Coach Approach

When I was a child, I was raised in a tradition of reward and punishment, a religious mindset that put people into categories of good and evil, of chosen and not chosen. I knew myself to be in the evil category, and was praised for that knowledge. I hid my knowledge that I was not chosen.

But when I was 28 years old and in deep despair after a miscarriage, the beauty and honour of human life became perfectly evident to me. I was so sad about the loss of my child and so aware of her inherent wor…

At Awaken, empowerment coaching is about more than individual change, it’s about belonging to yourself while finding strength in community.

I was in a coach training on a Friday afternoon with a man who considers himself a real champion of women's empowerment. At one point he taught our group of mainly women, "It's so important that I, as a white man, learn to give away my power."

From his perspective, I'm sure that felt true. To me, and the other women in the room, it felt gross. Something …

Why Performance Coaching Falls Short

Some people think coaching is about doing more: setting sharper goals, pushing harder, keeping clients on track, and measuring progress at every turn. That kind of coaching can look productive on the surface. When I first started in 2009, I was stunned by how quickly people could reach their goals in just a few sessions.

But in today’s AI-driven world, where apps and algorithms can already remind us of our goals and track our steps, that kind of performance…

We love poetry at Awaken - I've got quite a collection now that fits perfectly with some of our courses on emotions, values, beliefs, reality, identity, on love. Poetry seems to crack the heart wide open while strengthening the spine.

One of my favorite poems is an excerpt from John Roedel's The Anatomy of Peace: 

"If you are exhausted about

your heart’s obsession with

the fixed past and your mind’s focus

on the uncertain future

your lungs are the perfect place for you

there is no yesterd…

I was 17 years old. My hand was on the doorknob of Dr. Miles' office at Wheaton College. I was about to have a conversation that would end in me being expelled, and my life was about to be ruined. 

To understand the stakes, you'd have to know more of my backstory.

I was raised in the kind of utopian/dystopian household you could learn about if you watch the documentary "Shiny, Happy People" - a home in which punishment was swift and early, and rewards were meted out based on accomplishment and…

Nearly twenty years ago, I was introduced to "The Five A's." A simple but powerful framework in emotional healing: Attention, Acceptance, Appreciation, Affection, and Allowing.

These are the deep emotional nutrients we long for as human beings. It was so touching to me to find this framework, that I spent hours drawing the five A's, journaling with them, and committing to offering them to others.

They are what we all hope to receive from parents, friends, partners, and communities. And sometim…

I have the honor of offering regular Coaching Supervision sessions, often one-on-one, and regularly in groups. Supervision is a time of deep, sacred reflection - one I believe it's important to engage in throughout a coach's career. 

The types of questions I like to bring to coaching supervision are those that bring me more deeply to myself, and bring more awareness of how my subconscious instincts might be coming into play.

If you're a coach or another helping professional, or just a person w…

Earlier today, my computer went dark.

I’d been working quietly, deep in something that mattered to me. My laptop was plugged in, or so I thought. But the screen went black—no big drama, just quietly off.

After a moment of confusion, I checked the cord. It was snug in the laptop. Everything seemed right. But when I looked a little further, I noticed the plug had come loose from the wall. Not far—just a small shift—but enough to cut the connection.

Plugged in - but not at the source.

And someh…

When I first founded Awaken Coach Institute, I had a clear vision for what we could become—a place where people grow as coaches and as human beings. But I secretly worried about one thing—the only thing that truly matters to me: could I really co-create a space of love and belonging in a community (without starting a cult)?

It felt too big, too mysterious. Love in community felt like a gift other people knew how to give—charismatic leaders, social geniuses, the spiritual teachers of the world.

Guess how long people listen before jumping in? They might ask a question, start telling their own story, or start saying, "Yeah, uh-huh!"

Would you guess thirty seconds? A full minute?

Nope. Try 18 seconds.

Which of us has ever been listened to for a full minute? What about 5 full minutes? What breakthroughs might be possible if you heard yourself think and feel in that kind of loving presence?

George T. Wolff, MD, teaches family medicine. Speaking of the doctor/patient relationship, he say…