The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

In this episode, I speak with executive coach Lise Bruynooghe about what coaching really is, why the profession is often misunderstood, and how coaches can thrive in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Drawing on her work across leadership, organisational development, and cross-cultural coaching, Lise argues that coaching is far more than a collection of techniques—it's a uniquely human way of helping people think, learn, and grow.
Together, we explore what distinguishes skilful coaching from simply asking good questions, discussing the importance of presence, curiosity, and genuine partnership in creating meaningful change. Lise challenges the tendency for coaches to become attached to particular methods or identities, suggesting that the most effective practitioners adapt to the person in front of them rather than relying on a fixed model. Mark also raises the question of whether coaching itself needs a new language, reflecting on why the profession is still so difficult for many people to understand.
The conversation also explores the opportunities and challenges of AI, asking what technology can already do well, what remains uniquely human, and how coaches can continue to offer value as intelligent systems become more capable. Rather than seeing AI as a threat, Lise invites coaches to focus on the qualities that cannot easily be automated: deep listening, authentic connection, and the ability to navigate the complexity of being human.
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Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives:
https://embodimentunlimited.com/cec/
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Check out our YouTube channel for more coaching tips and our Podcast channel for full episode videos

In this episode, I speak with Dr Helen Machen-Pearce about the art of embodied group facilitation and why working with a group requires a very different set of skills from one-to-one coaching. Drawing on years of experience facilitating groups, we explore what happens when the focus shifts from an individual client to the complex dynamics of an entire group, including the importance of reading the room, tracking the group nervous system, and adapting in real time.
Together, we examine the practical skills that distinguish effective group facilitation, from giving clear instructions and managing time to creating flow, setting boundaries, and ensuring that one participant doesn't dominate the experience of everyone else. We discuss the challenge of balancing individual needs with the needs of the group, as well as the cultural differences that influence who speaks, who takes space, and how people participate. Mark shares lessons from facilitating groups of anything from a handful of people to hundreds, while Helen reflects on the subtle skills involved in sensing and responding to group dynamics.
The conversation also explores why group work can be such powerful training for coaches, developing skills in embodied leadership, intuition, regulation, and the ability to quickly sense what's happening in a room. We discuss the value of coaches experiencing group facilitation themselves, why working with diverse groups accelerates learning, and the particular challenges of bringing embodied group work online. Whether you're an experienced facilitator or a coach considering making the move into group work, this episode offers practical insights into how to create groups that are engaging, well-held, and genuinely transformative.
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Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives:
https://embodimentunlimited.com/cec/
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Check out our YouTube channel for more coaching tips and our Podcast channel for full episode videos

In this episode, I speak with parenting coach and documentary maker Patrick Ney about why modern parenting has become so challenging, and what it reveals about human psychology far beyond family life. Drawing on his experience of working with more than 165,000 parents around the world, Patrick explores how our own childhood experiences quietly shape the way we parent, relate to others, and show up as coaches and helping professionals.
Together, we examine the powerful influence of attachment, emotional development, and inherited family patterns, discussing why many of the struggles we experience as adults begin long before we're aware of them. Patrick argues that parenting is less about finding the perfect techniques and more about understanding ourselves, questioning the assumptions we inherited, and developing the emotional awareness to respond rather than react.
The conversation also explores why modern parents are under unprecedented pressure, the myths of the "perfect childhood," and how unresolved experiences continue to influence our relationships, leadership, and coaching. Whether you're raising children or not, this episode offers valuable insights into the formative experiences that shape every client, helping coaches better understand the roots of behaviour, build deeper compassion, and support lasting change.
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Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives:
https://embodimentunlimited.com/cec/
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Check out our YouTube channel for more coaching tips and our Podcast channel for full episode videos

In this episode, I speak with breathwork researcher and educator Richard Blake about what the evidence actually says regarding breathwork, nervous system regulation, and how coaches can use breathing practices safely and effectively. Drawing on both scientific research and practical experience, Richard separates hype from evidence and explores which techniques are supported by the strongest research.
We discuss the different categories of breathwork, from calming, slower-paced breathing techniques to more activating practices, examining when each is appropriate and the physiological mechanisms behind their effects. Richard explains what current research tells us about stress, anxiety, emotional regulation, focus, and performance, while also highlighting the limitations of the evidence and the claims that often go beyond what the science can support.
The conversation explores how coaches can integrate simple breathing practices into their sessions without becoming breathwork specialists, the importance of understanding contraindications and individual differences, and why matching the right technique to the client's needs matters more than following trends. We also discuss the physiological sigh, coherent breathing, carbon dioxide tolerance, and the relationship between breathing patterns, the nervous system, and emotional states.
Along the way, we examine common misconceptions about breathwork, the growing research base in the field, critical thinking in wellbeing practices, and why an evidence-informed approach allows coaches to use breathwork with greater confidence, clarity, and care.
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Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives:
https://embodimentunlimited.com/cec/
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Check out our YouTube channel for more coaching tips and our Podcast channel for full episode videos

In this episode, I speak with writer, researcher, and philosopher Brendan Graham Dempsey about the modern meaning crisis, why so many people feel disconnected from purpose and belonging, and what this means for coaches, leaders, and anyone supporting human development. Drawing on philosophy, psychology, history, and his work on metamodernism, Brendan explores how we arrived at this cultural moment—and how we might move beyond it.
We discuss why questions of meaning increasingly show up in coaching conversations, even when clients initially present with goals around performance, relationships, or career. Brendan explains how the decline of shared cultural narratives has left many people searching for direction, and why coaches need to understand the wider social and philosophical context shaping their clients' lives.
The conversation explores metamodernism as an emerging response to the limitations of both modern certainty and postmodern cynicism, offering a way of holding complexity without collapsing into either naïve optimism or nihilism. We discuss how coaches can help clients navigate uncertainty, cultivate purpose without imposing answers, and support meaningful growth in an increasingly fragmented world.
Along the way, we explore identity, embodiment, belonging, political polarisation, social media, spirituality, and the balance between scepticism and hope. Ultimately, this episode is an invitation to think more deeply about what transformation really means—and why coaching may be as much about helping people orient themselves in a changing world as it is about achieving goals.
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Become a certified embodiment coach. Coach beyond mere words and support clients to transform their lives:
https://embodimentunlimited.com/cec/
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Check out our YouTube channel for more coaching tips and our Podcast channel for full episode videos