We are on the road traveling today to Mount Shasta, which is the root chakra of the earth. And apparently, it is full of amazing energy and is an amazing place to visit, so we’re really excited. And while we’re on this drive, I thought it would be fun to talk about the five benefits of group coaching for growth and development.
Group coaching provides interesting additions to the therapeutic process that I find really beneficial and here are my top 5:
1.) syn·er·gy /ˈsinərjē/ noun
The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
One of the benefits of group coaching is synergy. Group coaching provides this energetic side effect that allows each participant to feel and be inspired by the energy of the others in the group.
We are all electromagnetic beings. We have energy fields emanating from us. This is science, this is not woo-woo. These biofields, which is what they’re called, can be felt by, and impact the people around us. That’s why you can walk into a room and think, “I don’t like this vibe, don’t kill my vibe” – which has become the catchy trendy word, and essentially what it means is that we’re able to pick up on vibration – emotional, energetic vibration.
Every time we think about a thought, we have an emotion that accompanies that thought. Emotion quite literally IS energy in motion. The emotion we feel creates a physical response in the body. These energetic vibrations can be felt up to at least 12 feet around us and that is what is considered to be our biofield. And it is why we literally can pick up on the quote “vibe” of other people.
Putting people in a group together, with a similar mindset, goals, and intentions, creates energy, and that energy can make it easier to get the momentum and energy going to reach their goals. This is what synergy is all about and why I consider it to be the #1 benefit of group coaching.
2.) Validation
The second benefit that I think is great for group coaching is validation.
Oftentimes, we can get too much in our heads and think that our story and our problems, and our blocks are unique to us. And typically, unfortunately, they are not unique. Frequently, people who are seeking the same types of goals have the same intentions in mind and are going to bump up against similar blocks.
During group coaching you can receive a lot of validation that you’re not alone, that you’re not weird, that you’re not some outlier in the world who’s just struggling while it’s easy for everyone else.
3.) Gut Check Mirroring
The third benefit, which I call “gut check mirroring” goes hand-in-hand with validation. When we hear other people tell their stories out loud or talk about their blocks and where they’re stuck and having issues, and we see them tying themselves up in verbal knots with spiraling thoughts, it can give us a gut check. Often, it’s like looking in a mirror and we think, oh my God! I must sound like that. And when we’re hearing someone else speak that way, we can often see solutions for them that they can’t see. Because the problem is so close to them, they can’t get enough space to get clarity. So, the gut-check mirroring part comes from when we see parts of ourselves, mirrored in other people and it’s very clear to us why they’re stuck. If we can pause and recognize it and then apply it to ourselves, it’s a pretty good recipe for getting unstuck which is an amazing benefit.
4.) Accountability
The fourth benefit of group coaching is accountability. If you know you’re going to be meeting with a group each week and everyone has their goals, mindset, and intentions heading in the same direction, accountability comes into play because we know other people are going to be asking us about what we did or what we didn’t do and why we didn’t do it.
Healthy accountability is created when everyone in the group becomes coaches for each other and can check in with: “hey, last week you said you’re going to do XYZ, what happened there.” This allows the group to gently hold space to explore the blind spots people have when they are sabotaging their progress.
When I coach either six-week or six-month-long programs for small groups, we have group chats and group threads for communicating in between sessions. And there’s a lot of additional accountability that goes on in between sessions that I often am not a part of. I’m kind of hands-off. I’m always monitoring the group, but a lot of what goes on in those discussions is amongst group members chatting with each other holding space for each other, and providing accountability.
5.) Support & Cheerleading
The fifth benefit of group coaching is support and cheerleading. Again, this kind of goes back to synergy. When we’re in a group and we’re focused on the same intention and goal and everyone there has a similar mindset, the amount of support and cheerleading you receive is exponentially increased. I love that component of group coaching a lot, I find it to be incredibly beneficial.
For myself personally, whenever I’m hosting group certifications or attending them myself, one of my favorite parts of the experience is getting people in a room together who have similar mindsets and intentions and watching the support and cheerleading that takes place. It creates a really, really great atmosphere.
I love coaching groups. I love my one-on-ones and my couple’s work but group coaching again, has added benefits that create a really great atmosphere. And helps, again, to remind you that you’re not alone in this and that there are other people out there who want the same things and have similar mindsets and intentions.
If you’re interested in group coaching, feel free to check out my group coaching pages or follow me on Instagram at coach_KatieK. I offer six-week and six-month group coaching programs, and I have a six-week program coming up called “The Art of Confrontation,” where we’re going to spend six weeks, unblocking everything that might be preventing you from speaking your truth. And then we’re going to do a lot of practicing and some subconscious change to make that much much easier.
I also have a six-month group coming up this summer called “Quantum Leap.” We meet every other week for 6 months to clarify all of your goals, create a goal map and then subconsciously unblock anything that’s stopping you from reaching those goals. If you’re interested in those check them out and feel free to ask me any questions you may have or book a free 15-minute call to discuss what options might work best for you!