation, get more out of life, and learn some profoundly important things about yourself, I encourage you to do the same.
The good news is, it’s possible to break through what’s been holding you back both professionally and personally, without a long course of therapy – that’s the beauty of the right coaching system.
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About Dr. Gary M. Jordan, Ph.D.
Gary Jordan, Ph.D., has over 35 years of experience in clinical psychology, behavioral assessment, individual development, and coaching. He earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology – Berkeley. He is co-creator of Perceptual Style Theory, a revolutionary psychological assessment system that teaches people how to unleash their deepest potentials for success. He’s a partner at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., a consulting firm that specializes in helping people discover their true skills and talents.
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