Help Clients Find Happiness Again
Can You Help Your Clients Find Happiness Again Or … Are You A "Fair Weather" Coach? Particularly around the holidays, we need to be sensitive to possible loneliness and depression our clients may be experiencing.
You and I are not immune to unhappy feelings, memories from the past and maybe it's even affecting us. Perhaps we entered coaching or counseling because we liked the idea of helping others but secretly we also wanted help for our own situations.
And it's not unusual to enter our people-helping profession because our priority is to help others become all they can be. And that sounds like fun, right?
But what if your client contacts you one day, to tell you the holidays remind them of a loved one they lost and they want to take some time off to grieve. Naturally you would respect their wish and tell them to take all the time they need. Right?
Surprisingly, this response might not be the most advantageous for your client. Until a recent breakthrough, nearly all of us bought into the thinking that time is the best healer for grief, loss and other assorted disappointments.
"... You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." ~ John 16:20
We have recently learned, that when someone is encouraged to take the time they think they need, usually they take much more than they actually do need, thereby supporting (enabling) prolonged grief that can cause them to suffer longer - needlessly.
Time magazine reported some time ago that at any one time, at least 50 million people in the US alone are suffering from the pain related to loss. I find that statistic staggering! Additionally, research has shown that a majority of those who lose a spouse grieve for 5-8 years, dramatically reducing the quality of their life.
"If a coach only has the skills to support their clients during good times, their long term value to their client is questionable because sooner or later your clients will deal with loss of some sort." ~ Leelo Bush PhD
However, with in-depth training, a coach can help their client reduce 5-8 years of grief dramatically down to a matter of months. How much do you think 4 ½ to 7 ½ years of productive, pain-free, joyful life are worth to your client? It would be invaluable!
I came to the conclusion, as I studied this topic in depth and created the Happiness By Choice Method©, that if a coach only has the skills to support their clients during good times, their long term value to their client is questionable because sooner or later your clients will deal with loss of some sort. We all go through something. Would you rather send your client on their way when they need you most because you don’t feel prepared? Or would you prefer to offer them knowledgeable, skilled assistance they will likely be grateful for the rest of their life?
Quite some time ago, God spoke to me about creating such a program. And I have to admit, I was reluctant to deal with this topic, so I tried to pass it to some of my most qualified trainers. But this project kept coming back to me and so many people have contacted the academy requesting this training, I finally prayed for God to give me a heart to create it and enthusiasm for good measure if it was truly His will for me to do it.
"Healing from grief has almost nothing to do with what caused it, but everything to do with how it is dealt with."
~ Leelo Bush PhD
And you know what? God did exactly that. Further the process has been enjoyable and knowing what I now know, I feel a great urgency to get these valuable tools into the hands of those who will ultimately deliver the coaching. Additionally what I learned once I began, is that there is an unbelievable amount of misinformation floating around about how we can best deal with grief and loss. Most of what well-meaning people say at those times is unproductive and sometimes even hurtful instead of helpful. I researched Google for added strategies, once I had the program 99% organized. And I found exactly nothing further that would be beneficial.
I found that healing from grief has almost nothing to do with what caused it, but everything to do with how it is dealt with. That means in order to gain these skills, you don’t need to listen to one sad or tragic story after another until you “get it”. Rather, the training is highly practical with lots of exercises and interaction with classmates and trainers inside the private group. There are frequent opportunities to learn and receive healing yourself, if you happen to have some latent grief issues remaining.
Without my Happiness By Choice Method©, clients, family and friends are left to be held back by fallout from grief for possibly years to come. How does unresolved grief manifest? People experience irrational fears and insecurities. They over react or may have a sinking feeling, thereby withdrawing from life, their loved ones and the work they previously loved. They live in the land of, “I’ll be happy when ____________ (fill in the blank). They are so caught up with their own stuff that even those they are responsible for (i.e. children) can get inadvertently neglected. This is not as unusual as you might think and in fact highly prevalent among those who are divorcing. The children may get fed nutrition, but their hearts receive little or no nourishment. And those who are hurting can’t see beyond their pain to know what effect their grief is having.
I have experienced many of these symptoms myself and I know my suffering had tentacles that reached out beyond me causing suffering for my loved ones. But it really wasn’t anyone’s fault. No one knew then what we know now.
As a result of creating this course, I grew. I learned God's plan for helping us overcome grief and loss, which is more powerful than any man has devised. Additionally, it helped me get over some things I didn't want to think about. Hey, we all have stuff, right? The benefits I personally received made me realize how desperately needed this training is.
I want to be there for my clients any time they need me. More than that, I want to be there for my family and friends. Do you feel that way too?
The students in this course have been a continual source of amazement and inspiration to me and their classmates. Many entered the course from a special place of compassion because of their own experiences. Others were drawn by the stunning need in our society.
This led me to create a special, private Facebook group for the students, graduates and trainers of the Joy Restoration course. There you can share your story, get support, ask questions and support others in their journey. Won’t you join us there? If you are already a member of this group, I sincerely hope you will comment about your experiences with the course below.
Just click HERE to register for this life-changing, learning experience, which by the way, offers TWO certifications and a license.
RECEIVE TWO CERTIFICATIONS & A LICENSE!
The Certified Joy Restoration Coach / Certified Christian Grief Coach training and certification program teaches you exactly how to help others overcome grief and loss in the most effective ways available today. The course is preferred by many Grief Share and Hospice workers as well as Christian life coaches world-wide. Every coach and counselor needs this training.
The course includes done-for-you forms, evaluations and marketing information to build your business. You even receive a done-for-you brochure template so you can plug in your own information and print.
I guarantee it will speak into your life personally and professionally regardless of your level. Why? Because God's word never returns void.
I hope you find this post helpful. Our readers and I would love to hear from you.If you have experienced these challenges or found some great solutions, please COMMENT BELOW.
© 2015 Leelo Bush PhD
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“Leelo Bush, PhD is recognized globally as "America's Doctor of Joy", an expert Christian Coach training curriculum creator, speaker, show host and innovator as well as a marketplace ministry and training expert. Discover your hidden potential with her FREE 5-Minute Success Predictor Quiz at https://pccca.org/welcome/.
