Unlock Your Coaching Potential: Empower Your Clients with Advanced Techniques

As coaches, we often assume that clients come to us primarily to achieve their goals, enhance their personal growth, improve relationships, or manage stress and burnout. These are often driven mainly by « Toward Motivation »—the desire to move forward, develop new skills, and reach what they truly want, as opposed to « Away From Motivation, » which focuses on avoiding or fixing issues.

But is goal achievement all that clients really seek?

One important distinction between therapy and coaching is how each is perceived: therapy is often seen as a way to address and resolve issues, while coaching is viewed as a path toward future-focused goal achievement. In simple terms, it’s solving problems versus achieving outcomes.

Yet, in the real world of coaching, helping clients achieve their goals often involves addressing underlying psychological barriers such as insecurities, overwhelm, or trauma, as well as external challenges like work stress or negative life events. This is why mastering problem-solving techniques is crucial—not just for therapists, but for coaches too. By clearing these hurdles, we can empower clients to truly live the lives they aspire to.

In this article, I’m excited to share three advanced problem-solving techniques that can transform your coaching practice.

Creating Mental Space: How to Unstick Clients and Help Them Toward Positive Outcomes

One of the three key techniques is based on the work of Connirae Andreas, specifically her insights on verb tenses from her audio program « Advanced Language Patterns »—a resource I highly recommend.

As coaches, we’ve all encountered clients who are so entrenched in negativity that they struggle to even consider their future goals. They may say they want to move forward, but their past problems are holding them back. Connirae Andreas’ technique is designed to help clients break free from this past-oriented thinking, creating a clear mental space where new goals and outcomes can flourish.

As a coach, one of the most impactful skills you can develop is guiding your clients from only problem-focused thinking to a goal-oriented mindset.

Here is Connirae’s powerful technique to help you do just that, ensuring your clients are ready to embrace the future they desire.

Step 1: Listen Attentively and Without Interrupting

Start by giving your full attention to your client’s concerns. Listen carefully without interrupting. This shows respect and helps you fully understand their situation.

Step 2: Summarize their Key Points in the Immediate Past

When they pause in the conversation, summarize the key points they’ve shared, but phrase them in the immediate past tense. This subtle shift helps them begin to move beyond the issue.

Use their exact words and make it a statement that invites confirmation.
For example:
Client: “It’s so annoying that they always delay things! “
Coach: “You: “So you have been really annoyed when they’ve delayed things.”

Step 3: Test Their Readiness to Move Forward

Now, test whether they’re ready to shift to a more positive, outcome-focused frame of mind.
To do this, ask: “Is that right?”

• If they say “yes”, it’s a sign they’re ready to move forward. This is your cue to ask goal-oriented questions such as:
  – “What is important to you now?”
  – “How would you like this situation to be?”
  – “What is your goal?”

These questions help them start thinking in a Toward frame of mind, focusing on what they want to achieve rather than what they want to avoid.

• If they say “no” or repeat the problem, it’s a sign they’re not quite ready to shift their mindset. In this case, return to step 1. Continue listening without interrupting, then summarize again in the immediate past. Repeat this process until they’re ready to move on.

Example:
Coach: « And you also have been feeling that it wasn’t fair. Is that right?”
Client: “It’s totally not fair. No one else gets criticized in front of the group.”
Coach: “No one else has been criticized in front of the group. (Pause) Is that right?”
Client: “Yup.” (sighing)
Coach: What would you like to make happen here?
Client: « I’d like to have an informal chat with my boss to talk about better ways to react to my work.”

This simple, yet effective technique helps your clients get ready to move forward.

3-2-1 Formula for Skeptics: Guiding Clients from Doubt to Action

As a coach, you’ll often encounter clients who are skeptical—people who find it hard to embrace an optimistic outlook or believe that your suggestions will work for them. These clients might feel that change is impossible under their current circumstances. To help them move forward, they first need to leave their skepticism behind.

I developed this powerful 3-2-1 technique to meet them at their bus stop, in their negativity, and then create a segue toward a more positive, outcome-oriented mindset. Surprisingly, this method, which ends with a reassurance that echoes their initial doubts, can effectively pull them out of a negative spiral and toward actionable goals.

Here’s how the 3-2-1 Formula works:

1. Start with Three Examples of Their Issues Using “Away From” Language
Begin by acknowledging their concerns using their own words, that reflect what they want to avoid. This validates their feelings and shows that you understand their struggles.

2. Create a Segue to the Next Step
Transition to the next step by using phrases such as,
« That’s why… »,
« Therefore,
I suggest… », or
« Which means it might be helpful to… ».
This helps them see a path forward from their current situation.

3. Present two examples of outcomes they could aim for Using “Toward” Language
This moves the conversation toward goal-setting and future possibilities.

4. End with One Example of Something They Want to Avoid
Conclude by circling back to one of their original concerns, reinforcing that achieving their goals will help them avoid what they don’t want. This completes the loop, subtly reassuring them while keeping the conversation outcome oriented.

Example: (each step from above is underlined below)

Coach: « You want to get away from this issue, make sure it doesn’t bother you again, and not have to pay so much attention to it…

That’s why I suggest that you figure out some goals that you really want to reach.

So you won’t have to deal with this anymore. »

3 Away From
2 Toward
1 Away From

This method may require some practice, but it can be especially useful when you notice your client is resistant to creating an outcome. Encourage them to express their skepticism clearly, as this gives you the insight you need to craft a personalized 3-2-1 response.

Context Painting: Creating Resourceful States for Decision-Making

Context Painting is a powerful technique we developed during the LAB Profile® Consultant/Trainer/Coach certification process, inspired by Bill Huckabee’s genius in focus group facilitation. This method is excellent for helping clients create their own solutions, and it’s particularly effective in understanding how customers make decisions about purchasing products or services.

I often use this instead of the classic NLP Anchoring Technique. It allows you to grasp the entire decision-making process, understand how someone creates positive states in themselves and others, and ultimately achieve their desired outcomes—all without taking notes.

The technique consists mainly of making statements with a question mark in your tone, about where, when, with whom and an action to help your client “paint their context”. It serves as a form of verbal anchoring, transporting the client back into the environment where key events occurred, enabling them to access deeper insights and details about the situation. Often you can just guess about the where, when etc., and the person will correct you and fill in the blanks.

The Technique:

1. Start by asking about their goal or what’s important to them
This sets the stage and gives you insight into their priorities.

2. Make more statements than questions, using the present tense
Use statements about where, when, and with whom they are taking action. This “paints” their context, helping them access more information about the situation.

3. Apologize when you have to ask questions
This keeps the conversation flowing naturally and ensures that your client remains comfortable.

4. Feedback what you hear to move forward
Repeat back their last sentence or phrase, to help them feel understood and keep the dialogue moving.

Sample Dialogue:
Coach: « What is your goal? »
Client: « I want to get better at understanding my clients’ needs more quickly. »
Coach: « You want to get better at understanding your clients’ needs more quickly, … especially when you are sitting down with them in your office? » (guessing the context)
Client: « Actually, more when I’m on the phone with them for a first in-depth conversation. »
Coach: « So, you’re on the phone with them in a first in-depth conversation, and you’re asking them questions? »
Client: « Yes, but I realize now that I want to avoid making it feel like an interrogation. I’d rather make them feel comfortable enough so they’ll talk, so I can figure out what’s happening and if I’m the right person to help them. »
Coach: “You’re on the phone, in a first in-depth conversation, making them feel comfortable enough so they’ll talk, so you can figure out if you’re the right person to help them?”
Client: “That’s right. I think I could do this. One question about what’s going on, and I don’t need to speak much at all, just let them know I’m listening for how the problem is happening and what they want instead. I’ll be able to know fairly quickly if I can be of help to them.

This technique, while it may look a little weird, written down as above, can be a natural way to enable clients to access new perspectives by entering the context in the here and now. It’s also a great way to get your kids to tell you what happened at school today. “So you’re sitting in front of Max when you’re doing fractions?” “No, we are at round desks for fractions and I got most of them right.”😊

By mastering these and other advanced techniques, you can enhance your coaching practice, by helping clients overcome the obstacles to reaching their goals and truly transform their lives.

Author

Shelle Rose Charvet is well known for her book Words That Change Minds, now available in 20 languages and her advanced work using the Language and Behaviour Profile. In August 2025, she will be offering her LAB Profile® Consultant/Trainer/Coach certification program live online. Currently over 900 people from 35 countries have been certified. For more information about this program, please visit www.labprofilecertification.com

You can find Connirae Andreas’ “Advanced Language Patterns” audio program at: https://www.andreasnlp.com/store/nlp-audio/advanced-language-patterns/

Pour l’Institut Repère, Shelle Rose Charvet anime chaque année la formation : Motiver et convaincre avec les outils du LAB Profile ®. Prochaine session à Paris ou en distanciel les 4 et 5 octobre 2024 (en français)