ICF Core Competency #5, Maintains Presence, is defined as: 

Is fully conscious and present with the client, employing a style that is open, flexible, grounded and confident.

As coaches, we can deepen and sustain our coaching presence with this core concept:

The coach’s Blue Zone presence
allows the client to be present
to what is and could be.

Presence has a direct impact on the coach’s ability to remain responsive to the client. When present, we are able to:

• • Deepen conscious awareness of self as instrument
  • Empathically observe where the client is in the here-and-now
  • Be responsive to all the client is bringing—context, contributions, and way of expressing
  • Detoxify the client’s difficult experiences
  • Create space for clients to reflect and make mindful choices

When presence waivers, the capacity to be fully responsive is diminished. Access to our most important tool—self as instrument—is compromised. Where we once were present to observing the here-and-now, we slip into worries about the future or past. And, our connection with the client’s creativity and resourcefulness is broken.

Blue Zone biology is key to presence, equipping us with the ability to regulate our emotions and broaden our thinking. 

Presence is a byproduct of Blue Zone biology. Recall from our first article in this series that the Blue Zone is a whole-body state where neurochemistry and physiology work for us, and not against us. In the Blue Zone, the parasympathetic nervous system is predominant, giving us the presence of mind to think reflectively and strategically, and the connection with heart to relate compassionately and courageously. 

From this state, we are better able to demonstrate presence through: 

• • • Connection with clients, especially when they may be emotional or reactive;
    • Curiosity about the client and the entirety of their cultural context, identity, perception, approaches, use of words and concepts, and more;
    • Client choice, responsively matching our coaching to the client and actively seeking input from the client on the content, approach, and direction of the session.

  Blue Zone biology is key to presence. If we find ourselves in a Red Zone moment of fight-flight, leaning into presence will bring us back to the Blue Zone of calm-connect/flow-flourish. From this state, we have greater emotion agility to access empathy, compassion, and client connection. Blue Zone biology also increases our capacity to think, reason, wonder, and choose how we will intentionally show up for the client. 

  The following neuroscience concepts provide insight into how the brain-body can impact presence.

To advance a neuro-informed understanding of presence, we will explore:

• • Emotion regulation and dysregulation
  • Bidirectional effect of coregulation
  • Regulation and cognitive capacity
  • Client autonomy

Each of these concepts supports the coach’s ability to maintain presence.

While it is possible to regulate emotions on our own, emotion regulation often happens through other people, impacting both on a neurobiological level. Coregulation is the term used when emotions are regulated bidirectionally via a trusted relationship. A simple example of coregulation is a mother’s presence that calms a distressed child. Infants do not have the capacity to self-regulate and rely on the parent’s regulation to calm them from a dysregulated state. When the child is older, the mother allows the child to express their emotions and engages with the child to help create an understanding of what has happened. In this exchange, the child reorients to realize they are safe. From this stable emotional state, the child recognizes their self-sufficiency to re-engage with the world.

Bidirectional coregulation can also be found in coaching relationships. When a client experiences strong emotions, the coach’s presence of compassion, calm, and curiosity helps to coregulate the client. Through this relational exchange, the client’s physiology shifts from Red Zone toward Blue Zone. With Blue Zone biology, the client’s sense of confidence grows as they recognize their self-sufficiency to face uncertainties and challenges.

Neuroscientist and trauma specialist Bruce Perry, M.D. explains that a relationally present person can help create changes in the neural networks of a dysregulated person’s brain in a matter of minutes. Perry describes a “dosing and spacing” sequence in coregulation, where the regulated person provides a “dose” of presence, followed by “space” for the dysregulated person to process and internalize the change in state. Space can take the form of a pause, silence, or time for reflection (subcompetency 5.6) as the person uncovers new insights about what is happening. Repeated dosing and spacing promotes growth, change, and resilience.

Maintaining presence when coaching means that we develop the capacity to not be overwhelmed or hijacked by a client’s strong emotions (subcompetency 5.4), difficult circumstances, or unknowns and uncertainties (subcompetency 5.5). If we do get overwhelmed or hijacked, it diminishes our cognitive capacity and shifts us into the Red Zone where we are limited in our ability to hold space for what the client is bringing. As we expand our openness, flexibility, groundedness, and confidence, we can detoxify the Red Zone for ourselves (subcompetency 5.3) and our clients, to have access to the full cognitive capacity of the Blue Zone. 

Autonomy–the sense that we have choice and control in life–is a key dimension of well-being, influencing positive functioning and life satisfaction. Neuroscience research links decision-making to one’s conception of autonomy—a greater sense of autonomy helps clients make choices that are consistent with their values, beliefs, and desires.

Coaches support client autonomy by inviting them to choose what happens throughout the session, and by demonstrating curiosity to learn more about the client (competency 5.2), including their resourcefulness, strengths, and ideas for positive change.

Consider these ideas to deepen coaching presence.

• Practice mindful curiosity about the mental distractions or emotional triggers that arise for you when coaching people with different personality traits, values, customs, organizational norms, etc.
• Your regulated presence can coregulate the client! Powerful ways to support emotional coregulation include: deepening your breathing during sessions to support vagal tone; engaging in calm and respectful eye contact; modulating your voice to project compassion and connection.
• Increase your comfort with holding curious space for the broad range of emotions clients might bring. Leverage pauses and silence between intense moments to let the client’s brain process and integrate new information.
• Honor the client’s autonomy by offering choices of where to take the coaching conversation. “You’ve mentioned several hopes. Which feels most important to explore now?” 
• Remain curious throughout the coaching process. “What does that insight mean for our agenda for today?” “How does that fit within your broader work context?” “What works best for you to anchor new insights like this one?” 

When present, we are fully focused, observant, empathetic, and responsive to the client (subcompetency 5.1), with our emotions in-check, connection in-tune, and curiosity engaged. 

Our coaching presence can change the course of a conversation. Accessing the neurobiological resources of the Blue Zone deepens connection, curiosity, and client choice. The coach’s Blue Zone presence allows the client to also be present, to what is and what could be.

Susan Britton, MCC, is Founder/President and Jessica Burdett, PCC, is Director of Coaching Education at The Academies. Since 2001, The Academies has provided coaching education globally, and for nearly 10 years, has been a leader at the intersection of coaching and neuroscience. Curious about “Changing Minds, for Good?” Learn about our ICF Level 1 and Level 2 programs that weave neuroscience findings into accessible, memorable, and transformational coaching skills.