The Anatomy of Presence Katherine Long www.evolutionOD.com

My journey with Presence De Haan research into impact of the relationship in coaching Creation of whole-person model for coach supervision Developing as a Focusing Practitioner, Presencing/Theory U, Systemic Constellations, Equine Hosting conversations, conference talks around Coaching and Spirituality

Spiritual dimensions of coaching Presence Love One-ness Meaning Long, 2011

Defining Presence a (coaching) competence / ability? a state of being? an outcome? a force for personal and social transformation?

Based on ICF Science of Coaching Participant Responses

Presence as Competence ICF Core Competence ‘Ability to be fully conscious and create spontaneous relationship with the client, employing a style that is open, flexible and confident.’

‘Presence means bringing your self when you coach; your values, passion, creativity, emotion, and discerning judgement to any given moment with a client’ (O’Neill, Executive Coaching with Backbone and Heart, 2007)

Presence as State ‘Presence is a state of awareness, in the moment, characterised by the felt experience of timelessness, connectedness, and a larger truth.’ (Silsbee, Presence-Based Coaching 2008)

‘Presence is an alive and freeing state of generous, compassionate and mindful awareness in our being – which is felt and experienced – in the here and now in the relationship with another; and which opens our hearts, minds and bodies to a wider reality and joyful field of connectedness, possibility and potential.’ (Patterson, Presence in Coaching Supervision in Supervision in Coaching, 2011)

Presence as Outcome ‘The difference between Presence-Based Coaching and most other approaches is that we also see presence as a coaching outcome. We see presence as a meta-competency that is relevant to, and underpins, every other coaching outcome we might be working with’ (Silsbee, Presence-Based Coaching 2008) Silsbee (2008)

‘It is an over-simplification to think of personal change as some sort of magical substitution that replaces bad feelings with good ones. If looked at superficially, this may appear to be what happens whenever things get better. But close examination will show that the restoration of inner process is the actual vehicle of transformation.’ (Campbell and McMahon, Bio-Spirituality 1985)

‘Focusing or Higher Experiencing in first or early sessions predicts successful outcomes and that short term successful clients focus during every session. Thirty nine studies find that Focusing or EXP level can be increased by training or specific therapist interventions.’ Hendricks (2001)

Linked studies Whole-body Focusing and Neuroplasticity (Maunder, 2014) Multiple studies linking mindfulness and meditation with increased grey-matter volume (e.g. Vestergaard-Poulson et al, 2009) Multiple studies from Heartmath Institute – including ‘The Effects of Compassionate Presence on People in Comatose States Near Death’ (Denney, 2006)

2001 2009 2011 2013 2015

Intelligence is distributed throughout the body-mind complex Presence engages and integrates the body-mind complex’ intelligence(s) Presence can be learned and developed, and takes on a range of different qualities (e.g. compassionate, playful) Client’s lack of ‘self-in-presence’ inhibits change, whilst capacity to tune into the body supports change Change is also an embodied and physiological experience

Social Presencing and Theory U www.presencing.com

www.presencing.com

Implications for coaching? for coach development, supervision, self-care? for contracting and working with clients? for development of coach and client ethics? for team / large group interventions? for wider social impact of coaching?

Master Oogwei, Kung Fu Panda Final words of wisdom… Quit, don't quit? Noodles, don't noodles? You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the "present." Master Oogwei, Kung Fu Panda