Do these phrases sound familiar to you?
The following questions are often associated with this:
“Where am I just now?”
The second half of our life is a period full of challenges and opportunities. Our own pace slows down, yet there is scope for more depth. Child-raising and getting ahead career-wise may no longer play a major role. For many, this time of life means having to say goodbye to their parents, which provides a new perspective on adulthood. We imagine ourselves in the middle of life – and yet no longer at the center of society.
“What is my essence?”
Doubts arise. Questions like “Is my path really the right one for me?” or “Why do I behave and think the way I do?”. Much of what seemed crystal clear is becoming opaque.
“Which path am I going to choose?”
Is this an era of crisis? Perhaps. An era of opportunity? Definitely. The opportunity to grow on the challenges of the second half of life. To take responsibility for one’s own needs and feelings, for one’s very own biography.
I am ready to assist you. With empathetic coaching.
What issues have come up? And how might they be linked with your biography?
I will support you in becoming aware of your issues by taking an unobscured look at your life.
Together, we will explore the roots of your beliefs. Phrases like: “I’m not good enough.” – “I cannot rely on anyone but myself!” – “I have to work hard or be nice to be appreciated!” – “My needs are secondary!”
Which of your beliefs and patterns are still helpful?
Sets of beliefs like the ones mentioned above were very valuable to you at some point; they helped you endure unpleasant experiences. But do you still need them today?
Let’s take a closer look at them and their worth at this stage of your life.
What might come up during the coaching process?
It is quite possible that old wounds will find their way back into your consciousness. Things that you have suppressed and around which you have built a very efficient protective shield. I will help you track down the injuries, face them and bear them. This process is not always easy, but it is very rewarding: it brings you closer to who and what you really are ...
- You can get in touch your core values
- You learn to let go of supposed truths that are no longer helpful
- You look at yourself with kindness and an open heart
Keywords for Empathic Coaching
Consciousness
Many of our actions and thoughts are controlled by our subconscious mind without us realizing it. The view from the outside, an “external consciousness”, often helps to clarify one’s own impulses and beliefs.
Learning
Working on ourselves and our own biography helps us get to know ourselves anew. We discover patterns that have become second nature to us due to our early childhood experiences. I support you during this process.
Transformation
It is one thing to realize that we react typically in certain situations. The other is to learn to catch out this reaction impulse before we act accordingly. Experience has shown that it takes time to un-learn our reaction patterns.
Humanity
An important stage on the way to becoming our real selves is the realization that we have dark sides, weaknesses and blind spots – because we are human beings. Sincerely acknowledging our imperfections is a great way to heal and grow.
Empathy
... starts with ourselves. Especially when we are in distress (for example, angry), we should look at ourselves with an open and kind heart. That does by no means imply that we can justify or excuse hurtful behavior, but it serves to acknowledge that we have unmet needs – and to take responsibility for our feelings.
Closeness
Providing a safe space in which intense feelings are welcome and will be acknowledged is an essential prerequisite for accompanied personal growth. I will offer this resonance – while at the same time maintaining an appropriate distance.
Trauma
Most people have had a few traumatic experiences, especially in childhood. These might not have been dramatic, but they might well have unsettled our basic trust. It is impossible for parents to interpret and meet all of their children’s needs correctly.
Attitude
One of the goals on the way to ourselves is to put our attitude towards life, towards ourselves and towards other people on a healthy basis. Do we manage to go through the day with an attitude of self-care and empathy as often as possible?
Acknowledgement
... is the opposite of resistance in this context. Do we accept not only the “good” feelings within ourselves, but also those that we do not really like (such as anger, envy, or fear)? Only then can we contain them and prevent them from controlling our thoughts and actions.
Letting go
This does not mean pushing away an issue or sweeping it under the rug. Nor to banish a person from our lives. This is about letting go of the expectation of how a person or a situation should turn out so that we feel at (apparent) ease.