Level 2: The Alchemy of Individuation

Your journey of developing as a coach continues with the Advanced Coaching Program Level 2. Level 1 introduced the foundations of the Aletheia approach to unfolding: Parts Work, Process Work, and Presence Work. In Level 2, you learn how to practice Parts Work, Process Work, and Presence Work somatically using Aletheia Breathwork, a gentle style of somatic work inspired by the work of Wilhelm Reich and Alexander Lowen, early pioneers of somatic psychology. You will also deepen your experience and embodiment of the twenty Qualities of Presence. Since Presence is the catalyst for all unfolding, the potency of your coaching gets a big upgrade from Level 2. Level 2 integrates and completes the cycle of learning and development that you started in Level 1.

The journey of individuation

Broadly speaking, all human beings travel two developmental journeys. The first is the Journey of Individuation, and the second is the Journey of Spiritual Realization. In Aletheia, we travel on both journeys. Individuation is the unfoldment of a healthy ego that has a mature sense of self-in-relation, of differentiation and integration, and autonomy and contactfulness. On this journey, we encounter boundary and relational issues, seemingly unavoidable trade-offs and dilemmas, phases of grandiosity and self-doubt, and questions about worthiness, place, purpose, love, power, belonging, meaning, and identity. Individuation issues constitute nearly 100% of the presenting problems that your clients bring to you as a coach. 

Developing a healthy ego requires deepening our self-awareness, finding and relaxing ego defenses, compassionately attending to our emotional wounds, deepening relationships, opening our bodies, hearts, and minds, and stabilizing our groundedness in Presence. This is a journey of discovering and unfolding our individuality and uniqueness within an ever-deepening relatedness to others and situatedness in the world. The complex intimacy, career, political, and social challenges that we all face call for individuation.

Whereas the Journey of Individuation is about developing a healthy ego, the Journey of Spiritual Realization is about seeing through the ego constructions to unconceal our Ultimate and True Nature. In Aletheia, the Journey of Spiritual Realization is supported by Nondual Work, the focus of the Advanced Coaching Program Levels 3 and 4. As yoga and mindfulness practices become more popular and awareness of profound spiritual realizations become more well-known, many people try to skip individuation and head straight to spiritual enlightenment. Psychologist John Welwood coined the term “spiritual bypass” to refer to this ineffective strategy. Trying advanced practices can result in a few peak experiences. However, spiritual realization is not sustainable without addressing the underlying individuation issues. In unfolding our full humanity, the work of individuation cannot be skipped.

Individuation is not easy. It requires sincerity, integrity, and a willingness to examine yourself and explore what’s lurking in the shadows of your personality. Nevertheless, the payoff is priceless. Through individuation, you discover the wonder of who you are. Through individuation, you take your place in the world.

The Alchemy of Individuation

How does individuation unfold? Carl Jung, who popularized the term, teaches that individuation unfolds through a spiraling process of separatio and conuinctio, analysis and synthesis, differentiation and integration. In separatio, we differentiate and identify the various parts of ourselves. In conuinctio, we integrate them through the experiential emergence of deep archetypal patterns that bring us into deeper contact with our innate Wholeness and Completeness. More and more, as we individuate, we recognize and embody this very Wholeness as Presence. This profound integration creates a sense of place, purpose, belonging, meaning, and identity. Our relationships and life take on a deep sense of fulfillment. We feel interwoven into the fabric of humanity and empowered to offer our special gifts and unique genius to the world. Through individuating, we find our true vocational calling.

In Aletheia, we practice integrating and individuating through Parts Work, Process Work, and Presence Work. Many of the terms and images used to describe the psycho-spiritual transformations that occur during individuation are borrowed from alchemy—the original alchemists aimed at transmuting base metals into gold. For us, our Parts are the base metals transmuted into Process and further refined and purified into the noble gold of Presence. Thus, we call Level 2 “The Alchemy of Individuation.”

The Enneagram of Unfolding Individuation

In Aletheia, we understand and practice four kinds of ego transformation: 1) transmutation, 2) translucence, 3) transfiguration, and 4) transference. Transmutation is the 9fold kind of transformation. The 9fold style is most commonly depicted using the ancient 9-pointed enneagram symbol. Level 2 is a deep dive into transmutation through working with the Enneagram in a unique way. (The three other kinds of transformation are taught and practiced in Levels 3 and 4, focusing on Nondual Work and the Journey of Spiritual Realization.)

The origins of the enneagram symbol have been lost to history. The symbol was known in Ancient Greece to Pythagoras and the Sufis of Persia. This symbol was re-introduced to the world by the Armenian spiritual teacher Gurdjieff and used as a way to model living processes. The Bolivian mystic Oscar Ichazo developed the Enneagram into a psycho-spiritual typology. Claudio Naranjo integrated Ichazo’s Enneagram with insights from Western psychology and brought it to Esalen, where it traveled to all world regions. Today, hundreds of books on the Enneagram of personality fixations, passions, virtues, and Holy Ideas originate from Ichazo’s teaching. However, Gurdjieff’s original use of the enneagram as a process model has been largely sidelined.

In Aletheia, we use the Enneagram as Gurdjieff might have to understand individuation as a living process. Through this, we gain access to the deeper source of wisdom that Ichazo, Naranjo, Almaas, and others teach about psycho-spiritual transformation. This particular teaching on the Enneagram of Unfolding Individuation is unique to Aletheia. This approach develops an understanding of the deep structure and origin of each ego fixation. Furthermore, while most enneagram-based trainings only teach the view or model of the enneagram, in Aletheia, we also teach a practical method for working with fixations through transmuting Parts into Presence. The view is universal, but the method of individuation is particular to our uniqueness. Aletheia Coaching enables you to skillfully work with the unique constellations of Parts that compose your client’s fixations.

The most common method associated with the Enneagram today is counteractive. Once the client’s Enneatype is determined, they are usually prescribed new practices that counteract the tendencies of their type’s fixation. From the Aletheia perspective, a fixation is a constellation of Parts. Trying to counteract the behavior of Parts generally induces their resistance. Counteractive approaches unnecessarily create inner resistance and friction, which then must be overcome in order for the client to develop. We take a different approach in Aletheia Coaching, using Parts Work to naturally release fixations instead of activating their resistance. In turn, Aletheia Coaching generates profound transformations with ease.

In the enneagram of the process, there is an outer flow that runs in a clockwise direction around the circle. In Level 2, we explore how this outer flow corresponds to the stages of the separation-individuation described by child psychologist Margaret Mahler. According to Mahler’s research, children undergo what she terms the “psychological birth” at around age three. At this age, the foundational layers of ego structure have formed through a complex interplay between nature and nurture. Our psychological birth brings the practical capacity to grasp ourselves as a self that is separate from our mother and father. The rest of childhood and early adult life is built on this foundation.

During this separation-individuation process, we often experience developmental disruptions that remain embedded within layers of ego structure. In a sense, the natural unfoldment of certain facets of our Being is disrupted during this development phase, forming the roots of ego fixations. When we coach, we often help our clients complete the formation and development disrupted in these early stages of life. We do this by helping clients to relax and release ego defenses, to melt emotional armoring, and to deepen contact with themselves, others, and the world. Through this, they embody their nature as various differentiated Qualities of Presence. Through this, clients learn to own and express their innate resourcefulness, creativity, and genius.

What happens in Level 2?

In Level 2, we undertake an experiential exploration of individuation from two angles. First, we identify the constellation of Parts that compose our fixations and practice unfolding in the manner you learned in Level 1 using Parts Work, Process Work, and Presence Work to transmute them into Qualities of Presence. In parallel, we work with Aletheia Breathwork to unblock unfoldment and help to embody Presence more deeply. You will learn how to integrate conversational and somatic unfoldment within coaching conversations. You will first apply this twofold approach to accelerate your own individuation. Then, you will learn how to bring this approach to your coaching clients skillfully.

Learn Somatic practices for activating neuroplastic transformation

In Level 1, you learned how to support your client’s unfoldment through coaching conversations. We call this conversational unfolding. In Level 2, you will expand your range by learning how to support the somatic unfoldment of your clients. You will learn how to observe the activation of Protector Parts as patterns of emotional armoring. Emotional armoring occurs in seven segments and becomes activated to curtail and dampen feelings and emotions. You will learn how to lead clients in a gentle form of self-bodywork in combination with consciously connected breathing to relax, release, and melt this armoring. Working somatically offers a powerful way to create experiential mismatches that open the neuroplastic memory reconsolidation window, enabling the client to generate deep transformations that effortlessly endure.

FAQ

What is the structure of Level 2?

Level 2 is composed of fourteen 2-hour sessions that occur approximately every 3 weeks for approximately ten months. The sessions will include teaching, demonstration, and discussion to help you deepen your own unfoldment and skillfully practice Aletheia Coaching with your clients. You will work with practice partners between sessions and share experience reports and questions in the online workspace. You will receive four private coaching supervision conversations with course faculty. You will also receive ~400 pages of course material that provides details about somatic unfoldment, Aletheia Breathwork, the Enneagram of Unfolding Individuation, and an Encyclopedia of Qualities of Presence.

What is the Cost of level 2?

The cost of Level 2 is $4,599 USD. This fee includes tuition for the course + four 50-minute coaching supervision sessions with course faculty to support integration and application. Additional coaching sessions with faculty are available for a fee. Please reach out to your course faculty directly if you are interested.

How do I know I’m ready for Level 2?

This is one of the most frequent questions from Level 1 graduates. You do not need to have fully integrated Level 1 before proceeding to Level 2. In fact, one of the most common testimonials we receive from Level 2 graduates is how much it helped them integrate what they learned in Level 1. Level 2 is designed to pick up where Level 1 stops and to continue your developmental journey. It is the best way to deeply integrate what you learned in Level 1 while expanding your range with the method and deepening your own development.

WHEN DOES THE NEXT LEVEL 2 COHORT START?

Please review the schedule for the dates of the next cohort and application deadlines. In general, we launch a new Level 2 cohort approximately once yearly.

WHAT TIME OF DAY ARE THE SESSIONS HELD?

Each cohort is offered in two sections (10 AM-Noon and 4-6 PM Pacific), allowing participation from around the world in different time zones. A typical cohort will include people from Asia, Australia, North America, and Europe.

HOW LARGE ARE THE COHORTS?

The cohorts typically consist of 40-50 people. Because the sessions are held in two sections, a typical session is attended by about 20-25 people.

WHO TEACHES THE LEVEL 2 COURSES?

The primary leader for all courses is our founder, Steve March, the creator of Aletheia Coaching. Steve has been coaching since 2000. He started mentoring coaches in 2003 and teaching coach training programs in 2006. He was senior faculty at New Ventures West from 2009 to 2019. Steve launched Aletheia in 2013 as a platform for creating and offering a next-generation approach to coaching and development. Steve is often joined by a co-leader and a teaching assistant.

Steve has been practicing breathwork since 2005 and is trained in Biodynamic Breathwork and Trauma Release Systems (Level 3); a certified Integral Qigong and Tai Chi Teacher and a Biodynamic Practitioner-in-training.

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT OF LEVEL 1?

The typical time commitment is ~3-4 hours per week during the course. This time is spent participating in the online sessions, solo practice, practicing with your partner, studying materials, and reading books. To deepen your exploration of breathwork, we will have one or two 21-day practice challenges during the course. These challenges are flexible regarding time commitment, as you can design your own challenge.

WHAT IF I NEED TO MISS A SESSION?

We ask that you do your best to attend each session live. However, sometimes, you may need to miss a session. All sessions are video recorded, so if you can’t attend in person, you can catch up on your own time by watching the video. We strongly suggest watching these videos even if you did attend so that you can benefit from observing additional demos.

WHAT’S NEXT AFTER LEVEL 2?

Each level of the Advanced Coaching Program teaches a different approach to unfolding. By covering the same territory from new angles, your development deepens, your understanding becomes enriched, and you develop greater flexibility and mastery as a coach.

In Level 1, you learned about the views and methods of Aletheia Coaching. You learned how to practice conversational unfolding, largely focused on Parts Work. Level 2 adds somatic unfolding, focusing on Process Work and Presence Work. Integrating conversational and somatic unfolding expands your range and power as a coach. As you practice Aletheia Coaching, you will discover that clients will spontaneously deepen into Nonduality. Therefore, it is important to deepen your own development and learn how to skillfully support and integrate the unfoldment that occurs. Levels 3 and 4 provide what you need.

In Level 3, you will learn how to usher your clients into the Depth of Nonduality through Nondual Work and various practices that compose the Aletheia Meditation System. This system is a progressive meditation practice that skillfully deepens the practitioner through the Depths of Parts, Process, and Presence, landing them in a Nondual state of consciousness. You will learn how to practice transmutation, translucence, and transfiguration styles of Nondual Work with your coaching clients. As in all our courses, the primary aim is to deepen your own development. Level 3 ushers you into Nondual Work.

Mindfulness and meditation have become very popular and are being adopted in schools and business settings. However, most meditators only learn beginner practices. Levels 3 and 4 present a complete path of meditation with specific practices for each Depth. Level 3 is the first introduction to Nondual Work. You will learn how to customize and guide meditation practices for your clients that will accelerate their unfoldment.

Level 4 continues the journey started in Level 3. You will learn the remainder of the Aletheia Meditation System and how to practice deeper transfiguration and transference styles of Nondual Work. Does Nondual Work have relevance for coaching clients? Yes! Only through practicing Nondual Work can we find complete freedom from the Inner Critic. Nondual Work enables the client to shift their basis of functioning in the world in a way that gives rise to all positive states of awareness. The Depth of Nondual Presence is the ultimate secure base. Realizing Nonduality allows clients to feel fully free to be themselves, exactly as they are, and to experience innate belonging and fulfillment. In Aletheia, we teach that Nonduality is not rarified air reachable only by the lucky few but rather the birthright of every being.

The Advanced Coaching Program offers a unique and comprehensive path toward coaching mastery. We don’t know of another coach training program that offers a method of comparable span, depth, or power. The potency of Aletheia Coaching will enable you to distinguish and differentiate your coaching. Its spaciousness and flexibility will enable you to find and express your own voice as a coach with greater ease and effectiveness.

Please contact us with any questions about Aletheia Coaching or the Advanced Coaching Program.