You Get to Be the Amnesia Doctor

February 2023

Sometimes our clients forget ...

• Who they are
• What they’ve done
• Their belief in themselves
• And their “why” for what’s next.

They get amnesia.

Doubt, fear, worry, judgment, catastrophe thinking, and all the other familiar self-sabotaging suspects have a conniption party in their minds.

I’ve seen this in some of my coaching sessions this month.

A client on a job search with an amazing track record for success forgetting that all the skills she used to put her organization on the map are still within her

A teacher wanting to leave the profession forgetting to apply her own best teachings to herself - to have a growth mindset and that mistakes are part of the learning process.

A CEO dreading hiring new staff and forgetting her biggest employee attractor - how amazing her company culture is, which she intentionally created.

I’m not immune to this sort of amnesia either. I’ve doubted myself too, wondering:

“Who am I to go after this dream?

 

When amnesia shows up in your coaching sessions (or in you!), your job is to help your clients remember:

• Who they truly are
• The dream that has been sown in their heart
• And that they are more capable, creative and courageous than they give themselves credit for.

Here are two ways you can do that.

1. Interrupt the negative spiral

When you hear your client say things like:

• Who am I to do … ?
• How can I really make a difference with … ?
• What do I even have to offer ... ?

INTERRUPT IMMEDIATELY!

Stop that negative-thought train in its tracks. Make your client ANSWER their rhetorical, amnesia-infused question.

ASK ...

• Who are you?
• What difference do you make?
• What do you offer?
  
  

AND WAIT ...

Create space for their answer. You may need to repeat your question a few times.

But it works! And it’s powerful. Try it and you’ll see.

It’s the amnesia antidote.

Your clients will remember. They will reconnect with their truth. They will reestablish an empowered and grounded state of mind.

2. Assignment: Create a Life Manifesto

If you want to take it a step further, assign your clients the project of creating their own Life Manifesto (after you do your own of course).

A Life Manifesto is simply a written document where you speak yourself, your true nature, and your inspiration, dreams and how you want to show up in the world into being. present. now.

There is no formula or right or wrong way to do this.

At the very beginning of my coaching practice, I created one for myself. I read it daily, standing up, and out loud. See below for that example.

Reading your manifesto each day keeps amnesia away!

So, Coach, Who are you? What are you here for?

Happy remembering!

Mary