There’s one thing all clients have in common (as do we). They are all human.

And being human isn’t easy. We are beset by inescapable conditions – and we’re aware of them! Mortality, sense of individual selfhood, responsibility of choice, uncertainty, fluid meaning.

Combined, these conditions can leave us with a sense of existential angst as we question how to live well as a human. We might even find ourselves asking questions such as “What is the point?” or “What is the meaning of my life?”

There’s no doubt that such big questions are often at the heart of coaching but how do you identify when a client is dealing with them and work with them on something that seems unsolvable?

Join Sasha Van-Deurzen Smith, existential coach and academic registrar at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling as she explores the teachings of renowned philosophers such as Sartre, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche and shares new ideas on how to coach around this enigmatic topic.

This two-day course for qualified coaches opens the door for existential work and will set you on a journey to deepen your work and widen your scope.

Existential coaching works with a variety of universal issues such as freedom, responsibility, meaning and authenticity as well as the fundamental understanding of the subjective nature of each unique human experience.

You will immerse yourself in a rich combination of theory and practice, developing new and refreshing dimensions to help clients to explore existential dilemmas. You’ll gain insight into how the dynamics around a particular issue might be simply a microcosm for the way the client experiences and sees themselves in the world, and in relation to others.

Emerging from existential psychotherapy, this approach is grounded in a highly relational, thoughtful and dynamic ethos that empowers clients to face up to the challenges of being human.

Though aimed at practitioners or aspiring practitioners who would like to move away from tricks and tools towards a more relational and reflective approach, This course is suitable for anyone who wants to find new ways of working that are client-centred and rooted in thinking about life in an open and philosophical manner. It will help you to connect with clients on a human level, with a focus on ‘being with’ rather than ‘doing to’.

The workshop comprises additional personal exercises to help you to understand how existential ideas relate to your own personal life, Including illustrative case studies to help ground the learning in real life scenarios.

The course has been recognised by the International Coach Federation as providing 12 hours of Continuing Coach Education and so can be used for coaches renewing their ICF credentials.

Through a rich mix of trainer-led sessions, peer practice and experiential exercises, you’ll learn:

* Philosophical ideas from thinkers such as Sartre, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche

* Ideas from Existential Practitioners van Deurzen and Yalom

* How to apply phenomenology in your coaching practice

* The 4 Worlds model and how to employ this in coaching

* How to think about coaching issues with greater depth.

* Personal exercises to gain a greater understanding of how existential ideas relate to your own life

About Sasha Van-Deurzen Smith:

Sasha is the course leader of the school’s MA in Existential Coaching, and deputy course leader for the MA in Existential and Humanistic Pastoral Care and MSc in Autism and Related Neurodevelopmental Conditions.

She has an MA in Existential Coaching and specialises in working through creative dilemmas, issues around self-esteem, and has experience working with adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Watch Sasha’s talk on Existential Coaching here.