Video 5A: The Whole Life Framework of Soul Coaching

Professor Abigail Dominiak: “All right, we're continuing here, and we're talking about the whole-life framework of Soul Coaching. We started this course by diving into this whole idea of the whole person before God, and we want to apply that a little bit more to your coaching.”

Professor Abigail Munroe: “That's right. Here's the list we're going to work from. This is spread across two slides.

These are the different aspects of the whole-life framework. If you've taken some of our more advanced courses at Christian Leaders Institute, you might recognize this from Dooyeweerd's philosophy. It's based on the fifteen aspects.

We have faith and spiritual life—your relationship with God.

Identity and purpose—understanding who you are, your values, and your calling.

Mind and emotions—your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, self-awareness, and emotional health.

Character and choices.

Embodied life—your physical health, rest, energy, wellness, daily routines, and rhythms.

Relationships and communication—listening, speaking, friendships, marriage, and how you're relating with the world around you.”

Professor Abigail Dominiak: “You also have family story and personal story. What was your family like growing up? What is it like right now? What is your history?

Then there's stewardship and work—your time, money, talents, responsibilities, and work.

Justice, boundaries, and responsibilities—accountability, forgiveness, healthy boundaries, and wise authority.

Beauty, joy, and creativity—gratitude, celebration, enjoyment, and appreciation of God's creation.

And finally, community and kingdom impact—your church involvement, service, discipleship, ministry, and contributing to God's mission in the world.”

Professor Abigail Munroe: “This is a long list, but it's important that, as a coach, when you're looking at a client, you're considering all of these aspects.

Why does this help with discernment, and why is it foundational as a Soul Coach?

We've talked about this before. The issue people name—the topic a client brings into the conversation—is usually not the whole issue.

Things like anger, anxiety, marriage conflict, or spiritual stagnation may simply be doorways into a much larger story.

As the coach, you're exploring how these different aspects may be influencing the situation.

A living soul before God is more than one problem. More than one feeling. More than one sin. More than one diagnosis. More than one family story or one goal.

These things are deeply interconnected.”

Professor Abigail Dominiak: “We're adopting a non-reductionistic worldview.

Human life is not only spiritual, emotional, physical, or relational. God created the whole person.

Human beings are earthy and God-breathed. We're embodied, spiritual, living souls before God, just as we read in Genesis. We're image-bearers of God.

Someone might think their problem is only emotional or only physical, but there are so many other factors.

Even when we study biology, we see that what's happening with the heart affects the brain. Everything is interconnected—our faith, our physical health, our spiritual health, and our emotional health.”

Professor Abigail Munroe: “This framework is not a checklist.

We don't sit with this list in front of us saying, ‘Okay, you're presenting with anger, so let's go through every one of these categories.’

This is more of a guide for asking wiser questions and having wiser conversations.

Again, we're not using this to therapize someone or diagnose the issue.

The list is not a replacement for Scripture, prayer, pastoral care, or professional help.

It's simply a framework we study as coaches to guide our conversations, our listening, and our discernment.”

Professor Abigail Dominiak: “Because this can definitely be taken too far.

Yes, we're incredibly interconnected, and it's important to keep the whole-person framework in mind.

But if someone says they're struggling because of one specific situation, and you keep trying to force every category into the conversation—asking, ‘Is it physical? Is it this? Is it that?’—they may eventually say, ‘No, I already told you what it is.’

Sometimes life really is interconnected, but sometimes the client already knows they're experiencing anxiety because of a particular situation.

Again, you have to keep listening to the client while using this whole-person framework.”

Professor Abigail Munroe: “Listening truly is so important.

Here's an example.

A client comes to you because they keep losing their temper at work.

As the conversation unfolds, they tell you they're only sleeping four hours a night, they're caring for an aging parent, they have unresolved grief from a particular situation, and they feel trapped in a job they dislike.

As the coach, you're recognizing that the anger is real, but it may not simply be an anger problem.

Asking questions that invite this additional information is incredibly important as you help guide them toward next steps.”

Professor Abigail Dominiak: “Whole-person listening, as we've been talking about, slows the coach down.

The framework helps the coach listen before jumping to conclusions.

People can become stuck in one area of life, but that area needs to be understood within the larger story of the whole person.”

Professor Abigail Munroe: “Here are some discernment questions that may help you as a Soul Coach.

Where might this person be stuck?

Where is sin distorting their life?

Where is suffering wounding their life?

Where is God inviting growth?

Again, we're shifting toward soul growth rather than simply focusing on goals or positivity.”

Professor Abigail Dominiak: “Imagine a tree with yellow leaves.

A gardener doesn't begin by painting the leaves green. They examine the roots, the soil, the water, the sunlight, and the overall health of the tree.

In the same way, a Soul Coach looks beyond the surface problem to understand what may be happening underneath.

You don't simply paint over the problem or apply a quick fix.

Instead, you're trying to understand the whole picture and discover what's truly causing the distress.

One of the biggest lessons from our coaching training was the importance of discovery.

The first part of a coaching session is often simply asking discovery questions.

So many times we don't even realize what's contributing to a situation until we begin answering thoughtful questions.

Someone might suddenly realize, ‘You know, my lack of sleep is probably playing a role in this, and I hadn't even recognized that before.’

That's why this process is so valuable.”

Professor Abigail Munroe: “I love that closing illustration.

Again, we just want to encourage you—as a Soul Coach, it's such a privilege and an honor to care for the whole person.”