Coaching World Issue 7: August 2013 | Page 39

Even when working with individual clients, Gestalt coaches are mindful of interconnections. Principles of systems theory are a major theoretical and conceptual influence on the Gestalt approach. Gestalt coaches ask, “At what level of system is it most productive to intervene for the greatest learning and development?” Level of system refers to individual, interpersonal, group or team, organizational, and larger levels of human systems. Each system level is connected to, but different from, all other levels, so being adept at identifying and managing systemlevel boundaries is critical. For example: Working individuallevel issues at the group level risks a significant boundary error, because individual issues need maximum confidentiality and thus cannot be successfully worked at the group level; organizational executives are always interactive with and responsible for multiple levels of system, so a multi-level awareness must inform any executive coaching intervention. The Gestalt coach supports clients’ experiential and experimental practice in recognizing levels of system. Understanding the central system theory principle of coexistent “multiple realities and contexts” heightens Gestalt coaching clients’ emotional and social intelligence, and tutors them in the art of identifying the system boundaries that “hold” the energy for any given change effort. “The Gestalt coach provides clients with theory, tools, and techniques that allow them to adaptively respond to volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.” Dr. Dorothy E. Siminovitch, MCC is principal of Gestalt Coaching Works, LLC; a certified Somatics Coach; and an international coach, consultant and group facilitator. She is founder and co-owner of and faculty member and director of training for the Eurasian Gestalt Coaching Program (EGCP) in Istanbul, an ICF Accredited Coach Training Program. She is also co-founder of the Eurasian Gestalt Center, which delivers ICF-accredited trainings. Dorothy is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University’s prestigious department of organizational behavior. She envisioned the application of Gestalt theory in the service of coaching in 1995, and has been delivering Gestalt coach training since 1996. EGCP in Istanbul is her second Gestalt-based coach training program to garner ICF accreditation. Dorothy honed her rich teaching, coaching and consulting skills while serving in leadership and teaching roles at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and through her affiliation with other Gestalt centers. She provides world-class training in and transformative human development through Gestalt-based coaching and holistic approaches, leading to outstanding results for individuals, groups, and organizations. Her particular specialties are coaching for signature presence, leadership presence and peak performance; overcoming derailment; and working with high-performance groups and teams. She presents additional training and development opportunities at ICF conferences, Organization Development Network conferences and by invitation. Dorothy can be reached via email at [email protected]. The Gestalt coach provides clients with theory, tools and techniques that allow them to adaptively respond to volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The Gestalt coach teaches clients how to best coach themselves: to identify perceptual and behavioral patterns that are no longer useful to experiment safely with alternative perceptual and behavioral patterns to make meaning of and situate themselves within their multiple contexts and realities and to determine their best choices for success. When the coach skillfully and creatively uses core Gestalt principles, concepts and methodologies to teach clients the means to achieve on their own what they have been imagining, hoping for, dreaming about—that is, indeed, a powerful, pragmatic kind of magic. Coaching World | August 2013 39