Depression Coaching and Umbrellas
Having suffered from depression most of my adult life I was both relieved and thrilled to find something that finally made a permanent difference – Life Coaching. For years I struggled trying to fix myself, trying to work out what I was doing wrong so I could do it differently. But no matter what I always ended up depressed. Eventually I gave up on myself or my life ever being different. I came to the conclusion that I was irreversibly flawed so there was no point in trying.
our true selves. Medication or a major life change (like leaving a draining relationship/job etc.) can bring short-term improvements but long-term change requires that we approach our lives differently. No matter how it is achieved (antidepressant medication is probably the fastest way), an increase in energy is vital to begin the healing of depression. Once energy has returned the real process of recovery can start. Life Coaching is an excellent tool to help you do this. With a coach you discover a variety of ways to cope with life's ups and downs and are supported to create a life that is more in tune with who you really are. "Meetings" take place between client and coach via telephone, email or in person. Coaching is effective on an individual or group basis, lasts half an hour to one hour and happens 3 or 4 times a month. It is an incredibly flexible approach that meets each clients needs uniquely. The umbrella is a useful analogy of the relationship between depression and coaching. Medication, psychotherapy and major life change etc. form the handle. They provide the means to lift you out of the worst of the depression and the spokes are about how to stay there. They represent all the other approaches that lead to your long-term recovery. These might include changes in: attitudes, work, relationships, life-style, other therapies, nutrition, exercise etc. etc. To benefit from coaching it is essential you have recovered sufficiently from your depression to have energy and motivation to move forward. You need a strong handle. Then, through coaching, you can discover which spokes you personally need to put in place in order that your particular umbrella works for you. Once in place you can use your umbrella to protect you from the rain or sun. You can choose when you want to use it and when you want to put it down. You can use it to hide. You can make it attractive. You can jazz it up or you can make it plain. Your spokes can be made from aromatherapy, meditation, herbs, holidays, support groups - whatever works for you. You can change them as, and when, necessary. I started working with my first coach in January 1998. My depression was in a period of remission and I was very excited about formalising the coaching I was doing into a business. My focus was on getting more clients, earning more money, chasing big solutions. Initially I was energised by the excitement of my new goals. But since I hadn't made any changes to the way I usually approach my life, my self-defeating habits overcame the excitement and led me back to depression. My disappointment that I wasn't "cured" kept me stuck there. The outcome of working with my first coach was to be supported back to taking medication. That is, to taking the steps necessary to get my umbrella's handle in place. With renewed energy and motivation my approach is now one of exploration and acceptance rather than cure. I'm looking at what spokes work for me and what I need to change to get them in place. I'm not expecting never to be depressed again but my umbrella is making me better able to deal with/avoid the lows. Working with my coach enables this to happen faster and in a more focussed way. She helps me choose better habits and stay on track for what I truly want from my life. Copyright © Gillian Pearce, 2001.
For a great coaching programme that can help you too I highly recommend: '7 Steps to a Depression Free Life - A Self Guide' Follow this link to find out more about this self help for depression coaching programme.
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