The Heart of Coaching: Is Belonging More Than Being Included?

This article is part of The Heart of Coaching - a series exploring the compassion, grace, and community that lie at the center of transformational coaching.

I’ll let the cat out of the bag right away. Belonging is more than being included. It’s being cherished.

At Awaken Coach Institute, we believe that the heart of coaching is the art of belonging. True community isn’t just about being in the room. It’s about being fully seen, known, and valued for who you are. This quality of presence, which great coaches offer their clients, is what allows transformation to take root.

My friend Wanda Zehr introduced me to the work of Dr. Erik Carter, who explores how people experience belonging within communities. He identifies ten dimensions that bring belonging to life: being invited, welcomed, known, accepted, supported, heard, befriended, needed, loved, and present.

These are not abstract ideals. They are the invisible threads that weave safety, trust, and care into the fabric of any healthy community. When they’re all present, we feel held, like we matter. We can exhale, open, and grow.

That’s why at Awaken, we consciously nurture these qualities in everything we do, from our ICF-accredited coach certification programs to our mentor coaching and supervision spaces. Learning to coach begins with learning to belong.

At Awaken, transformation begins with presence, and presence begins with belonging. In our latest video, What Is Transformational Coaching? Becoming an Aligned Coach, I explore how aligning your values, purpose, and inner wholeness allows you to coach from the deepest part of yourself. Watch the video here.

Belonging isn’t passive. It’s something we build together. It asks us to show up for one another, to listen, to care, and to remember that each of us is both needed and loved.

If you’d like to hear more about how this vision of belonging shapes everything we do at Awaken, I invite you to listen to the very first episode of Awaken Voices, our community podcast. In Episode One: The Vision of the Awaken Community, I share how creating communities of grace has transformed both my coaching and my life, and why I believe love, courage, and presence are at the heart of true transformation.

The 10 Dimensions of Belonging in Coaching

Belonging shows up through simple, human gestures that say “you matter.” Each of these ten dimensions is both a practice and an invitation. They remind us how we can offer and receive love, safety, and presence in community and in coaching.

[To download “Welcoming People with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families: A Practical Guide for Congregations,” click here.]

• Present: How often do you bring your full self into your coaching relationships? Notice how your presence changes the room.

• Invited: How do you reach out to others with genuine invitation? Do people feel welcome to join and belong?

• Welcomed: How do you express warmth when someone enters your space? A smile, a word, a gesture of openness?

• Known: Do you take time to know others – their stories, their gifts, their essence?

• Accepted: Can you hold space for another person’s full humanity, including what is still unfolding?

• Cared for: How do you show that you are invested in another’s growth and flourishing?

• Supported: What helps those around you participate fully and feel uplifted?

• Befriended: How do you create trust that extends beyond professionalism into genuine connection?

• Needed: How do you show others that their presence and contribution truly matter?

• Loved: How do you embody love – not sentimentality, but steady compassion and grace?

When we practice these qualities in our coaching and our communities, transformation follows naturally. Coaching becomes less about performance, and more about presence.

This kind of community work is for all of us. When we're all looking out for how well we give and receive love, beautiful things happen. 

Belonging at the Heart of Transformational Coaching

In transformational coaching, belonging is the soil where growth begins. When people feel safe, accepted, and valued, they reconnect with their inner wisdom. 

At Awaken, we see this every day in our courses. Coaches often begin their journey seeking skills, structure, or certification. What they find is something far deeper: a sense of being known, a deepening of compassion, a homecoming to themselves.

That is the heart of coaching, the way we hold one another with grace, courage, and care.

If you’re ready to grow as a coach in community, to learn, unlearn, and belong, we’d love to welcome you into one of our upcoming programs.

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Discover how The Heart of Coaching comes alive in Awaken’s ICF-accredited coach certification programs. Whether you are beginning your journey or preparing for your MCC credential, this is a space to belong and grow.

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Or email us at communitycare@awakencoaching.com with your questions.