Reverend Katrina Dorow, RScP, EGCM, Manely Divine, LLC DBA KatrinaDorow.com
Introduction: The principles of Touched by a Horse™ (TBAH™), Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™ (EGCM™), and Gestalt Coaching Method™ (GCM™) equip students with essential tools to implement the concept of “Revolutionary Agreements” written by Marian Head. By applying these agreements with classmates, they enhance their learning and set a strong example for working with clients and facilitating groups. Embracing these agreements can create a positive ripple effect in many areas of life.
Significance: “Revolutionary Agreements” by Marian Head taught me to advocate for myself and speak my truth in difficult situations. “Revolutionary Agreements” gave me a framework for communication in relationships to create healthy and clear communication of expectations.
Purpose: The purpose of this capstone was to implement “Revolutionary Agreements” with all my Gestalt clients and Gestalt groups.
Setting and Participants: The capstone involved 70 participants in three different settings. The first option was virtual sessions conducted through FaceTime, Zoom, or phone calls. The second option involved in-person individual sessions, which could include working with horses or not. The third option consisted of group sessions with fewer than 12 participants, held either at a barn with horses or in a living room-type setting.
Capstone Description/Process: The approach was to have a one-page document with ten agreements adapted from “Revolutionary Agreements” by Marian Head and Melisa Pearce’s agreements. The modified or adapted agreements were provided to the client on my website when registering for the Gestalt sessions, the client received a copy during the how to prepare email that they were asked to sign with the liability releases. During their first session as an individual or group, we read aloud the agreements, discussed clarification regarding the agreements, and verbally agreed with one another to honor the agreement. The agreements were revisited in sessions when emphasis or deeper understanding was needed.
Capstone Results/Impact: The “Revolutionary Agreements” created a foundation of trust, safety, and empowerment. Utilizing these agreements regularly, clients learned to speak their truth to themselves and others with honor and respect. Implementing these agreements created a ripple effect of positive intent, clear expectations and boundaries, and people taking personal responsibility for their thoughts, actions, words, and interactions in their communication. Notably, clients were more empowered, felt more at ease with addressing disagreement, and were able to more effectively regulate or manage their responses to others during difficult situations.
Capstone Evaluation: Clients were observed sharing and implementing “Revolutionary Agreements” in other aspects of their lives. For example, one client implemented the agreements with her legal/mediation team during a divorce that impacted her relationship with her ex-husband and children. Second example, one of my clients and a congregant at my spiritual center shared the book with all of the leadership in a book study format. This ripple effect allowed our entire church community to uplevel our communication, relationships, and interactions. Another example, a teenage client implemented the agreements with her robotics team, which decreased the amount of triangulation, drama, and misunderstandings. Other clients reported implementing “Revolutionary Agreements” with their spouses, family, friends, workplace relationships, business collaborations, and other communities.
Future Directions: Continue sharing the” Revolutionary Agreements” with all my clients and business collaborations. Practice using “Revolutionary Agreements” with my own family and incorporate them in all future relationships. With the knowledge and results of this capstone, the effectiveness of creating clear agreements in couples’ Gestalt sessions became obvious.
Acknowledgments: Thank you, Marian Head, for writing my favorite book, “Revolutionary Agreements.” Much gratitude to Melisa Pearce for sharing “Revolutionary Agreements” and creating the Touched by a HorseTM community that implements and practices using “Revolutionary Agreements.” Most of all, thank you to all my clients who applied the “Revolutionary Agreements” in their lives and shared the results of their personal experiences. Thank you to my husband, Ray, my two daughters, and my mother, who all read Marian’s book and worked with me to create family agreements in order for me to learn how to apply them with couples and mother-daughter relationships. Thank you to Vi Conrad and Vicky Jeter for leading the “Revolutionary Agreements” book study at my Louisville Center for Spiritual Living community.
References:
Head, M. (2016). Revolutionary Agreements 2016 Second Edition. Marlin Press. Boulder, CO Pearce, M. (2019). What the Heck is Gestalt? Elizabeth, CO: Touched by Horse, Inc
Whitmore, J. (2017). Coaching for Performance Fifth Edition. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. London, England, and Boston, Massachusetts