Systems 3: Metaphors, Dreamwork & Dream Coaching

Soulwork Coach Training Part III © Martyn Carruthers

Our systemic coaching is for individuals and for relationship systems such as a partnerships, families or teams. As you clarify your relationships and define your goals, our dream coaching or Dreamwork can help you to go beyond the limits of your imagination. This is a basis for our advanced coaching.

Systems 3: Dreamwork & Metaphors

This experiential training is a stand-alone course in dream-work and integrity for people interested in coaching, counseling and therapy. It is the third segment of our systemic coach training and follows Systems 2 - Goalwork.

Our Systems 3 coach training follows the systemic diagnosis and relationship clarification of Systems 1, and the goal diagnosis and two-mind planning of Systems 2. We offer you practical information, demonstrations, exercises and guidance for coaching people to live with integrity. Systems 3 includes:

1. How to recognize and respond to spontaneous trance
2. How to create and use isomorphic metaphors
3. How to co-create interactive metaphors (dreaming together)
4. How to accompany people into (sleeping) dreams
5. Discriminate between transient and stable resource states
6. How to explore and stabilize ecstatic states
7. How to experience and stabilize integrity (Soul of Soulwork)
8. Beyond integrity - introduction to advanced coaching

1. Spontaneous Trance

During normal everyday life, most people spend a lot of time in states that can be called "not here - not now". Most people use these spontaneous, everyday trance states to daydream, to remember past events, to plan future events or to retrieve information.

Many people access spontaneous trance if asked, "What exactly do you want?" Few people can answer this question with specific details.

These common, everyday trance states can be recognized and utilized for continuing goal-work. In this training segment we explore ways to stabilize and utilize spontaneous everyday trance.

2. Isomorphic Metaphors

Iso = same and morphic = structure. An isomorphic metaphor is a story with a similar structure to some other event, perhaps as a way to offer insights and potential solutions for challenges. We explore the creation and use of isomorphic metaphors in systemic coaching.

Example: if a therapist, consultant and coach were to teach you to ride a bike, the therapist may ask you to approach the bike and ask how that feels; the consultant might write instructions for you, and the coach might say, “Get on it and I’ll walk with you until you can do it on your own.”

We use isomorphic metaphors to coach people to access their unconscious resources, to help people find important goals, to find blocks and solutions and to identify potential consequences. Isomorphic metaphors also help people identify and voice their semi-conscious objections (often called resistance).

3. Co-create Interactive Metaphors

You can learn how to create interactive isomorphic metaphors with your clients - we call it dreaming together. Interactive metaphors require multiple, ongoing, dynamic isomorphic structures - best found by your own not-conscious mind. You can learn how to create interactive metaphors to motivate clients to design and actualize their own solutions.

A spin-off is that your spontaneous interactive metaphors will also apply to and benefit you!

4. Explore Dreams & Dream Coaching ... Together

Sleeping dreams are rich in symbolic content, usually with many dimensions of meaning. While we make little attempt to interpret dreams, we teach ways to coach people to access and re-enter their sleeping dreams. We explore dream symbols as a path to integrating split-off personalities (often called ego-states, complexes, inner children or parts) and disintegrating other people's influences (relationship bonds or thoughtforms).

5. Transient & Stable Resource States

A stable resource state does not rapidly fade over time, like feeling good, joy, motivated etc. Feeling good can be wonderful, yet people who feel good about depressing situations or relationships may not motivate themselves to change those situations or relationships.

Our Systems 3 coach training goes beyond feeling good to experiencing ecstatic states of consciousness that each provide different descriptions of reality. (We often teach this to meditation and yoga groups).

6. Ecstatic States

The ecstatic states that people experience during our Dreamwork often resemble descriptions of spiritual experiences. Each state provides models of reality ... and each can be a step towards the experience that we called the Soul of Soulwork - integrity.

7. Experience Integrity

This training includes ways to access the stable resource state we call integrity - the soul of Soulwork. Integrity refers to a stable resource that is forever available to motivated and responsible adults - and forever a few steps away. Our systemic coaching includes ways to access and experience integrity as a basis for making and important decisions and evaluating consequences.

8. Beyond integrity

Resolving complex relationship challenges is not simple. The experience we call integrity or Soul offers an inner compass for evaluating possibilities and making complex decisions. With integrity, many people are resourceful enough to continue coaching themselves, once they know what to do. We help people utilize integrity to check which decisions enhance sense of life.

Our Systems 3 coach training explores how to find life goals and how to continue goalwork in dreams and in trance. You will observe many demonstrations with real-life issues, and you will practice with other participants to build your experience:

Plagiarism is theft. Copyright © Martyn Carruthers 1996-2012 All rights reserved. Soulwork Systemic Coaching was primarily developed by Martyn Carruthers
to help people dissolve emotional blocks and improve relationships to achieve their goals. These concepts and strategies are for general knowledge only. Consult a physician about medical conditions and before changing medical treatment. Don't steal intellectual property ... get permission to post, publish or teach Martyn's work.