Janice Haldi, Equine Gestaltist™, The Heart’s Quiet Hope
Introduction: This qualitative research project examined coaches’ responses regarding the impact of their coaching experiences in individual Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™ (EGCM™) and Gestalt Coaching Method™ (GCM™) practices.
Significance: Before this study, other GCM™ capstone projects have primarily focused on clients’ responses to their coaching experiences. No studies were identified that examined the effects of the coaching process on coaches. This study explored the commonalities and differences among the coaches who were interviewed.
Purpose: The purpose of this data collection was to explore the impact of the coaching experience on coaches.
Setting and Participants: Interviews were conducted from my home with 18 EGCM™ and/or GCM™ graduates of the Touched by a Horse™ gestalt certification program. Participants had three to fourteen years of coaching experience. Fifteen interviews were conducted via Zoom, one by phone, and two through written responses to the interview questions. Three dominant niche specialties emerged: caregivers and health, variations of grief, and women. Several other unrelated specialties were also represented.
Capstone Description/Process: Four questions were formulated to explore the potential effects of the coaching experience on coaches. The expectation was that commonalities would emerge among participants’ coaching experiences. Interviews were conducted via Zoom over a two-month period from June through July 2026 and were recorded. Extraneous information was removed from the transcripts while preserving the essence of each conversation.
Interviewees were initially asked to describe their chosen niche and their length of involvement in the TBAH™ program. They then responded to the following four questions:
- What surprises you most about being a coach?
- In what ways has coaching contributed to your growth and development?
- What impact, if any, does coaching have on you physically and emotionally?
- How do you keep yourself from getting lost in the pain of another?
Responses to each question were compiled for comparison and analysis.
Capstone Results/Impact: Each of the 18 interviews provided rich information about the coaches’ experiences. Responses to what surprised them about coaching ranged from feeling humbled and challenged to experiencing the borrowed benefit that can come from witnessing a client’s growth and transformation. As one participant stated, “We’ll never fully know the impact we all have had.” For some coaches, developing deeper listening skills contributed to their own growth and development while allowing clients to remain the experts in their own lives. Physically, coaching was described as both energizing and exhausting. Emotionally, coaches described feeling rejuvenated and uplifted when witnessing clients reconnect with “hope, courage, and purpose.”
Responses to the fourth question were almost universal among the coaches. “It’s their (the client’s) journey and their path. It’s not mine.” Coaches described learning not to hold onto a client’s pain, but to give it back to the client. As another participant stated, “They are not my stories to hold.” This powerful lesson, taught by Melisa Pearce, founder of Touched by a Horse™, allows coaches to remain present and connected with their clients without taking ownership of their pain.
Capstone Evaluation: The capstone was evaluated by comparing the responses of the 18 participants to identify commonalities and differences in their coaching experiences. This author anticipated more commonalities among the responses to the first three questions than emerged. The variety of responses provided a broader understanding of the coaches’ experiences and revealed that, although we are a diverse group, we share a commitment to helping our clients move through trauma and toward healing. This author was also encouraged to recognize some of their own experiences in the responses of the interviewees.
Future Directions: The participants in this study represented only five percent of EGCM™ and GCM™ graduates; however, 100% of those invited participated. Future research should include a larger sample of TBAH™ graduates to better represent the 380 graduates across both certification programs.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to Melisa Pearce for her guidance and support these past five years. It’s been quite the ride. Special thanks to my GCM Visionary Vibe Tribe cohort and other EGCM™ and GCM™ graduates who helped make this Capstone possible. Much love to Jacob Haldi, my husband and partner, for his continued support.
References:
Pearce, M. (2019). What the Heck is Gestalt? Elizabeth, CO. Touched by a Horse, Inc.
Pearce, M. (2021-2026). Various Classes on the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method. Elizaeth, CO. Touched by a Horse, Inc.
Whitmore, Sir J. (2017). Coaching for Performance. Boston, MA. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.