A Coaching Model Created by Donna Agajanian
(Emotional Eating Coaching, UNITED STATES)
A
Awareness is your way in.
You cannot begin to change a behavior or habit if you are not aware of it. The moment you decide you are willing to do what it takes to create something different for yourself is the moment you begin the journey to self awareness and growth.
R
Reflection creates awareness of when and why the behavior appears.
In this stage you observe yourself to learn more about when (patterns) and why (triggers) you fall into the behavior patterns you want to change. Understanding how these patterns affect you supports identifying your motivation for change.
C
Conscious Choice is making a decision in the moment to do something differently. When you find yourself activated by a trigger you realize you have the option to make a choice that reinforces changing your behavior pattern—these might be replacing negative thoughts, a new point of view or remembering your motivation, for example. Repetition of the new thoughts and behaviors creates new habits.
As you repeatedly replace the old thoughts and behaviors with new beliefs and practices you create new habits. This is integration—you reflexively make choices that reflect
the new thoughts and beliefs without having to consciously think about it.
The ARC of Change Unwrapped
Awareness:
When a person realizes they have more potential than they are able to access on their own they may decide to employ a coach to support and help them reach their goals. This process begins with the ‘client’ before the coach even comes into the picture. The client has begun the process, implementing one of coaching’s key tools “action” by making the decision to find a coach.
At this stage we enter into the privileged world of our client’s interior and the first priority is to establish a rapport that allows the client to feel safe in exploring their new found awarenesses. By creating a safe environment, asking questions, and inspiring the client to go inward for deeper self-understanding I strive help the client deeply understand how this behavior affects their life and blocks them from reaching their personal potential.
Reflection:
In this part of the process I encourage a client to observe and notice what is going on with them physically, emotionally and environmentally. Where awareness is the beginning—observation adds a dimension that takes it to a deeper level of understanding. The client begins to notice the triggers as they appear which allows reflection in the moment of the behavior pattern they are wanting to change. Additionally in this phase a client can deepen their Motivation which is an integral and critical part of the process of change.
Conscious Choice:
Once we can see ourselves in action we can make choices ‘in the moment’ to stop or change a behavior. Understanding the ‘backstory’ that connects us to the old behaviors supports making choices that are aligned with the goal. It is the repetition of these choices that over time begins to build new habits that will replace old patterns of behavior.