Coaching to
The Human Soul

Books by
Alan Sieler

Alan Sieler has continually broken new ground in the coaching literature with each of his four volumes of Coaching to the Human Soul: Ontological Coaching and Deep Change. His pioneering work in providing a written articulation of Ontological Coaching is internationally recognised and all four volumes are being used in coaching and leadership programs in Australia, South Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States.

He has made an invaluable contribution not only to coaching but also created an opportunity for readers to learn how to create successful individual lives and well-functioning families, communities, and organisations in the complexities of 21st-century living.

VOL 1

COACHING TO THE HUMAN SOUL VOLUME I

The Linguistic Basis of
Ontological Coaching.

COACHING TO THE HUMAN SOUL VOLUME III

The Biological and Somatic Basis of Ontological Coaching

COACHING TO THE HUMAN SOUL VOLUME II

Emotional Learning and
Ontological Coaching

COACHING TO THE HUMAN SOUL VOLUME IV

Towards Professional Artistry With Ontological Coaching

COACHING TO THE HUMAN SOUL VOLUME I

Coaching to the Human Soul - Ontological Coaching and Deep Change
Volume I: The Linguistic Basis of Ontological Coaching
By Alan Sieler

Coaching to the Human Soul breaks new ground in the literature on coaching, for it provides comprehensive coverage of what is probably the world’s most advanced approach to Executive Coaching and Life Coaching.

Ontological Coaching is based on a new understanding of human beings and human interaction. Grounded in a substantive and robust theoretical framework, the method and practice of Ontological Coaching enable people being coached to connect with their souls and experience deep positive change.

In this first of four volumes on Ontological Coaching, a new practical understanding of language and communication, and its coaching applications, is presented. This is a timely and invaluable contribution to progressing coaching from a fragmented industry towards becoming a profession.

Contents – Chapters

An Ontological Approach to Coaching
An Ontological Model of Learning and Change
The Historical Relevance of Ontological Learning
A New Understanding of Language
Listening: The Unacknowledged Dimension of Language
Silent and Invisible Actions Within Language
Basic Linguistic Tools for Human Possibility I
Basic Linguistic Tools for Human Possibility II
Basic Linguistic Tools for Human Possibility III
The Hidden Power of Conversations
Stories and Narratives as Deep Listening
Ontological Coaching, Language and the Human Soul

Begin reading Coaching to the Human Soul Volume I

Price for Volume I

AUD$66.00 (incl. GST for Australian customers)
AUD$60.00 (for International customers)
Postage and handling extra
Discounts are available when ordering 6 or more copies.
For further information, email info@newfieldinstitute.com.au or phone +61 3 9878 5501.

Critical Acclaim for Volume I

“There is a profound need for books of this nature, and coaches who coach at the level of excellence that is explored in Coaching to the Human Soul. This book sets the benchmarks for all coaching books, and it is a high bar.”

Christine MacDougall, Inaugural President, International Coach Federation Australia

“In times when we have erroneously equated knowing with having information, our epistemology has become soulless. Alan Sieler’s book is a wonderful articulation of a different path, where the question of what is being human is at the core of the adventure of learning and knowing. Ontological Coaching comes alive in this book. Great reading.”

Julio Olalla, co-developer of Ontological Coaching and President, Newfield Network Inc.

“This book is a must for anyone wishing to empower others or lead in bringing about fundamental change in their organisations. The reader is offered a powerful and well-grounded interpretation of the nature of being human, which can open new pathways for action and unprecedented results.”

Jim Selman, CEO Paracom Partners International

Vol2

COACHING TO THE HUMAN SOUL VOLUME II

Coaching to the Human Soul - Ontological Coaching and Deep Change
Volume II: Emotional Learning and Ontological Coaching

In this second volume of Coaching to the Human Soul, Alan Sieler breaks more new ground in the coaching literature, as well as in the study of emotions. By addressing the nature of genuine personal transformation, Alan skilfully demonstrates the centrality of moods and mood management for profound shifts in our perceptions of what is possible in life and our behavioural effectiveness. Drawing on significant developments in philosophy and biology, he articulates the ideas of major thinkers in a way that is comprehensible and applicable. In this process Alan adds important intellectual and practical depth to the concept of Emotional Intelligence. Like Volume I of Coaching to the Human Soul, this book is a rich source of personal and professional learning.

Contents – Chapters

PART I: Why Emotions Matter

The Transformative Power of Ontological Coaching
Another Perspective on the Nature of Deep Change I
Another Perspective on the Nature of Deep Change II
Being an Emotional Learner
An Ontological Interpretation of Emotions
Cultivating Emotional Acuity

PART II Moods and Deep Change

7. Moods: At the Heart of Our Emotional Existence
8. The Foundations of the Model Some Basic Moods of Life
9. Some Basic Moods of Life I
10. Some Basic Moods of Life II
11. Some Basic Moods of Life III
12. Some Basic Moods of Life IV
13. Some Resourceful Moods for Living and Coaching
14. Mood Management and Emotional Wisdom I
15. Mood Management and Emotional Wisdom II
16. Moods, Ontological Coaching and the Human Soul

Begin reading Coaching to the Human Soul Volume II

Price for Volume II

AUD$67.10 (incl. GST for Australian customers)
AUD$61.00 (for International customers)
Postage and handling extra

Discounts are available when ordering 6 or more copies.

For further information, email info@newfieldinstitute.com.au or phone +61 3 9878 5501.

Critical Acclaim for Volume II

"Volume II of Coaching to the Human Soul is an essential resource for any coach committed to doing serious work with clients. The author clearly presents a proven methodology that can quickly and deeply shift seemingly intractable client breakdowns. Rich in accessible examples and generous in references for further study, Alan Sieler's book is a foundational text in the emerging discipline of coaching."

James Flaherty

Author of Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others

Executive Coach and Director, New Ventures West, United States

"Alan Sieler has done it again in Volume II of Coaching to the Human Soul. In this volume Alan eloquently demonstrates the indispensable role of emotions and moods in deep change, developing a meaningful life and for creating better communities and organizations. He challenges us to “walk the talk” in understanding and applying emotions to our every day living and learning. People in leadership roles challenged by the demands of modern life and work will benefit enormously by reading and applying the emotional wisdom Alan conveys in a practical and relevant way."

Dennis Jackson

Executive Coach and Co-founder, Nirvana Consulting, South Africa

"Alan Sieler’s second volume of Coaching for the Human Soul is a must read. He again demonstrates a rare ability to combine a level of accessible theory with practical applications with the focus on moods and emotions. Alan provides a considerably expanded, deeper and highly practical understanding of the concept of Emotional Intelligence. Alan’s two volumes on Ontological Coaching are the clearest, most accessible and practical published material available on the ontological approach and provide a rich source of personal and professional learning."

Michael Prince

Director, Coach School, Perth, Western Australia

Vol 3

COACHING TO THE HUMAN SOUL VOLUME III

Coaching to the Human Soul - Ontological Coaching and Deep Change
Volume III: The Biological and Somatic Basis of Ontological Coaching

Acknowledged as the world’s leading authority on Ontological Coaching, Alan Sieler again breaks new ground in the coaching literature in his third volume of Coaching to the Human Soul.

In this book he brilliantly articulates the indispensable role of biology and the body for the transformation of being and sustainable change. Through his careful research of biology of cognition Alan makes complex scientific ideas intelligible and accessible, and skillfully provides a practical understanding of the inevitably biological nature of the change process in coaching. Alan also masterfully draws together the thinking of major philosophers and renowned somatic practitioners to provide a robust framework for coaching to the body as an integral part of the facilitation of deep change.

Like the two previous highly acclaimed volumes of Coaching to the Human Soul, this book is an immensely rich source of personal and professional learning.

Part I: The Biological Basis Of Ontological Coaching

Drawing on the biological research of Humberto Maturana and Francesco Varela, Part I of this volume lays out the biological underpinnings of Ontological Coaching and their applications for facilitating the transformation of being and deep change in coaching engagements.

The original scientific body of knowledge developed by Maturana and Varela, known as Biology of Cognition, was later expanded by Maturana to Biology of Love and further expanded more recently by Maturana and Ximena Davila as The Biological and Cultural Matrix of Human Existence. It is enormously gratifying that in reading Volume III Maturana has commented, "This book understands in a beautiful and coherent way the integral part of biology in coaching”.

While brain science now features in some approaches to coaching, the power of Maturana and Varela’s ideas is that they go beyond brain science to encompass our entire biology and the whole body. Much of the wisdom of their scientific body of knowledge is belatedly being realised in findings that have occurred in neuroscience.

Biology of Cognition and its later developments provide a robust foundation for the relevance of the body for the transformation of being and deep change. This is because change happens in the nervous system, which is all throughout the body and is not limited to the brain.

Part II: The Somatic Basis Of Ontological Coaching

Part II of this volume sets forth a solid philosophical and pragmatic rationale for the indispensable place of the body in the facilitation of profound learning and deep change. Just as there is a strong philosophical basis for the domains of language and emotions in the ontological methodology, somewhat surprisingly to some, there is also a very sound philosophical basis for the domain of the body, which is detailed across two chapters.

Much of the focus of the second section of the book is the pragmatics of the body. The reader is invited to not only understand foundational concepts developed by renowned somatic practitioners, but also to apply them to (i) how they understand and use their own body and (ii) explore potential somatic shifts that could enhance the quality of their perceptions and behavior, and hence the quality of their personal and professional life.

Personal engagement in Somatic Learning provides the basis for understanding how to coach to the domain of the body and a wide range of strategies for somatic coaching are outlined and illustrated in coaching examples. Commenting on Part II, noted author and executive coach Lyn Traill has commented, “Alan has skilfully woven knowledge gained from his extensive coaching experience with the insights and wisdom of great masters in the somatic realm”.

Contents – Chapters

PART I: The Biological Basis of Ontological Coaching

Biology, Body and Transformation
Introducing Biology of Cognition
Biology of Cognition I: The Autopoietic and Structurally Determined Nature of Living Systems
Biology of Cognition II: Structural Coupling and Biology of Interaction
Languaging and the Mental Life of Humans
Emotioning, Bodyhood and Biology of Love
Conversations, Culture and Social Change

PART II Moods and Deep Change

8. Somatic Philosophy and Ontological Coaching I
9. Somatic Philosophy and Ontological Coaching II
10. Perspectives on the Physiology of Doing
11. A Compromised Physiology of Doing
12. Towards a Poised Physiology of Doing
13. Coaching to the Domain of the Body
14. The Existential Context of Ontological Coaching
Glossary: Biology of Cognition

Begin reading Coaching to the Human Soul Volume III

Price for Volume III

AUD$68.20 (incl. GST for Australian customers)
AUD$62.00 (for International customers)
Postage and handling extra

Discounts are available when ordering 6 or more copies.

For further information, email info@newfieldinstitute.com.au or phone +61 3 9878 5501.

Critical Acclaim for Volume III

"Alan brings the final piece of the Way of Being jigsaw together in this stunning third volume of his work. He has used his rigorous research skills exquisitely to provide practitioners and lay people with sound theoretical, methodological and practical skills to facilitate profound learning and deep change that occurs in the nervous system. He has skilfully woven his own knowledge and practical application with insights into wisdom of great masters in the somatic realm."

Lyn Traill, Director of Traillblaze and author of Sizzling at Seventy

"This book understands in a beautiful and coherent way the integral part of biology in coaching, and the art and science of conversations that are the generator of cultural worlds as realities in our living and living together, and as the dynamic that gives rise to spaces of well-being and ill-being that in the end guide our living and living together. The present book also represents in the world of organizations a new vision that takes into account the cultural transition that we live in the present, focusing on the cultural diversity inside organizations that in the modern world is the natural medium of coexistence in which the living of people happens as human beings."

Ximena Dávila and Humberto Maturana, Co-founders Matriztica School of Santiago, Chile

“Your books are an elegant, deeply human expression of the poetry of coaching and the song of life. I am grateful for the collected and curated wisdom from you and others in these rare and nourishing books. Thank you.”

Lloyd Raines, MCC

Founding faculty member of Georgetown University Leadership

Coaching Program & Institute for Transformational Leadership.

Vol 4

COACHING TO THE HUMAN SOUL VOLUME IV

Coaching to the Human Soul - Ontological Coaching and Deep Change
Volume IV: Towards Professional Artistry with Ontological Coaching

In this final volume of the globally acclaimed Coaching to the Human Soul series, Alan Sieler reinforces the recognition he has been accorded as the world’s leading authority on Ontological Coaching. Alan brilliantly takes the field of coaching one step further into the territory of coaching artistry. He outlines a well-considered and grounded approach for understanding the nature of artistry and mastery that goes beyond the current understanding in the coaching industry.

In doing so he presents a well-argued case for the invaluable contribution the ontological approach can make to the many significant existential challenges people face these days, that are properly not regarded as mental health matters. In this process he points to the importance of coaching moving beyond being an unregulated industry and becoming professionalised so that it can gain wider recognition as a genuine contributor to mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Like the three previous highly acclaimed volumes of Coaching to the Human Soul, this book is an immensely rich source of personal and professional learning.

Part I: Professional Artistry

The opening section contains three chapters on the notions of artistry and professional artistry, which includes the views of notable philosophers that are consistent with the philosophical underpinnings of Ontological Coaching. Also included are two chapters outlining a framework of complex skill acquisition that illuminates the inevitable phases to be passed through on a path to coaching artistry. Finally, in this section the crucial role of intuition in the development of artistry in the latter phases of complex skill acquisition is expounded.

Part II: A Basis for Artistry in Ontological Coaching

A detailed exposition of the notion of Ontological Design outlines in detail the importance of the coach being continually active and becoming increasingly skilled in applying the ontological methodology to enhance the quality of their own existence. This is regarded as an indispensable basis for becoming proficient in supporting clients to deal with existential issues in their personal and working lives. Engaging in ontological design consists of three components.

Firstly, the coach ensuring they are open to continually learn about and expand their own Way of Being, as well as other aspects of human perception and behaviour. Being an ontological learner is indispensable for the development of coaching artistry.

The second component of ontological design is the utilisation of a framework called Permanent Domains of Human Concern to reflect in detail on the quality of existence that is being experienced in the wide range of areas or domains of life that the coach is inevitably involved in. Identifying the specific areas of life that are going well and the areas of life in which there is a desire for improvement is an essential part of what can be called “existential goal setting”.

The third component of ontological design is Ontological Self-Coaching. Enhancing the quality of existence comes from self-generated shifts in perception and behaviour, which is greatly facilitated by self-coaching. Ontological Self-Coaching is oriented toward the coach developing the practice of the self-transformation of their being and becoming more self-authoring in this process.

Part III: Cultivating Artistry in Ontological Coaching

A dynamic process model of Ontological Coaching is outlined that identifies five phases of the coaching engagement. Coaching artistry is evident when coach works proficiently through each of the five phases, providing a conversational context in which the coachee can make important discoveries and undergo a significant shift in their Way of Being. A detailed exposition of the complex skillsets associated with each phase is provided, which includes the skilful application of the fundamental principles and generic competences of Ontological Coaching.

Part IV: Historical Positioning of Ontological Coaching

In the final section of the book it is contended that Ontological Coaching is an innovative and history-making endeavour that can facilitate clients enhancing their ontological security and adaptive resilience, enabling them to make progress with their existential issues. In addition, the interpretation is advanced that because Ontological Coaching is based on a solid theoretical foundation, has a well-articulated methodology and ensures extensive practice and experiential learning, it has a significant contribution to make to advancing the professionalisation of coaching.

Contents – Chapters

PART I: Professional Artistry

The Notion of Artistry
Some Philosophical Perspectivces on Artistry
The Potential for Professional Artistry in Ontological Coaching
A Path to Professional Artistry I
A Path to Professional Artistry II
Dionysian Wisdom and Professional Artistry

PART II: Ontological Design: A Basis For Artistry in Ontological Coaching

7. Ontological Design and Coaching Artistry
8. The Coach as an Ontological Learner I
9. The Coach as an Ontological Learner I
10. Permanent Domains of Human Concern
11. Ontological Self-Coaching I
12. Ontological Self-Coaching II

PART III: Cultivating Artistry in Ontological Coaching

13. Introducing a Dynamic Process Model of Ontological Coaching
14. Phase 1: Being in the Most Resourceful Way of Being for the Coachee
15. Phase 2: Conversation for Clarity and Artistry in Questioning
16. Phase 3: Conversation for Exploration and Possibility I
17. Phase 3: Conversation for Exploration and Possibility II
18. The Final Phases of the Coaching Engagement

PART IV: Historical Positioning of Ontological Coaching

19. The Historical Relevance of Ontological Coaching
20. The Contribution of Ontological Coaching to the Professionalisation of Coaching

Begin reading Coaching to the Human Soul Volume IV

Price for Volume IV

AUD$69.30 (incl. GST for Australian customers)
AUD$63.00 (for International customers)
Postage and handling extra

Discounts are available when ordering 6 or more copies.

For further information, email info@newfieldinstitute.com.au or phone +61 3 9878 5501.