Coaching as a path to gratitude
The mutual journey of growth and connection
Gratitude often feels like a soft, passive emotion—something we express when things are going well or when we’re on the receiving end of kindness. But there’s another kind of gratitude, one that’s far more active and interwoven with the work we do in the world. As a coach, I’ve come to understand gratitude as not just a response to life’s gifts but as something that emerges through deep, reciprocal human connection.
Carl Rogers, the pioneering humanistic psychologist best known for his work on client-centered therapy, believed that the key to personal growth was unconditional positive regard—the idea that when people feel truly accepted and understood, they are able to tap into their own potential and become their most authentic selves. His famous interviews, like the ones in On Becoming a Person, illustrate how the process of self-discovery is not only about the answers we uncover but the environment in which those answers are found. Rogers emphasised that as a therapist (or coach, in my case), the role isn’t to provide all the solutions, but to create the conditions where the client can find them themselves.
This is where coaching becomes deeply rewarding for me. As I help my clients find the answers to the challenges they face, I often realize that their struggles echo my own. The complexities of personal growth, of navigating uncertainty, of finding meaning in a chaotic world—these are challenges we all share, regardless of the specifics of our lives. The process of guiding someone through their doubts and fears, helping them discover solutions and strategies, often mirrors my own work of self-reflection.
What’s striking, though, is how the spirit with which my clients confront their challenges can reignite my own sense of purpose. When they exhibit resilience, courage, and a deep desire to become their best selves, I feel a renewed connection to my own values. Their breakthroughs, their moments of self-realization, can be life-giving. It's a reminder that growth is not a solo journey but an insightful path we walk together. Just as Rogers believed that the therapeutic relationship is a co-creative process, coaching becomes a partnership in which both the coach and the client are transformed.
And here’s the thing: that transformation is what makes coaching addictive. It’s not about me “fixing” someone or providing the answers. It’s about being part of a person’s unique growth, helping midwife into existence their best self. There’s a kind of magic in seeing someone step into their own power and potential, and knowing that you’ve played a role in that transformation. In this process, I am reminded again and again of the interconnectedness of human experience—that we are all, in some sense, fellow travelers on the journey toward becoming who we are meant to be.
Gratitude, then, is not just something I feel passively. It’s woven into the very fabric of my work. It is found in the moments of connection, the shared growth, and the mutual discovery. It is a recognition that, in helping others, I am constantly learning, growing, and rediscovering my own purpose.
