Coaching for Mental Health: Ethical Dilemma or Ethical Development?

Appendix 3: The mind’s innate abilities: The Human Givens (Mind Fields)

  • “the brain can experience itself as unique centre of awareness; the ‘observing self’.
  • strong emotions put us in trance states, which inhibit the thinking part of the brain.
  • we are programmed to use metaphor, in dreams and thoughts and for understanding the world around us.
  • we have the ability to imagine—which can work for or against us, generating or solving psychological problems.
  • we seek to explain personal predicaments and search for meaning—without meaning we suffer boredom, depression and despair.
  • we have a need for autonomy and to feel a measure of control over our lives in order to function well.
  • we need to give and receive attention.
  • there are distinct differences between male and female approaches to thinking, feeling and communication.
  • the brain hemispheres have different functions.
  • the emotional mind (limbic system) frequently overrides the rational mind (higher cortex)
  • we have a sense of community.
  • the mind and body are an integrated system.”


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