Transactional Analysis and Embodied Coaching are always central to my blogs. I have seen many lives changed drastically through TA and today I want you, as a loyal reader, to enjoy the beautiful things I have experienced. That’s why I asked five participants, who have followed several of my courses, to speak. They will talk about what they have learned and how this has affected their life and work. I hope that their stories will inspire you to work on your own personal leadership.
1. Florence: TA helped me to meet the version of myself that I would like to be
When I started TA training in 2008 it was like starting a life journey. In the beginning it was more of an introspective journey. Meeting myself. Who am I? What is important to me? The TA training really gave me this opportunity. I had the feeling that if I had made that journey, I would meet the version of myself that I wanted to be, that I could develop myself into more professionally. Who do I want to be as a professional? The TA training helped me in that respect too. I often use the OK-OK position when I work with managers and that position has proved to be very useful in an international setting.
Linda also taught me how to be aware of my own body, what it does when I interact with others and how the other person reacts to me.
Florence Roisin-Van Loon graduated in Linda’s first training group and now helps people worldwide with online training in companies through her company Magellan Transition.
2. Nicole: I learned to position myself much more strongly in a difficult situation by applying ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ as a personal mantra
Through TA I found my way as a ‘lost’ partner travelling in Belgium. I learned to reflect and realise that the responsibility always lies with myself. Blaming others or ‘the situation’ will never result in a change. I am responsible myself for how I feel. I apply the ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ position from TA almost like a mantra when I encounter a difficult situation. It has helped me to overcome those situations by convincing myself that maybe they are OK, but so am I!
As a travelling partner you can sometimes feel that you are less OK, because your partner is the one with the career, not you. The mantra (TA doesn’t call it that, but for me it works that way) has given me a wonderful perspective on things. I learned to position myself much more strongly in challenging situations. More balanced and with more perspective. I learned that when there are difficult times, blaming someone else doesn’t help. At the end of the day, you are the one who makes the decisions.
I stayed with Linda for three years, because I kept learning new things. Linda has a lot of experience in travelling with a partner and can explain very well what TA means to her in those situations. You can see her passion for TA and she really listens to her participants, which has now resulted in a new focus in the programme I followed. I think that is very valuable in every training course.
Nicole Wedell-Von Leupold followed the 3-year TA programme that is now called Embodied Coaching. She now owns Talent Interlock and supports expats in Belgium.
3. Eva: I learned that a combination of organisational work and bodywork works well, because the real change happens at the emotional and body level.
I wish veryone health and life energy. In all areas. In your work as well as in your body and in your relationships. Whatever is important for each person. That you have the possibility to look for where you can help. That we look out for each other. That the organisation has an eye for its people who get the job done. I really believe that the body is also an important factor in bringing health.
I want to make a combination of classical organisational work and body work because I am learning that real change is in feeling and in the body. I believe that people – me at least – feel even more recognised by paying attention to that level.
I see around me that some people do not take or get enough space to keep themselves in balance in the world as we live now.
My dream with this bodywork is not only to work with people in organisations, but also – when I am old and wise later on – to be able to teach it myself. To be able to tell even more people about it and to learn together.
The programme meets my expectations because it makes a good connection between theory and practice, including the exercise, which we do with the group as well as switching to your own practice. Also working with your own experience and the experience within the group.
I really think Linda is a professional woman. Linda makes the difference for me in deep change. So, because we work with change and I want to change, for me the method Linda uses hits the nail on the head. I’m very eager to learn about it myself and I really want to use it and apply it to other people as well. Linda really takes her time; everyone really has the feeling that she is seen and heard by her. I think that’s really the essence too.
The greatest gift I have received is ‘don’t run away from what is important’.
Eva van der Randen has followed the Embodied Coaching course and is a coach and trainer in organisations.
4. Maarten: I have learned that, if you want to be a good coach or therapist, your own personal memories and your personal response to your client are very important to be able to give good guidance.
When it comes to an adoptee, it is the imprint, the physical development, that is very important, to be able to continue in personal development. To gain more insight into what these struggles are really about, but especially when approached from the body. This is an approach that is very rare and that gives me tools to apply in my practice. The great thing about the programme is that it also emphasises that if you want to be a good coach or therapist, your own personal memories and your personal reactions to your client are also very important in order to be able to provide good coaching. I think that is one of the most important things I learned there.
For me, Linda is a very warm personality who gives me a lot of security and confidence in the group. I have looked with great admiration at the care with which she is working and the natural way in which she constantly feels what is going on in the group and approaches it from the personal side. When I think of Linda, I think of warmth, care and professionalism and someone I can learn a lot from. I hope to continue to do that in the future.
Maarten van Zwieten took the Embodied Coaching course and is the owner of Adoption Studio, a coaching agency that offers guidance to people who have been adopted.
5. Veronica: I learned how to overcome difficult situations, such as a burn-out or the death of a family member, with the help of TA.
A few months ago, I published a blog about Veronica with an interview that I did with her about the successful first year of a TA course online.
She learned how to climb out of a burn-out. And now that she lives in South Korea she has started building her own coaching practice. She also learned how to deal with difficult family situations, as she experienced personally when her mother died, while living in South Korea.
Veronica Sartori is currently completing the TA course. The full interview with Veronica can be found [here].
Personal leadership as a guide
Whatever you want to achieve in life, it’s actually always about personal leadership. If you want to take steps in your career, but also if you want to improve the relationship with your children. If you want to take steps with your team as a leader, you will first have to deal with your uncertainties so that you can be a rock in the surf.
If you want better communication with your partner, you will have to start with yourself. In every conceivable area of your life in which you want change, you can take matters into your own hands with the help of personal leadership.
The programmes I offer therefore all have personal leadership as their guiding principle. Get to work with yourself and – as Florence so beautifully says – get to know the best version of yourself. Whatever your goal, with the help of TA and Embodied Coaching I guarantee that you will see more options than before.
If you follow my programme, you will grow both personally and professionally. You will then be able to achieve your goals, both in your personal life and in your career. I wish you that wholeheartedly.
I offer my programmes in different ways (online/offline/combi) and adapt them to your personal learning needs. Would you like to discover which programme and which form suits you best? Then feel free to schedule a Strategy Conversation with me.
You are welcome.
Yes, I want to plan a free Strategic Conversatioin with Linda