What is (transpersonal) coaching?
WHAT IS (TRANSPERSONAL) COACHING, EXACTLY?
Coaching is a professional support process in which the coachees’ personal responsibility is at the center. The main focus in coaching is on self-reflection, personal development, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence. The goal is to achieve sustainable change in order to break deeply rooted patterns of thought and behavior.
Coaching is suitable for both professional contexts (role clarification, leadership behavior, team structures, etc.) and personal topics, such as decision-making, conflict resolution, or finding clarity during challenging life phases.
In transpersonal coaching, the person is considered as a whole This specific form of coaching combines systemic, cognitive, and emotional perspectives while also encouraging reflection on one’s identity, inner motivators, life experiences, and core life questions. Typical questions in transpersonal coaching can be: Which values are important to me? Which inner attitudes influence my thoughts and actions? What gives my life meaning?
The coach acts as a companion and neutral observer in this process, using structured methods and targeted questions to provide a safe space for honest reflection on oneself and one’s situation, without influencing or directing the coachees.
WHAT CAN (TRANSPERSONAL) COACHING ACHIEVE?
Clearer self-perception
Coachees learn to perceive their thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and reactions more consciously, to name them, and to put them into context. This insight allows them to actively decide how to change their behavior and respond to certain situations in the future, instead of operating on autopilot or being guided by external expectations. This forms the foundation for making more conscious, freer, and coherent decisions that take the SELF as well as personal values, beliefs, and desires into account.
Better stress management
Transpersonal Coaching is not only about reducing stress through time management and relaxation techniques, but primarily about uncovering inner conflicts, unmet needs, conscious or unconscious expectations, and other factors causing stress. Common stressors include extreme perfectionism, excessive need for control, and self-overextension. Coachees also learn to understand their own values and needs, to question their roles and self-images, and to develop compassion for themselves. All of this leads to greater inner calm and a better quality of life.
Identifying and resolving limiting beliefs
Limiting beliefs often interfere between the external world (career, relationships, etc.) and inner experiences (self-image, values, authenticity). Coachees identify and examine these unconscious convictions (e.g., I am not good enough or I never do things right) to understand when they arose, what experiences they are based on, and how identifying with them affects their current life and relationships. Instead of fighting these thought patterns, they are consciously acknowledged and accepted as part of one’s personality, allowing the development of a new inner attitude. Alternative beliefs, based on positive experiences, are then developed to help coachees integrate what they have learned into daily life.
More effective emotion management
Coachees learn to deal with emotions consciously, reflectively, and responsibly—not through control or suppression, but by understanding, acknowledging, and integrating emotional experiences. Emotions are seen as helpful signals for one’s own needs and a key part of emotional intelligence. Many emotional reactions stem from inner parts seeking protection, attention, or security—e.g., the wounded child, inner critic, or overwhelmed self. By listening to these feelings and giving them space, new scope for self-regulation arises, allowing the coachee to take the reins instead of being overwhelmed by emotions.
Clarity about values & goals
In transpersonal coaching, working with values and goals is not about traditional success planning, but about aligning one’s life authentically and consciously. Our values are deeply rooted attitudes that unconsciously guide our thinking, feeling, and acting. When goals align with values, they provide orientation and structure; if not, inner conflicts and resistance arise. Through transpersonal coaching, coachees gain deeper insight into their personal values and goals, enabling them to live more consciously and set clear priorities.
Better decision-making ability
Transpersonal Coaching enhances decision-making not through external advice but by bringing the inner processes involved in decisions into awareness. This helps coachees overcome mental blocks, understand inner tensions, and make coherent and responsible decisions in alignment with their values, feelings, and broader life context. The result is not only clarity but also inner calm and effective action.
Higher emotional intelligence
Empathy, self-regulation, and social skills form the foundation for functional interpersonal relationships. Coachees learn to better understand their own emotions as well as the feelings of others, enabling them to resolve conflicts constructively, build sustainable bonds, and create a more harmonious environment. Transpersonal coaching addresses not just communication or conflict resolution, but also the conscious handling of oneself, one’s emotions, inner patterns, and interpersonal relationships in alignment with personal values. The outcome is a coherent emotional stance grounded in integrity and emotional maturity.
WHAT COACHING IS NOT
Distinction between Coaching and Other Disciplines
I would like to briefly explain the differences between coaching and other related disciplines so that you know exactly what to expect from me. Coaching differs significantly in terms of goals and methodology from psychotherapy, counselling, or mentoring.
Coaching is not psychotherapy,
because as a coach, I do not address the healing of psychological disorders or deep emotional trauma. While past experiences are naturally included in the process, as they often underlie current challenges, coaching primarily focuses on developing solution-oriented approaches for the present and future. Unlike therapy, a coaching process is time-limited, usually spanning six to eight sessions.
Coaching is not counselling,
because as a coach, I do not provide advice or ready-made solutions. While a counsellor shares their expertise and gives concrete recommendations, coaching focuses on guiding coachees with targeted questions and methods to help them develop their own individual solutions.
Coaching is not mentoring,
because as a coach, I do not engage in an expert–novice relationship with clients. Coaching is based on the belief that the coachee is fundamentally the greatest expert regarding their inner world. In this sense, I provide help for self-help. I work collaboratively with coachees, supporting them in discovering new perspectives and alternative ways of acting.
