The Experiential Metaphor™
Traditional coaching, using a range of tools, techniques and models, often takes place in an office environment, using conversation as a vehicle for exploration. Whilst powerful in its own right, we at The Parallax Partnership became curious about how we could augment the experiential aspect of the learning process in coaching and therefore turbo-boost the change process. Our aim has been to create a stimulating and challenging environment for our clients to learn, and ultimately to take a different view of critical areas for change in their lives.
As an integrated part of the bespoke coaching programme our clients have access to a portfolio of experiences - The Experiential Metaphor™ which creates a safe, yet personally challenging environment in which to learn. Looking to children for inspiration, we know that playful curiosity is the ideal state for learning. We feel it is important to encourage the client to replicate this curious state as a pre-requisite to their own development; to set down judgment of a 'right' or a 'wrong', a 'good' or a 'bad' experience. All experience has value and it is the value, and therefore the learning, that we encourage our clients to seek.
Our experience has been that because our clients are removed from the everyday context of their challenges, they are released to engage their creative brain in problem solving, seeing parallels in their experience with issues and opportunities in other areas of their lives. This is the nature of metaphoric exploration.