“Dialectics in Life Coaching” Master Class

NOTE: This class is presently not in the IDM curriculum but will be added back upon demand. For inquiries, please contact us.

Life coaching today is either behavioral (performance oriented) or spiritual (wellness oriented), or else it is a mix of the two. Such coaching is rarely developmental, or based on adult developmental research. Even where it is, the emphasis is one-sidedly on the client’s meaning making (developmental stages), in contrast to his or her cognitive development (sense making).

IDM’s pioneering distinction between social-emotional meaning making and cognitive sense making positions it as a major resource of teaching more precise as well as subtle methods of process consultation. This master class rehearses methods of dialectical thinking in life coaching. Overlap with the class called “dialectics in psychotherapy” is slight, given the unique emphasis of this class on the client’s performance, goal setting, goal pursuit, and goal accomplishment in the short run.

Developmental research shows that adults naturally grow into dialectical thinking once their formal logical thinking is mature. It shows further that this evolution occurs in four phases, each of which is characterized by a different ability to think holistically and systemically (Basseches, 1984). Dialectical thinking is essentially a discovery procedure in which the mental space constrained by formal logic is greatly expanded. Ways of making sense of experiences multiply. Based on knowing in what phase of cognitive development a client presents himself, life coaches acquire additional tools for relieving stuckness, fear, procrastination, and self-fulfilling prophecy.

In this master class, practitioners learn about the four Quadrants of Dialectic and the way they give rise to diagnostic as well as supportive interventions that clarify clients’ goal path and goal pursuit. The life coaching taught is “ontological” and “integral” at the same time. It also includes elements of positive psychology. In its emphasis on language as a medium of creating the client’s world, the class also offers elements of NLP practice.

In operational terms, this master class entails learning dialectical thought forms and practicing their use as Mind Openers. Therefore, participation in this class presupposes knowledge of cognitive process consulting, which in turn requires Gateway self study. The textbook for the class is volume 2 of Measuring Hidden Dimensions of Human Systems, published in the Fall of 2008 by IDM Press. Obtaining a developmental assessment prior to or during the master class is highly recommended since it enhances clarity about the practitioner’s use of self in psychotherapy.

Tuition for Dialectics in Life Coaching pays for:

• Six 2-hour live teleclasses
• Set of six 2-hour audio recordings of a 2008 tele-class on cognitive development
• PDF of Section Three of volume 2 of Measuring Hidden Dimensions (Fall 2008)
• PDF of the Manual of Dialectics, Appendix of volume 2
• Article on an Integrative Model of Developmental Coaching/Supervision (Laske, 1999)
• Article on mentoring a behavioral coach (Laske, 2007)
• Article on the CDF methodology (Laske, 2008)
• Access to articles and presentations
• Completion interview with Dr. Laske to assess participants’ ability to use thought forms as mind openers.

Register for the Dialectics in Life Coaching Master Class