Coaching and the Gestalt approach: similarities and differences What is the point of running if you have chosen the wrong road? M. Leibling, R. Pryor “Coaching is simple” Indeed, how to make the right choice in life, how to achieve what you want? In addition to Gestalt therapy, I would also recommend coaching - an effective method of working on oneself, in my opinion, as one of the closest to the Gestalt approach, specifically for those people who do not want to delve deeply into psychological problems. What does coaching mean? Coaching is a partnership that results in participants achieving personal goals and satisfaction from the work. I found this definition from the above authors. Let's figure out why it is needed. The present time requires constant improvement if a person wants to realize himself and his capabilities in many areas of life. Personally, I believe that every person is endowed with many abilities by nature and is capable of developing an increasing number of their hidden capabilities in the process of life. Each period of a person’s life is specific and requires a special approach. It is impossible to act in the same ways all your life; by changing oneself, a person changes the environment and people around him. And this makes it possible to receive pleasure from life and from oneself, to live as they say “so that it is not excruciatingly painful...” However, sometimes a person does not know what needs to be done, how to move to a higher level of his development, he cannot choose ways to change, to realize his strengths, does not see the reasons that do not allow him to move forward. Have you noticed that sometimes, when thinking about your actions, it is as if you are talking to your inner censor, only no one answers you, or you think, but how? Ivan Ivanovich, a person significant to you or a specialist, would appreciate my actions. Of course, some people never listen to anyone at all, relying only on themselves. But they also learned from someone in the process of their personal growth. In early childhood, we learn from our parents. In ancient times, masters had students who worked alongside them, mastered the craft, and achieved greater success than their teachers. Such mentoring existed in different forms at different times. At the current level of development of the economy and production, an increasing number of companies are taking care of increasing the qualifications of their employees by inviting various trainers to conduct trainings. However, it happens that employees are not interested in what is offered to them; they need individual presentation at a convenient time and in accordance with their desire and speed of perception of information. All trainings are based on the learning principle, which is that if I did it, so can you. A valid principle indeed. But only for a specific situation. But if the situation has changed, the old principle does not work. And therefore, more and more often, specialists in various fields choose for themselves the path of training with an individual trainer, which is called coaching, and the trainer is a coach. Moreover, if the training is paid for by the company, then in the absence of funds, this is especially evident today during the crisis, specialists cannot obtain the necessary knowledge. Coaching only involves relying on your strengths and resources, and this is also considered a strong motivation. Because investing in yourself is the most priceless investment that cannot be taken away from you; it is your freedom of choice, your independence. You can continue coaching for as long as needed in a one-on-one meeting or just a phone call, anywhere. Coaching focuses on the client's goals, taking into account both his strengths and weaknesses. Coaching is a trusting relationship with a coach. However, coaching is a voluntary and independent process of human development. The coach only guides the process, providing information if the client wants it. There is business and life coaching, although it is very difficult to separate the areas of a person’s life. What coaching can giveperson? Discussion of the possibilities of change with a coach, the opportunity to see not only what was obvious, to outline new paths, to correlate the desired and the actual, to resolve internal contradictions, to take an “inventory” of one’s means and remain objective towards oneself, to say out loud what seemed internal voice. That is, a person can really understand what he really wants and how to achieve it. What is coaching not? Coaching is not consulting because... consulting involves adjustment, and coaching involves development. Coaching is not mentoring, because mentoring is a more directive method. Coaching is not punishment. Coaching is not training, because training involves informing and testing knowledge. Coaching is not just a conversation. Coaching is not therapy, because Therapy involves solving deep-seated psychological problems, the causes of which are in the person’s past. Coaching involves moving forward. Coaching is not training. Because As already mentioned above, training involves transferring skills of successful behavior, and coaching involves searching for them. How does coaching happen? What problems can be solved with a coach? Coaching takes place in the form of meetings at which the coach, using special questions, can help the client consider an emerging problem that he would like to solve, i.e. find ways to successfully solve it. This could be a fear of public speaking, a desire for career growth or finding a job that matches the client’s motivation, overcoming uncertainty when communicating with management, setting life goals and ways to solve them, taking into account the client’s strengths and weaknesses, and much more. Here is one of examples: A client approached me with a request to determine the reason why the organization did not conclude an extension of her employment contract with her, although the work under the previous contract was completed successfully and there were no complaints from management. As a result, her self-esteem as a professional was undermined. During our work, the client realized what mistakes she made in communicating with management in the process of completing a work task, got rid of the illusion that only completed work guarantees continued cooperation, i.e. I realized that not everything depends on ourselves. Unfortunately, it also happens that an overly zealous attitude to work and attachment to results harms the performer. But of course, if the client had contacted her when she felt that she had tension in her relationship with management, then this could have been avoided. My experience shows that very often those who perform the work take the blame if something does not work out the way they wanted, thereby undermining their own self-esteem as a specialist and as a person. So at present, when there are crisis phenomena and many specialists are afraid of being fired or remain without work, confidence in oneself is undermined not only as a professional, but also in one’s universal human qualities. And people are faced with questions: What am I? Why did this happen to me? What kind of specialist am I? So what's now? How not to fall under the hot hand? How to find new opportunities in yourself? Similarities and differences between the Gestalt approach and coachingIn my opinion, coaching applies many of the principles of the Gestalt approach. What unites them? The client receives powerful support, because both the coach and the therapist consider him unique and amazing, unlike others, they believe in his strength. The basis is based on the basic principles - empathy, trust, confidentiality. The client himself chooses, according to some qualities known only to him, “his” coach or gestalt- therapist. Allows you to find new ways of interacting with the environment, find a creative attitude towards life and situations. Allows you to find your own resources (realize your strengths) to overcome life's difficulties. Promote personal growth. Aimed at finding reasons that prevent the disclosure of opportunities or obtaining necessary experience. Allows the client to independently