Findings from the survey:
1. What hinders you in maintaining a healthy weight?
2. What could you do to achieve success?
Discussion of Findings
Regarding question number 1: What hinders you in maintaining a healthy weight?
Most of the responses from the morbidly obese clients were in the high 90’s. Many clients felt overwhelmed at 90%. Almost all felt defeated and had dieted too much at 95%. Willpower and obsession about food was high at 95%.
Whereas, the second question, number 2 – asked: What could you do to achieve success?
The responses seemed to shift –to accountability at 95%, to work on self-esteem and to receive encouragement and support (both at 95%). 90% wanted help to reduce overwhelm.
The responses from question 1: focused more on food, than the answers from question 2.
Question 1 – had a theme of: no willpower, concern about food, failure, overwhelm and hopelessness.
Question 2 – seemed to shift the clients perspectives; to a place of possibilities, solutions and hope.
Regarding the initial question asked in the Introduction:
Can transformation coaching make a difference with clients?
Coaching and especially, transformational coaching can be very beneficial for the morbidly obese client. Question number 2 created a shift in the responses; merely by it being a coaching question. Most clients want to be successful; coaching is unknown to them or they are resort to the medical model.
Conclusion
According to Atkinson, the Ultimate goal is to Be more, Create more and Do more by tapping into existing possibilities or by creating possibilities – the result – the client is fully aliened and is living his/her purpose. It takes a special person to become a coach, and an even better person to become a transformational coach. The ideal is a coach who continually challenges one self, who reaches for wholeness, a deeper realm of spirituality and reaches for enlightenment. Transformational coaching: is creating a space where clients get to be really honest with the self.
Where clients are challenged to look inside and are inspired to tackle their limiting beliefs, perceptions, expectations, feelings and fears. Once clients have cleared negative beliefs, feelings, fears and perceptions, then the clients usually advance to the next level – which could be: knowledge, truth, spirit and law of attraction. Some clients may focus on intentions, setting goals, meditation and prayer.
The next level for a client is that of outward focus, being of service and making a difference for one’s community or society. Incidentally, there is not an exact path for transformation. Human beings process information, feelings and growth at different rates and stages. There is no right or wrong when engaging in transformational work. Actually, transformational growth / coaching –is a never ending journey. As human beings, we are constantly evolving and growing personally on a deeper and conscious level. As we reach for the next level of transformation; some clients may be searching for wholeness, peace and enlightenment. Some clients may be increasing their vibration; thereby attracting what is needed at the time to fulfill their mission.
Transformational coaching can be difficult because to gain inner knowledge, truth and spirit – one needs to embark on a deep personal journey and dig deep. Beyond transformation work – there is mastery work or playing the mastery game. Szasz describes the mastery game as a deep and profound experience of what transformation work is – at the deepest level.
References
Marilyn Atkinson, PhD, Rae T. Chois (2007) (pg 5). Inner Dynamics of Coaching, Exalon Publishing LTD.
Robert s. de Ropp, Iven Lourie (1989) (pgs 11- 13) The Master Game, Gateways / IDHHB, INC, Reissued in 2002.
Thomas S. Szasz, MD (1974) (pgs 207 -213) The Myth of Mental Illness, Harper and Row Publishers, INC, Revised, 1984.
Jim Zarvos, personal interview, Dallas, Texas – July 8, 2011.
Landmark Education offers the (Landmark Forum) educational programs, 4901 Spring Valley Road, Dallas, TX 75244.
Millennium 3 Education, transformational programs; 4440 Spring Valley Road, Dallas, TX 75244