What does that mean for coaches, counselors, and clients?
Many counselors and life-coaches will have to adapt and evolve if they want to optimally heal and serve their clients because the nature of trauma has changed. With COVID, we have entered a new reality. A reality that requires us taking on a new perspective that is both global and metaphysical. Only from that high vantage point can we perceive the context of what’s going on in the world and, therefore, much better understand our client’s traumas, fears and hopes.
Identities and healthy expressions of ego have also shifted and can’t be fully healed anymore with ‘pre-COVID’ approaches. This is the case for individuals but even more so for organizational teams. This essay makes three important points that coaches and healers will want to keep in mind.
In a way, COVID was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Ever since the invention of the nuclear bomb, we have existed with the smoldering anxiety that we can now kill off ourselves as humans. In the last few decades this has been exacerbated by ecological destruction and climate change. Global processes that will also devastate life as we know it, if we don’t change our intentions and associated actions. The last few years we have been seeing massive droughts, heat waves and fires. On top of that we have political-military-economical systems that are hostile to human and other life, except in the most narrow way.
THE NATURE OF TRAUMA HAS CHANGED
Humanity is now in a collective and existential trauma, even if many don’t recognize it as such. This is a radically new context, because this trauma is global and transpersonal. It is different from personal trauma, depression from a loss, divorce, finding purpose, career goals, or other such issues that our clients typically have been struggling with. Working with skills and heart on individual issues is, of course, still needed, but now in the context of this transpersonal, interconnected network. A network that manifests itself on the outside in economical and bio-ecological interdependencies but also on the inside in how we and our psyches relate to the whole.
WHAT IS THE VIRUS TELLING US?
In summary, we have created global interrelated problems that cannot be addressed unless we evolve our collective consciousness. And here comes the virus; What is it trying to tell us? From a metaphysical perspective, there is almost a divine elegance to how Nature (Universe, God/dess… your pick) intervenes. The tiniest form of life brings the whole world to its knees. The virus is an equalizer, it is elusive and erratic, it morphs and (again from a metaphysical view) it brings a message that is clear and urgent:
– Stop y’alls crazy running around,
– Go inside,
– Reflect until you fully get that all Life is interconnected, and thus.…
that all your intentions, thoughts, and actions have an impact because of that interconnection.
– And then, only then, proceed with new conscious creation and ensuing action that takes the above as it’s primary truths.
The directive of the virus and thus, the Universe is clear: “Become Whole Now!”
To me, the fact that we are actually receiving such a clear message is a reason for profound enthusiasm and hope.
THREE KEY SHIFTS
The words ‘whole’ and ‘heal’ have, of course, the same root, and so does ‘holistic!’ And this is why as life-coaches and clients our approaches must take into account this new reality. I see three key shifts:
First. While we obviously still need to help clients heal, we can’t enable them to form an identity that is somehow separated from relationships with that Whole. Nor can we help them design a trajectory toward their success or purpose if that is fractured from serving a greater goal. Because sooner or later it will prove to be partial and thus, unhelpful. While the emphasis in the beginning may still very well be on self, our methods of healing must allow for that definition of self to expand. Quoting Charles Eisenstein: “Each being has unique and necessary gifts to give toward the wellbeing and evolution of the whole. Human destiny is to use its unique gifts to serve the health and development of the Whole.”
Second. We are running out of time. The world is literally on fire. This is a practical observation but also a metaphysical one. Last year Australia, now on the US West Coast, and also the Panatal in South America, a vast area known for it’s unique wildlife. But there are also raging fires within. The raging fires of anger from centuries of injustice, inequality, suppression and discrimination and abuse are now burning as intensely. In the US, in Belarus, Syria and elsewhere. Yes, clients will still need to heal their wounds, sort their goals, express their unique identities, but in the mean time, they must be made aware that there are more burning issues (pun intended), and with our love and help they must frame their personal healing within this new urgency. Coaches and healers would want to master the new skills to enable our clients to fully get this.
Third. Because of the aforementioned global interconnection, all our intentions, thoughts, and actions have an impact even if we don’t know exactly how, where and when. This is reminiscent of certain ancient mystical truths, for example: We are one with everything; Everything that happens, happens to all life simultaneously; As above so below and As within, so without. There is a firm reason that these abiding truths show up in most any spiritual tradition – because they are true. While this may sound rather esoteric, the practical implication is that we indeed ‘co-create our reality.’ We and the other 7.6 billion humans. And right now, we are not good at it.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR COUNSELORS, LIFE-COACHES AND THEIR CLIENTS?
We have to continue to lovingly hold space for this transpersonal, existential trauma and other issues; but we also have to enable moving beyond it quickly. In these epic, irrational times, we do not have the luxury to cling to anything that is energetically draining us (angers, power plays, victim roles, unhealthy bonds, etc.) or we will be engulfed by the metaphorical flames. We must build super self-power and self-esteem, coming from absolute integrity and clarity. And we have to do this fast because we, as individuals and as a species, our directive is to become Whole now!
We will have to find ways to compassionately integrate personal healing and defining purpose into serving the Whole. And perhaps that was what it was about from the onset. Becoming more conscious of our connectedness to all of Life, and our ability to create something magnificent together.
Resources: https://www.charleseisenstein.org and https://www.myss.com
I also speak to these issues in a recent presentation I gave for UP Convergence and Peace Weekend 2020, which is freely accessible.
