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.”