Self-esteem and the Clean Language coaching method

May 182010

Most of my blogs are about self esteem because I want to focus on that, but some of you have asked about the coaching technique I use.

I coach people who are overcoming low self-esteem mainly using a technique called Clean Language. It’s the most powerful technique I’ve found for staying with the content of what the client is telling me, but also following their structure (the sequence of events; what’s linked to what; and what the goal is). I’ll go with you, to whatever goal you want, I’ll play out whatever metaphor you want and we’ll go at the pace you want. How often do you replay a bad day’s events in your head, perhaps like a film? But it’s in your head and probably hard to remember all at once. If you’re coached with Clean Language, you can express it, put a theme tune to it, write the tag line and see it as a whole. The questions, metaphors and repetition help you see things from different perspectives and you can then look to change that film next time it plays out.

During a coaching session, I listen closely to what a coaching client tells me they want and what’s going on for them in terms of self-esteem. Together we explore what they know deeply about that, what they believe strongly and the palpable feelings that they experience. We don’t focus on distant theories or ill-fitting labels but on the client’s own experiences, patterns and how their life works. It’s not about short-term enthusiasm but focussed on what will genuinely help them achieve their goals. As the client takes responsibility for their exploration, they remember forgotten social confidence, gain new perspectives on their issues and discover how to be their best self.

If you’d like to hear more about Clean Language, here are some links:

Judy Rees facilitates a Clean Language session: