Emotions are Interlinked in Coaching

Have you ever noticed how emotions from the past or fears of the future can quietly shape the choices you make today?

In this episode, we explore the fifth principle from our Emotions Coaching Practitioner Training that,

…emotions are interlinked.

We reflect on how emotions move through time, intertwining between past, present and future, and how this shows up in coaching conversations. We discuss how clients can become anchored in the future, unable to act in the present, and how others may carry echoes of past experiences that colour their emotions today.

Through our own reflections and client examples, we talk about what happens when a person’s emotions are entangled with future outcomes that haven’t yet arrived. Zoe shares a personal story about navigating a family decision and the moment she realised that her emotions were not rooted in the present, but in imagined futures. By recognising that, she was able to return to the here and now, where clarity and confidence could emerge.

We talk about how, as coaches, our role is not to fix or rescue but to help clients notice and make sense of their emotional experience. This involves recognising when a client is operating from thought rather than feeling and guiding them gently back to contact with their emotions. We explore what happens when clients begin to recognise the difference between what they think and what they feel, and how that awareness opens new insight and direction.

Another aspect of this principle is the coexistence of multiple emotions. Clients often describe being both excited and frightened, or relieved and sad, at the same time. These “parts” can represent internal conflicts that, when explored with compassion, bring valuable understanding. We reflect on how emotions interlink not only with thoughts and actions, but also with the wider world, from relationships and teams to global events that shape how we feel and behave.

This principle is a reminder that emotions are rarely isolated. They are threads in a much wider emotional web, and when we as coaches can hold space for that complexity, we enable our clients to connect with the deeper truth of their experience.

As we close, we reflect on the power of emotional awareness in coaching. It’s what makes coaching transformative. When clients understand how their emotions are interlinked and learn to navigate them consciously, they move forward with greater balance, authenticity and resilience.

If you’d like to explore how emotions shape behaviour and learn practical tools to work with emotions in your coaching practice, join us on our Emotions Coaching Practitioner Training at igcompany.com/emotionscoaching.

 

Timestamps:

00:00 – Exploring the fifth principle: emotions are interlinked
00:28 – How emotions connect through time – past, present and future
01:56 – Recognising emotional anchors from the past
03:23 – Unhooking from future emotions to find clarity in the present
04:20 – Personal example of separating imagined emotions from reality
05:14 – Anchoring clients in the here and now
06:38 – Differentiating between thoughts and feelings in coaching conversations
09:29 – Working with emotional “parts” and internal conflict
12:14 – Understanding how personal emotions link with global and systemic emotions
14:12 – Emotional honesty and the value of vulnerability in practitioner training
15:39 – The ripple effect of emotional awareness on coaching impact
16:40 – Coaching as a life-changing process

 

Key Lessons Learned:

• Emotions are rarely isolated; they are interlinked across time, thought and experience.
• Helping clients to identify whether emotions stem from the past, present or future builds clarity and focus.
• Recognising the distinction between thoughts and feelings is a gateway to deeper self-awareness.
• Exploring “parts” allows clients to acknowledge internal conflict and move towards emotional integration.
• Coaches must hold space for complex, often conflicting emotions without trying to fix or rescue.
• Emotional awareness elevates both coach and client, deepening the transformational potential of coaching conversations.

 

Keywords:

emotional coaching, emotions in coaching, emotions coaching practitioner training, coaching skills, emotional awareness, emotional intelligence for coaches, coaching emotions, understanding feelings in coaching, emotional interlinking, self-awareness in coaching

 

Links & Resources

• mycoachingcourse.com – Take the quiz to find which coaching course is right for you
• igcompany.com/emotionscoaching – Explore our CPD on emotions coaching