Illumineering™ is a method I developed from my work as a mind-body psychotherapist and coach. It’s a unique integration of what I’ve found to be the three most effective modalities for helping people break free of self-defeating patterns, and create the personal and professional lives they want. It can be used in a variety of settings by professionals certified in the Illumineering™ method, including psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and life, career, relationship, and executive coaches.

Illumineering™ is based on the premise that when we’re born, we are whole, integrated human beings with tremendous potential. Growing up, we respond to our life conditioning by adopting habitual thought and behavior patterns, many of which erode our innate wholeness. We carry these patterns into adulthood, and they shape our feelings about ourselves, our relationships, our personal lives, and our careers. Illumineering™ helps people break free of the shackles of their life conditioning, reclaim their innate wholeness, and create the lives to which they aspire.

The three modalities that comprise the Illumineering™ method are family systems work (to identify client blocks and their origins), psychodynamic psychology (to access limiting beliefs and habitual behaviors rooted in the subconscious), and coaching (to identify and implement action-based strategies to override self-defeating patterns, develop a new default operating system, and achieve transformational change).

In my own coaching practice, I offer four types of Illumineering™ Coaching Programs. Below is a description of the programs and the people for whom they’re appropriate.

Illumineering™ Life Coaching: for individuals looking to achieve specific personal goals, address life challenges or transitions, create healthier relationships, or move to the next level of success in their lives.

Illumineering™ Career Coaching: for people in professional transition who want to use their passions, skills, and experience in a new position, career, or business—or entrepreneurs who want to take an existing business to the next level of success.

Illumineering™ Relationship Coaching: for singles seeking a healthy and fulfilling relationship, couples looking to create a more joyful and fulfilling partnership, family members experiencing relationship challenges, or business partners facing interpersonal issues.

Illumineering™ Executive Coaching: for business leaders looking to enhance their leadership skills, achieve new goals in their careers or organizations, or address specific performance challenges.

I’m often asked how Illumineering™ differs from traditional psychotherapy or other coaching methods. Psychotherapy is generally more focused on the present and past, and most practitioners use talk-therapy to help clients process their feelings, or cognitive-behavioral approaches to help them think and behave differently.  Coaching is typically more future-oriented, with a focus on identifying client goals and the steps needed to achieve them. Illumineering™ integrates family systems work, psychodynamic psychology, and coaching to identify client blocks at their deepest level, and develop and implement action-based strategies to override these barriers and achieve the results they seek. 

When hiring a coach, it’s good to inquire about their training, methodology, and experience. For a check list of what to look for, refer to my article, Tips for Hiring the Right Coach.   
 
© 2009 Lauren Mackler

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© 2009 Lauren Mackler

Lauren Mackler is a coach, psychotherapist, and host of the Life Keys radio show on hayhouseradio.com. She’s the author of the international bestseller, Solemate: Master the Art of Aloneness & Transform Your Life. Sign up for her free Live Boldly newsletter at www.laurenmackler.com.

Topics include:
How our life conditioning impacts our adult lives
The core beliefs, roles, and habitual behaviors of the Conditioned Self
How to reclaim our “lost parts” and innate wholeness
The hidden drivers of fear and how to override them
How to “live deliberately” and align our actions with our desired results 

To register for this event click here.

When: Monday, November 9, 2009   3:30 PM- 8:30 PM

Schedule of Events:

Registration: 5:30-6:00 PM
Dinner and Announcements: 6:00-6:45 PM
Lauren Mackler: 6:45-8:30 PM

ICF Approved CCEUs: 2.0 Credits
Personal Development 1.0
Core Competencies 1.0

Illumineering™ Level 1 Coach Training
Renowned coach and psychotherapist Lauren Mackler will teach you the coaching skills of her groundbreaking Illumineering™ method that integrates family systems work, psychodynamic psychology, and coaching to free people from the shackles of their life conditioning and create the lives to which they aspire. In the Illumineering™ Level 1 Coach Training, you’ll learn the most effective coaching skills available today from America’s leading expert. This unparalleled program will not only give you practical tools to apply in your own life, but it will teach you cutting-edge techniques to effectively coach others. There are no enrollment requirements for the Illumineering™ Level 1 Coach Training. It’s for people entering or working in the coaching field, mental health practitioners, professionals in managerial and leadership roles, and people looking to develop strategic life and coaching skills.  Level 1 is a requirement for professionals interested in becoming a certified and licensed Illumineer™ Coach.

The first Level 1 training is scheduled for:
6/20/10-6/25/10  
Omega Institute
Rhinebeck, NY, 877.944.2002
Click here for information.

Illumineering™ Level 2 Coach Training
Renowned coach and psychotherapist Lauren Mackler will prepare you to stand out in the coaching or therapeutic field by teaching you the Illumineering™ technique, her groundbreaking coaching method that integrates family systems work, psychodynamic psychology, and coaching to free people from the shackles of their life conditioning and create the lives to which they aspire. This extraordinary training program will teach you how to uncover clients’ Conditioned Self and Default Operating System—how they think and behave on autopilot—and retrieve and liberate their Authentic Self—the person they were born to be. Illumineering™ Level 2 is for people who want to work in the coaching or therapeutic field, or who are already working in these professions. Requirements for Level 2 include completion of the Illumineering™ Level 1 Coach Training, and an undergraduate or advanced degree in Psychology. Level 2 is a requirement for professionals interested in becoming a certified and licensed Illumineer™ Coach.

To receive information about upcoming Level 2 trainings, sign up for a free subscription to the Live Boldly newsletter at www.laurenmackler.com.
 
Illumineering™ Level 3 Coach Training
Renowned coach and psychotherapist Lauren Mackler, the creator of the Illumineering™ Coaching method, will teach you everything you need to know for starting and running a successful coaching business—or turning an existing coaching or psychotherapeutic practice into a coaching business that stands out in the field. You’ll learn how to develop a Strategic Action Plan for establishing your business, and cutting-edge, integrated marketing strategies and business practices that will attract target clientele, and differentiate you in the increasingly competitive coaching and psychotherapeutic marketplace. Illumineering™ Level 3 Coach Training is for people who want to work in the coaching or therapeutic field, or who are already working in these professions. Requirements for Level 3 include completion of the Illumineering™ Levels 1 and 2 Coach Trainings, and an undergraduate or advanced degree in Psychology. Upon completion of Levels 1, 2, and 3, you can apply to become a certified and licensed Illumineer™ Coach.

To receive information about upcoming Level 3 trainings, sign up for a free subscription to the Live Boldly newsletter at www.laurenmackler.com.

Effective methodology and processes. Ad-hoc and unstructured coaching are less effective than a structured program. Ask about their coaching method and processes, their strategies for helping clients clarify and achieve their goals, how much time it requires, and what their fees and payment policies are.

Expertise in psychology and human behavior. Personal-development work, life and career transitions, or meeting professional demands can take you to the edge of your comfort zone, triggering fears of failure, insecurity, or habitual, self-sabotaging behaviors. Life, career, and executive coaches with a background in psychology have the leading edge, as they can help you address your fears and self-defeating patterns at the root level, and change limiting patterns that can sabotage your success.

A supportive and comfortable environment. A good coach is compassionate, establishes trust, maintains confidentiality, and creates an environment in which you feel supported. Whether you’re doing phone or in-person coaching, notice how comfortable you are, and whether the person feels like someone you can trust.      

Exceptional problem-solving, goal setting, and organizational skills. The bigger the coach’s “tool kit”, the better able they’ll be to facilitate effective coaching sessions. Ask how they go about problem-solving and goal-setting, and notice how organized they appear to be. The more organized they are, the more ground you can cover in each session.

Fosters client accountability. Continuity, self-discipline, and follow through are critical factors for success—things that many people find difficult to develop or maintain. Find out what methods they use to help clients stay motivated, and how they get clients who’ve become discouraged or unfocused back on track.

In addition to the qualities and expertise listed above, below are added skills and expertise for specific types of coaching.

Career Coaching

Proven experience in the career transition field. This is a must-have for people making a career change or searching for a new job. Ask career coaches about their methodology for identifying a job or career that’s the best fit, and about their expertise in job sourcing, resumes and cover letters, self-marketing strategies, networking, interviewing, and salary negotiation.

Entrepreneurial and business planning skills: This is critical if you’re considering starting your own business. Find a career coach with a successful track record not only in helping clients identify a new business idea, but also in turning that idea into a business.    

A resourceful, innovative, and strategic thinker: To stand out from the competition, you have to think and do things differently than everyone else. Ask prospective career coaches for specific examples of strategies they’ve developed to help clients differentiate themselves, and how those strategies have helped clients achieve their desired results.  

Executive Coaching

Client Confidentiality: If your company is hiring an executive coach to work with you, ask how confidentiality issues will be handled. The more authentic you are the better results you’ll achieve in your coaching work. However, you need to feel confident that the coach can effectively balance honoring your confidentiality with meeting your company’s expectations for coaching results.

Business and Leadership Expertise: In addition to strategic business and leadership expertise, the best executive coaches have real-world corporate experience, giving them a deeper understanding of the complex challenges and demands of the executive role.  

Life Coaching

Expertise in psychology and human behavior: While it’s an added plus to find a career or executive coach with a background in psychology, it’s a must-have for life coaching. Without an in-depth understanding of what drives human behavior—and how to change self-defeating patterns that are often rooted in the subconscious—it’s very difficult to help clients achieve transformational and lasting change.

© 2009 Lauren Mackler all rights reserved

Life, career, and relationship coach Lauren Mackler is the author of the international bestseller, Solemate: Master the Art of Aloneness & Transform Your Life and host of the weekly Life Keys radio show on www.hayhouseradio.com. She is the creator of Illumineering™, a groundbreaking method integrating family systems work, psychodynamic psychology, and coaching to help people free themselves from the shackles of their life conditioning, and create the personal lives, careers, and relationships to which they aspire. Visit Lauren’s website at www.laurenmackler.com.

What is Coaching?

Coaching is for people who want to improve their personal and/or professional lives, or achieve specific goals such as making a career change, improving business results, creating healthier relationships, or gaining greater self-mastery. Although there are no legal requirements for becoming a coach, the necessary skills are similar to those of a psychotherapist, with additional competencies determined by the specific type of coaching. However, coaching differs from therapy in that it generally focuses more on the present and future than on the past, and is typically more focused on specific goals and results. Below is a list of the most common types of coaching, and the indicators for each type:

Career Coaching: for people in professional transition or who are looking to use their passions, skills, and experience to create a more fulfilling and rewarding career.

Executive Coaching: for business professionals seeking to enhance their leadership skills, accomplish specific business goals, or address performance issues and challenges.

Life Coaching: for individuals seeking to master specific life challenges, or move to the next level of success in one or more areas of their personal and/or professional lives.

Relationship Coaching: for individuals, couples, family members, business partners, or co-workers seeking to clarify the attributes of their ideal relationship(s), assess relationship strengths, identify and resolve points of interpersonal conflict, and bring their ideal personal and professional relationship(s) to reality.

Choosing a Coach

When choosing a coach, it’s important to inquire about the coach’s training, credentials, and methodology. When you’re interviewing a prospective coach, here are some questions you can ask:

Qualifications: What are your credentials? What is your training and professional background? Check to be sure the person has the training, background, and expertise needed to facilitate the specific type of coaching you’re seeking.

Experience: How long have you been in practice? What’s the primary focus of your work? What is your experience and success in working with the types of issues and/or goals I want to address? Do you have some clients I can speak to, who can tell me about the results of their coaching work?

Approach: What’s your approach or methodology? What does the process involve and how much time does it typically take?

Practical Information: How long does each session last? How frequently do we meet? What are your charges and payment policies?

Most importantly, you’re looking for someone who is supportive, compassionate, and non-judgmental. During your interview, look for someone who is 100 percent present, and focused on you and your objectives. Red flags include brusqueness, inflexibility, and a sense of distance. This must be someone you can trust fully. Ask yourself: Do I feel at ease with this person? Will I feel free to disclose personal information? Is this someone who is engaging with me in a caring and supportive way? If not, don’t hesitate to find someone else.