Maximize Your Coaching Effectiveness with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

180 Pages·2011·1.51 MB·English

by  Richard Blonna EdD

PSYCHOLOGY M
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More than i
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Boost YouR lifE-coaching pRacticE u MaxiMizE YouR
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As a life coach, you help people live purposeful lives that are driven by their deepest
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values. And although your clients may not have diagnosable mental health disorders, it’s f
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likely that many of them encounter mental roadblocks such as fear, stress, anxiety, and E
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worry that keep them from reaching their goals and developing their full potential. t
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Thousands of cognitive behavioral psychologists from n
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around the world rely on a method called acceptance and
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Maximize your coaching commitment therapy (ACT) to help their therapeutic cli- s

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effectiveness by: ents get “unstuck” from these barriers and improve their with
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level of functioning. In Maximize Your Coaching h
• adapting poWERful
Effectiveness with Acceptance and Commitment a
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psYchological tEchniQuEs Therapy, you’ll learn to help your coaching clients c Skills to help your clients: accEptancE
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to fit YouR lifE-coaching
harness these powerful psychological techniques to p
pRacticE identify their passions, set values-based professional and ta • iMpRovE psYchological
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personal goals, and realize their full potential. By guiding flExiBilitY
• lEaRning siMplE ExERcisEs c
your clients through ACT-based exercises in mindfulness E
You can do With cliEnts to & • gEt unstuck coMMitMEnt
training and values clarification, you’ll help them accept &
hElp thEM gEt unstuck c
aspects of their situations that can’t be changed, coexist • achiEvE goals
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• gEtting tips foR assEssing with fear and other painful emotions, and commit to M
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taking the actions that will lead them to success.
cliEnts, assigning i t h ER a p Y
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hoMEWoRk, and spaRking
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Motivation RICHARd BLONNA, Edd, is a university professor and n
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author in Hillsborough, NJ, who has integrated acceptance and
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• hElping cliEnts MastER h
commitment therapy (ACT) principles and practices into his work
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MindfulnEss to ovERcoME as a teacher and nationally certified life coach, counselor, and R
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fEaR, WoRRY, and health education specialist. p RichaRd Blonna, E d
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newharbingerpublications, inc. n
www.newharbinger.com n
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Richard Blonna, EdD, is a university professor and author who has integrated acceptance
and commitment therapy (ACT) principles and practices into his work as a teacher and
nationally certified life coach, counselor, and health education specialist. He has helped
thousands of students and clients learn how to manage stress and other mental barriers and
meet their life goals. He lives in Hillsborough, NJ.
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BecoMing a Life coach stress Less, Live More Buddha’s Brain
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“For any coach who wants to be more effective and find more fulfillment in their work, this
textbook is a must-have. Richard Blonna has done an excellent job of making the ACT
model clear and accessible. Not just a highly practical book, but also an interesting and
entertaining read.”
— Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap and ACT Made Simple

“Blonna has done a superlative job of integrating the ACT principles and practices with
coaching. I found the most valuable part was dealing with what Blonna calls the psycho-
logically inflexible client. His tips for how to assist clients in getting ‘unstuck’ using values
fusing are enlightening and powerful. I also greatly appreciate his mindfulness strategies
and how they blend with his concrete and practical tools. His intake forms are essential for
all practitioners. This book is a must-read for both coaches and counselors!”
— Lyn Kelley, PhD, LMFT, CPC, president of GROW Training Institute, Inc.,
continuing education and coach training organization
“This beautifully written and intensely practical book marries two unlikely bedfellows—
a therapeutic approach (ACT) with the practice of life coaching. Guided by the author’s
gentle, expert hand, it became clear to me that this marriage is like that of two soulmates,
who together dance effortlessly, elevating one another to achieve a common purpose: a life
that matters. This book delivers on the promise in its title. Full of practical exercises and
evidence-based know-how, it is a must-read for life coaches who want to enrich their work
and make a difference in the lives of those who are stuck and trying to find a way forward.”
— John P. Forsyth, PhD, professor of psychology and director of the anxiety
disorders research program at the University of Albany - SUNY and author of
Your Life on Purpose and The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety
“For many years, acceptance and commitment training has been applied to organizations,
and it’s only natural to extend the benefits to coaching. In his book, Blonna combines a
clear and concise description of ACT with his vast knowledge of coaching. Beyond those
interested in coaching, anyone interested in using ACT for themselves or with others would
benefit from reading this book.”
—Kevin L. Polk, PhD, author of Psychological Flexibility Training
“ACT seems destined to transform the coaching profession. The scientifically-based princi-
ples of ACT are based on the psychology of normal people and fit the structure and purpose
of coaching hand in glove. Readable, sensible, and comprehensive, this volume shows you
exactly how to apply ACT to your coaching practice. If you work as a coach or are consider-
ing doing so, there is no better place to begin.”
— Steven C. Hayes, PhD, Foundation Professor at the University of Nevada and
author of Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life
MaxiMizE YouR
coaching

EffEctivEnEss

with

accEptancE
coMMitMEnt

&
t h ER a p Y
RichaRd Blonna, E d
d
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter
covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial,
legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent profes-
sional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2010 by Richard Blonna
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
“Strategy 39; Strength of Values” from VALUES CLARIFICATION by Dr. Sidney B. Simon, Dr. Leland
W. Howe, and Dr. Howard Kirschenbaum. Copyright © 1995 by Dr. Sidney B. Simon, Dr. Leland W.
Howe and Dr. Howard Kirschenbaum. By permission of Grand Central Publishing.
All Rights Reserved
Acquired by Tesilya Hanauer; Cover design by Amy Shoup; Edited by Nelda Street

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Blonna, Richard.
Maximize your coaching effectiveness with acceptance and commitment therapy / Richard Blonna.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-57224-931-8 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-57224-932-5 (pdf ebook) -- ISBN 978-1-60882-654-4
(epub ebook)
1. Personal coaching. 2. Motivation (Psychology) 3. Acceptance and commitment therapy. I. Title.
BF637.P36.B58 2011
158’.3--dc22
2011005850
This book is dedicated to Lyn Kelley, Ph.D., my coaching mentor.