Ontological Coaching Course

Lesson 1 • What Is Ontological Coaching

Defines ontology as the study of being and explains how it grounds a coaching practice. Connects philosophical origins to practical coaching application.

Lesson 2 • Core Domains of Human Existence

Presents language, emotions, and body as the three primary domains through which humans exist and act. Establishes the triadic model used throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Ontological Coaching Ethics and Stance

Covers the ethical commitments and relational stance required of an ontological coach. Grounds professional conduct in respect for the client's way of being.

Lesson 1 • Declarations That Transform Being

Focuses on declarations as the most powerful speech act for ontological change. Coaches learn to help clients make authentic, grounded declarations.

Lesson 2 • Speech Acts and Their Power

Introduces Austin and Searle's speech act theory adapted for coaching contexts. Shows how declarations, assertions, requests, offers, and promises shape reality.

Lesson 3 • Listening as an Ontological Practice

Reframes listening as an active, interpretive act that shapes what becomes possible. Coaches develop deep listening skills that open new conversational spaces.

Lesson 4 • Narratives, Stories, and Identity

Explores how clients construct self-limiting or empowering narratives about themselves. Coaches learn to surface and reauthor these stories through language.

Lesson 1 • Primary Emotions and Their Domains

Maps key emotions such as resentment, grief, anxiety, and enthusiasm to the possibilities they open or close. Coaches learn to recognize these in client conversations.

Lesson 2 • Cultivating Empowering Emotional States

Teaches coaches to help clients intentionally shift into more resourceful emotional dispositions. Integrates language and body practices to anchor new states.

Lesson 3 • Emotions vs. Feelings vs. Moods

Distinguishes emotions, feelings, and background moods as distinct ontological phenomena. Provides coaches with precise vocabulary for emotional work.

Lesson 1 • Posture, Gesture, and Presence

Examines how posture and gesture express and reinforce a client's way of being. Coaches learn to gently surface somatic observations in sessions.

Lesson 2 • Somatic Intelligence in Coaching

Introduces the concept that the body holds patterns of being beyond conscious awareness. Establishes somatic observation as a legitimate coaching competency.

Lesson 3 • Somatic Practices for Lasting Change

Explores how repeated somatic practices create new embodied habits that sustain coaching outcomes. Links body work back to language and emotional domains.

Lesson 1 • Self-Assessments and Identity Traps

Examines how clients hold self-assessments as fixed truths that constrain their identity. Coaches learn to open space for new self-assessments without forcing change.

Lesson 2 • Assertions vs. Assessments

Clarifies the ontological difference between factual assertions and interpretive assessments. Coaches learn to identify which type of statement a client is making.

Lesson 3 • Interpretive Moves and Reframing

Introduces interpretive moves as deliberate shifts in how a situation is understood. Coaches practice reframing techniques that expand client possibility.

Lesson 1 • Designing Interventions Across Three Domains

Guides coaches in selecting language, emotional, or somatic interventions matched to the client's need. Develops judgment for choosing the right domain at the right moment.

Lesson 2 • Closing and Generating Commitments

Focuses on closing sessions with clear commitments and forward-looking actions. Ensures clients leave with embodied clarity and accountability structures.

Lesson 3 • Opening and Establishing the Coaching Space

Covers how to open a session in a way that establishes trust and a clear coaching contract. Sets the relational and ontological tone for productive work.

Lesson 4 • Exploring the Client's Current Observer

Teaches coaches to map the client's current way of observing their situation through inquiry. Builds on the OAR model to locate the source of the client's challenge.

Lesson 1 • Tracking Progress and Adjusting Plans

Covers methods for reviewing practice outcomes and adjusting learning plans accordingly. Builds a feedback loop between sessions and between-session work.

Lesson 2 • Long-Term Engagement Architecture

Guides coaches in structuring multi-session engagements with clear milestones and review points. Ensures sustained ontological development rather than episodic insight.

Lesson 3 • Learning as an Ontological Process

Frames learning as a shift in the observer rather than mere information acquisition. Connects learning design to the core ontological model.

Lesson 1 • Systemic and Relational Coaching

Extends ontological coaching to relational systems such as teams and partnerships. Coaches learn to hold multiple observers simultaneously in a session.

Lesson 2 • Integrative Supervised Practice

Provides structured supervised coaching sessions with feedback from experienced practitioners. Synthesizes all course competencies into a coherent, personal coaching style.

Lesson 3 • The Coach's Own Ontological Development

Focuses on the coach's continuous self-development as a prerequisite for advanced practice. Integrates reflective supervision and peer feedback as growth tools.

Lesson 4 • Coaching Complex Observers

Addresses clients with deeply entrenched worldviews, strong defenses, or high complexity. Coaches develop patience and advanced inquiry skills for these cases.