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