From A Clergy Health and Wellness Program to A Holistic Coaching Paradigm Focused
on Resilience
From a Clergy Health and Wellness Program to
a Holistic Coaching Paradigm Focusing on Resilience
Sharon Otto Trekell, Ph.D.
June, 2012
2 From A Clergy Health and Wellness Program to A Holistic Coaching Paradigm Focused
on Resilience
Introduction
All participants in a city-wide clergy health and wellness program reported
decreased stress and increased self-compassion after a 10-week program of
peer coaching. Experience with this group and subsequent conversations with
participants led the writer to propose the new paradigm—Core Personal
Resilience Coaching—which merits study with wider populations to demonstrate
reproducible, reliable and valid outcomes. It is further suggested that this
paradigm be used with populations who need to strengthen their resilience by
regularly utilizing specific tools to empower them to recover from acute stressors
and to be able to carry on in the face of chronic and overwhelming stress.
Given the stresses of modern life, we now have to admit we can no longer rely
only on treatment by a medical doctor, a pastor, or a psychotherapist to equip
populations who need a protective armor in order to be resilient. While there is a
place for medical treatment, pastoral counseling, and psychotherapy, some
populations (e.g, clergy, the military, and senior citizens) may “push back”
against participating in groups with a “clinical focus.” In the writer’s experience,
these same populations don’t appear to attach either stigma or shame with
participating in a “peer-coaching program” where they will be equipped with a
skill set to increase resilience
The Problem
In 2008, the writer, Sharon Otto Trekell, Ph.D., was hired by the West Ohio
Conference of the United Methodist Church to develop a program on self-care for
clergy experiencing increasing health problems, such as obesity, heart attack,
depression, substance abuse, high blood pressure, low self-efficacy. As a
spiritual director and a clinician for over 20 years, she had personally observed
the rapid declines in clergy health.
When working as a consultant, the writer always starts with the old adage “One
cannot go forward without a rear view mirror.” Charged with designing a new
paradigm, she started with an overview of the literature to come up with a
historical view on the causation of the decline in clergy health. David C. Korton1
refers to this time in human history as “The Great Turning,” suggesting “Clergy
and laity need to acknowledge we are living in a time of unprecedented social,
political, economic, ecclesial, and cultural shifts.” A medical doctor (also a
pastor’s wife) pointed out that 40 to 50 years ago clergy worked the same hours
(70 to 80 hours weekly) as do today’s clergy. 2 In a climate in which church
membership is declining, clergy in mainline denominations are experiencing
increasing pressure to demonstrate “concrete growth” in membership. It is
1
2
Korton, David C. (2000). The Great Turning, from Empire to Earth Community
Halass, Gwen W. (2004). The Right Road: Life Choices for Clergy
3 From A Clergy Health and Wellness Program to A Holistic Coaching Paradigm Focused
on Resilience
apparent that post-modern pastors face unprecedented stresses with which their
predecessors did not have to contend.
As a consultant, the more Dr. Trekell researched, the more she wondered, “If we
are living in an age of “The Great Turning” and clergy health is rapidly declining,
what resources might be merged to develop a self-care program on self-care for
clergy?” Not wanting to develop this program in isolation, especially as a
laywoman suggesting a model of health for clergy, she convened the Miami
Valley Consortium on Clergy Health and Wellness. Members included 10
ordained clergy from mainline denominations (Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran,
Presbyterian, and Methodist); two nurses employed in health ministry
(Coordinator of Health Ministries at Good Samaritan and parish nurse from Christ
United Methodist Church); and a member of the laity, an ergonomist investigating
body-mind methods of self-care.
As a starting point, Consortium members agreed to participate in a 10-week
peer-coaching program using The Circle of Life Peer Coaching. This program
includes a companion handbook giving participants suggestions for assessing
what changes they wish to make and a method for identifying goals and
objectives as well as a form for reporting change.
Pre- and post-psychometric tests—The Perceived Stress Scale and A SelfCompassion Scale—were given to each participant with the following results
reported at the conclusion of the 10 weeks:
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A decrease in perceived stress levels
An increase in practicing self-compassion and self-care tools
While it is clearly understood that outcomes from such a small population are not
significant, even small outcomes may indicate that “something important”
occurred.
4 From A Clergy Health and Wellness Program to A Holistic Coaching Paradigm Focused
on Resilience
Reflecting on the outcomes, Consortium members emphasized their new
awareness of the value of being in an ecumenical group where pastors of
different denominations were addressing their self-care. However, the repeated
conversation on self-care began to wear on the Presbyterian pastor, who finally
became exasperated and blurted out,
“The root of this problem isn’t simply better self-care, it is resilience!”
Shocked by his own revelation, the pastor somewhat sheepishly added, “Without
resilience in an environment of constant disruption it is impossible to maintain
one’s overall well-being.” This opened the group up to engage in critical thinking,
which ended in their suggesting a peer-coaching paradigm built on a foundation
of resilience. Suggestions believed to be “non-negotiable” were to reduce the 12
dimensions of life to 6 dimensions of health; to assess readiness for change; to
provide a concrete structure for group sessions; to consistently provide a “followup form” to report opportunities and obstacles; and to teach body-mind resilience
skills at every session.
With a consensus that the writer was “spot on” with her suggestions, a new
paradigm of resilience along with the following definition of resilience was
developed:
“Resilience is the capacity to fully recover from acute stressors, carry on in
the face of chronic difficulty, and regain one’s balance quickly after losing
it.”
Reflecting on her new definition, the writer began to wonder if resilience was
learned, acquired, or intrinsic. Her intuition told her it was all three. This was
confirmed by Siebert’s3 conclusion that “resiliency comes from a discovered self,
not a constructed self…from the gradual emergence of unique, inborn abilities,”
which convinced her that resilience could be taught.
A New Paradigm Emerges As We Collaborate with The University of Dayton
Considering the clergy’s need for anonymity, the writer’s next step was to contact
the Department of Continuing Education and Special Programs at the University
of Dayton to inquire about using their facilities to offer area clergy a program
using the new peer-coaching paradigm based on only six dimensions of wellbeing.
3
Siebert, A. (2005). The Resiliency Advantage: Master Change, Thrive Under Pressure
and Bounce Back from Setbacks. (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. San Francisco)
5 From A Clergy Health and Wellness Program to A Holistic Coaching Paradigm Focused
on Resilience
The Consortium collectively agreed on Path to Siloam as the name of the
program where six pastors participated. Evaluations from these six clergy include
self-reports naming benefits such as:
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A reduced sense of isolation
Improved resilience
Using body-mind and stress reduction tools when stressed
Deepening spirituality
In the fall of 2010, the Consortium offered a two-day retreat, The Self-Care
Covenant Workshop, based on The Core Personal Resilience (CPR) PeerCoaching Paradigm, which the writer developed in collaboration with members of
the Consortium.
With this new paradigm, pre- and post-tests again revealed a reduced level of
stress after the two days and an increase in self-compassion. Following the
workshop, the writer facilitated monthly covenantal groups for continued
education on and group experience with tools for resilience. During these
monthly sessions, each person was accountable for reporting changes made in
one of the six dimensions. Group members routinely reported small but
significant changes from practicing the body-mind exercises regularly (i.e.,
refuting negative self-talk, using “soft belly breathing” for calming one’s self;
incorporating “tapping” after attending stressful meetings).
At the end of the day, it was “the process”—the sharing of inspirational readings,
the report on change, the learning of body-mind tools for reducing stress—that
was appreciated by a majority of participants. This group process uses a specific
structure, opening with a meaningful reading to which group members respond
followed by an assignment to a dyad where “group buddies” assess achieved
change, obstacles to it, and use of body-mind resilience skills.
6 From A Clergy Health and Wellness Program to A Holistic Coaching Paradigm Focused
on Resilience
Joining the larger group for a summary of the buddy process, group members
received instruction in various skills to help them gain, or re-gain, resilience. For
example, topics included:
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The neuroscience of brain resilience, or as group members are fond
of saying, “What fires together wires together.”
The use of calming skills to equip one to think well under pressure
Instruction in defusing strong emotions
Experience with specific body-mind exercises to choose from and
practice daily (e.g., methods to induce relaxation; Tai Chi and gentle
yoga poses to increase physical and emotional balance)
Clarification of the difference between self-esteem and selfcompassion.
Explanation of learned helplessness theory, which emphasizes the
“Three P’s”—Personal, Pervasive and Permanent, and how one
may reframe situations that provoke one of these
Description of how one’s EQ (emotional intelligence) may
sometimes be more important than one’s IQ
An introduction to “energy management,” including how to create
more energy and life satisfaction for one’s self.
Revision in The Core Personal Resilience (CPR) Paradigm
The Core Personal Resilience (CPR) Peer-Coaching Paradigm evolved from the
writer’s experience with The Miami Valley Consortium on Clergy Health and
Wellness as well as her years of consulting/coaching experience with groups and
individuals. The paradigm, as she continues to use it in her work, is guided by
her personal conviction about resilience. In her words,
“The foundation of resilience is self-efficacy—the belief one can
master his or her environment and effectively solve problems as
they arise. However, mastering one’s environment and solving
problems may lack meaning unless one also learns the value of selfcompassion and contemplation. Both are essential qualities of true
resilience and serve to empower one to be more proactive in dealing
with life’s challenges.”
In order to serve other populations to acquire resilience skills, the writer made a
change in one of the dimensions of health represented in her paradigm. While
“Ecological Well-being” was relevant to clergy due to their emphasis on
stewardship, an Occupational/Vocational dimension is better suited to most other
populations. A revised graphic and assessment tool follows.
7 From A Clergy Health and Wellness Program to A Holistic Coaching Paradigm Focused
on Resilience
The CPR Paradigm draws from the epistemologies listed under the graphic:
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Positive psychology
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Trans-theoretical theory
Appreciative inquiry
Resonant leadership
Emotional intelligence
Self-Compassion Research
Confluence of Neuroscience and Eastern meditation4
Mindfulness meditation
Body-mind self-care practices to increase resilience
Conclusions
Prior to the 21st century, there were few programs addressing the subject of
resilience or recognizing the value of preventative education in a group format.
The writer’s experience validated the value of group participation for which she
found agreement in Schiraldi’s5 comment “If you can, I recommend joining with
others in a small group…because something synergistic happens when people
come together to learn and support each other in the learning process.”
Clergy in the postmodern church often find they are among the last “general
practitioners” in existence. They continue to make house calls and answer phone
4
Kabat-Zinn, J. and Davidson, R.J. (editors) (2011) The Mind’s Own Physician, New
Harbinger Publications, Oakland, CA
5
Schiraldi, G.R. (2011) The Complete Guide to Resilience: Why It Matters, How to Build
and Maintain It. Resilience Training International, Ashburn, VA
8 From A Clergy Health and Wellness Program to A Holistic Coaching Paradigm Focused
on Resilience
calls in the middle of the night. They are present with members of their
congregation undergoing surgery, and are often the only ones available to
comfort the family when a loved one is pronounced dead in the hospital. The
ecumenical groups who received Core Personal Resilience Coaching were
offered a “sacred space” in which to share these and other challenges to their
well-being. CPR Coaching provides a place in which one’s holism is honored and
respected, not just compartmentalized. Through the group sharing, pastors found
both support as well as encouragement to change. Yet, of most significance, was
the considerable healing they experienced--a need of which they may not have
been aware until it was recognized through the group process.
Indeed, many organizations such as The Center for Mind-Body Medicine in
Washington, D.C. and Resilience Training International in Ashburn, VA, are
recognizing the value of instruction in skills for prevention and recovery. In The
Core Personal Resilience Paradigm, each person is equipped with a “tool kit” of
mind-body skills with the goal being to prevent recurring Post Traumatic Stress
Syndrome, promote recovery, and optimize stress reduction through education,
peer-coaching while working with a facilitator/coach in a group setting.
SHARON OTTO TREKELL, PH.D.
In 2000, Dr. Trekell left the world of traditional psychology in search of a nonpathological model to address resilience and self-efficacy. To this end, she offers
a kaleidoscope of services in an effort to leave a trail for others to develop or
increase resilience, self-efficacy, and self-compassion. Her motivation springs
from an unconditional commitment to “being present” for and genuinely caring
about the whole-person of each client she is privileged to serve.