How It Works

The majority of therapists and coaching professionals receive their training in a singular primary approach or "theoretical orientation," including but not limited to cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, family systems/systemic, humanistic, and brief solution-focused methodologies to name a few. Moreover, the more knowledgeable and effective practitioners often undergo specialized training to master a particular set of tools. These tools, such as Clinical Hypnotherapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and applied Neuro-Linguistics, are employed within the confines of their chosen theoretical frameworks. However, a significant challenge arises from the fact that individuals react differently to various methodologies, modalities, and orientations. This variability is not only seen across different people but also within the same individual at different stages of their journey, necessitating a tailored approach that can effectively address their specific needs and help them progress towards their goals.

We are not all the same; in fact, we are all diverse and unique, even among those who seem strikingly alike at first glance. A closer inspection under the hood reveals profound differences beneath the surface: varied backgrounds that shape us, distinct motivations and desires that propel us forward, dreams and goals as varied as the stars, and unique thought processes and information processing methods that define our very experience of life. Because we all have had different past experiences that have led us to process information differently, we tend to 'construct' our problems based on our individual perception of life events and circumstances. Moreover, how we process information can differ based on context. For example, have you ever known someone who seems to have so much going for them, yet in some areas of life, they are extremely confident, but may suffer from crippling low self-esteem in other areas even though objectively there doesn't seem to be a reason why they would feel this way? This is an example of someone processing information in a way that yields different results depending on external factors that trigger various types of internal information processing. The ability to be flexible in our thinking can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on our ability to consciously use it in a way that provides the greatest degree of peace and happiness in our lives.

One way to understand the differences among various therapeutic and coaching modalities is by recognizing that, at their core, they each provide a distinct framework for clients to use in reprocessing information related to their perceptions of past and present experiences. This reprocessing is designed to be corrective, aiming to eliminate negative subconscious beliefs and distorted perceptions that inhibit the ability to let go of past trauma, find and maintain successful relationships, stop self-sabotaging success, or simply reach full potential. This approach works well but falls apart when the emotional issues a client is working to resolve have been psychologically constructed from experiences in different contexts that have been processed differently. At this point, the problem persists like a cancer that keeps coming back because the practitioner's primary theoretical orientation is only able to dismantle part of the problem, with the unresolved component reviving the other, keeping the problematic emotions and behaviors active. If you've seen multiple practitioners over the years and been unable to overcome emotional issues or change behaviors that have negatively impacted you for years, this is most likely one of the primary reasons why.

Over the years, Asher Fox has learned that the solution involves not only being trained in multiple theoretical orientations and modalities but also having the training, experience, and insight to match each set of tools with what the client needs at that exact point in the linear timeline of their healing process. Additionally, it's crucial to know how to use different modalities, not just linearly, but also simultaneously to target different aspects of the issue, allowing them to work synergistically. This approach enables the client to quickly achieve what previously seemed insurmountable.

Most therapists and coaches adhere strictly to the dogma of their specific training, which often promotes the idea that there's no need to explore or incorporate other modalities or theoretical orientations, with some educational tracks even actively discouraging such exploration.

While there are many benefits to living in a capitalist society, one of the downsides in the United States is that health care, including mental health, often puts profits before people. This issue is particularly pronounced in education, where teaching institutions and educators from each school of thought are heavily incentivized not to 'leave money on the table' by ensuring students invest their funds in their own theoretical orientations rather than those taught at other educational institutions. The solution to this issue is to ensure you are working with one of the few practitioners whose experience and education allows them to transcend the boundaries of a specific school of thought and merge multiple theoretical orientations into a single expansive toolbox. Asher Fox, CCHt possesses the experience to know which tools to use and when, and the skillset to seamlessly switch between them as needed.

Many classically trained therapists are as biased against the idea of quick progress as life coaches are convinced that almost any problem, no matter how severe, can be quickly solved with the latest tool or technique they've learned. Unfortunately for both groups, without integrating necessary subconscious behavioral tools into their approach, any rapid progress achieved is usually superficial. Consequently, the problems quickly resurface, requiring further intervention. With each exposure to the 'quick fix' methodology, clients may become increasingly resistant and immune to it. Eventually, when this approach fails to provide significant relief, clients find themselves back where they started, faced with the need to uncover, heal, and resolve the subconscious root cause of their issue.

Many people know someone who has spent years, or even the majority of their life, in therapy. From an outside perspective, it often appears they have made little positive progress. Despite generally agreeing that they haven't met their therapeutic goals or made significant advancements in their lives, they continue to invest time and money in therapy. This commitment persists whether with a single therapist to whom they remain loyal or through a series of different therapists they've tried over the years.

Likewise, while life coaching can be effective for some issues, significant lifelong emotional problems that are subconsciously driven—and whose origins lie in either childhood or significant adult trauma—typically require a much higher level of skill and training than even the most experienced life coaches can bring to the table. To make matters worse, many coaches have been exploited by less-than-ethical coaching schools and profit-driven credentialing bodies, which have convinced them that the training they've received as coaches can solve even the most difficult problems faced by their clients. Unfortunately, this issue cascades downhill, with those same coaches convincing their prospective and existing clients that the specific techniques they learned during their coach training can truly resolve their issues.

This issue is exacerbated by coaches being trained to believe that they can not only resolve issues well beyond their capabilities but also do so quickly. They are led to think they can heal these issues with life coaching techniques without needing to delve into the client's childhood or past to understand the origins of the issue, focusing solely on the present and future. While this is true for some less complex issues and day-to-day challenges that can benefit from the type of new or refined life strategies resulting from brainstorming with a well-trained coach, more severe emotional issues or persistent problems that have resisted change for years require a deeper understanding of psychology, neurology, and subconscious behaviorism than coach training can or does provide. This is true regardless of what the coach believes. Because these coaches often believe that their training should enable them to resolve deeper and more complex issues, they might find it perplexing when they can't, or when the client quickly relapses after achieving temporary success. They may assume that their success rate—or lack thereof—is typical of the 'industry standard,' or often attribute the issue to the client not 'doing the work.' Not having the expertise to recognize that the client's temporary success was due to the placebo effect and lacking the training to delve deeper into the client's subconscious to effect real change, they view the client returning for a 'tune-up' when the placebo wears off as an indication that they must be doing something right.

The solution to this problem, like many others, lies in finding a middle ground. However, it's important to pay attention to the details because the "fine print" matters. Each of the following three understandings is essential to doing what I believe is ethically required with each client: getting them the results and success they deserve as quickly as possible.

First, a practitioner needs the credentials and experience to perform the type of diagnostic intake required to understand what the 'middle ground' might look like for each client. The middle ground of progress is essentially the space where a client can achieve the maximum amount of progress in the shortest amount of time, with that progress being authentic, genuine, lasting, and able to be applied in the client's life in a way that produces observable real-world results. The middle ground is where the advanced practitioner applies their full skill set, strategically using the perfect mix of tools in their toolbox, and dynamically changing those tools and approaches to match what the client needs in each specific stage of their healing process. They apply these tools as needed to produce change as rapidly as our most advanced understanding of the neurobiology of change allows, while reducing the client's conscious and subconscious resistance to change. This approach avoids moving so fast that it triggers subconscious pushback or self-sabotage because the client has not been consciously prepared with the awareness and cognitive skills needed to navigate the rapid psychological change they are experiencing without feeling overwhelmed.

Secondly, the practitioner must be able to create a strategy for reaching the clients "middle ground" and be able to identify it when they see it, knowing that it often does not present as originally anticipated if they haven't been updating there understanding of what that clients middle ground is as they have gathered new information from the client in session and seen how they respond to conscious and subconscious changes they have been experiencing both in, and in between their sessions. This 'middle ground' is different for each new client and is dynamic, constantly shifting as the client acquires new cognitive skills and psychological resilience through the different stages of healing.

Third, psychotherapists, especially those not trained beyond traditional theoretical orientations, need to move beyond the restrictive dogma of their formal education, which often comes with a built-in mentality of 'our way is the best way—please purchase your next continuing education course now.' They should instead recognize that many advancements in our understanding of the neurobiology of change, reinforced by deeper insights from the field of subconscious behaviorism, can enable their clients to achieve lasting results more quickly than was previously thought possible, or than what their peers with similar education and training are experiencing with their clients.

In summary, every client wants to see significant progress towards their goals as quickly as possible. It's the practitioner's responsibility to facilitate this without giving the client unrealistic expectations about the speed of results. Neurological and psychological limits exist on how quickly and sustainably progress can be made. It's crucial to avoid giving the impression that progress is faster than it actually is, which could mistakenly be attributed to the placebo effect or the temporary boost from the coach's encouragement. Such progress, if not based on genuine improvement, risks leading to a relapse once the client stops actively engaging in sessions and paying for the coach's support. This approach ensures that the client understands that real progress requires time and is a result of ongoing support and engagement.