The BigTalk Podcast

Episode 111 - The Pressures Most Coach Trainings Never Prepare You For

At some point in their practice, many coaches encounter a moment that their training never quite prepared them for: - A client understands their challenges. - They are motivated to change. - They genuinely want something different. ... and yet, despite some progress, the old patterns of self-sabotage reappear. The coaching conversation begins to circle. The same themes repeat. ... and quietly, the coach may start wondering: "Am I missing something here"? In this episode, we explore a reality many coaches experience but rarely discuss openly - the moment where traditional coaching tools such as strategy, motivation, mindset reframing, and goal setting stop being enough. Because when insight and motivation are already present, and the pattern still persists, it quickly becomes obvious the issue is pushing on something deeper within the psyche. Drawing on principles from depth psychology and the work of Carl Jung, this episode explores how unconscious dynamics (including the shadow, competing parts of the self, and identity protections) can shape client behaviour in ways many coaching models simply don’t explain. We’ll also look at the four pressures many coaches quietly experience in their practice: • The Competence Doubt - Am I actually helping my clients? • The Looping Session Problem - Why do we keep coming back to the same issue? • The Business Pressure - If clients don’t change, will my business succeed long term? • The Integrity Tension - How do I go deeper without crossing into therapy? Understanding shadow dynamics gives coaches a completely different way of seeing what is happening inside a session. Patterns that once felt frustrating or confusing begin to reveal something meaningful about the deeper forces shaping a client’s behaviour. .... *** NEW: What Every Coach Needs to Understand About the Shadow If this episode resonated with you, you may enjoy our new professional briefing for coaches. This 2.5-hour recorded training explores the deeper psychological dynamics that frequently appear in coaching conversations - including shadow patterns, relational dynamics, and the hidden forces that shape behaviour. It’s designed for new, aspiring, and experienced coaches who want a clearer framework for recognising what is happening beneath the surface in their sessions. Access the full briefing for just $27 here: https://www.psychodynamiccoachinginstitute.com/shadow-briefing ... *** FINAL PLACES: The Psychodynamic Coach Academy For coaches who want to explore this work at a much deeper level, the Psychodynamic Coach Academy is our internationally accredited certification in psychodynamic coaching. Rooted in the insights of Carl Jung and depth psychology, the program trains coaches to recognise and work with shadow, the personal unconscious, and identity-level transformation within an ethical coaching framework. The next cohort begins on March 30 and final places are currently available. Learn more about the program here: https://www.psychodynamiccoachinginstitute.com/certification

Episode 110 - Ego Defence at the Edge of Expansion

Why do people say they want expansion… and then quietly resist it when it becomes real? If you’re a coach or work with people in any capacity, you’ve seen it. Clients are excited. They’re inspired. They sign up. They talk about transformation. And then something shifts. Momentum slows. Excuses appear. Energy collapses. We often call this “self-sabotage” or “resistance.” But what’s actually happening is far more precise. It’s ego defence. In this episode, I unpack what really occurs when identity expansion becomes real... and why the ego intervenes just as growth crosses a threshold. Because here’s the truth: Expansion always threatens identity. It asks something to die. It asks something to end. It asks you to redefine who you are. And the ego (whose job is to maintain your sense of self), will defend against that destabilisation. What's often mistaken as 'shadow work' is actually ego protection... and unless we understand the structure of the psyche, it's difficult to support our clients (and ourselves) in a meaningful way. Inside this episode, I also unpack five ego defence archetypes that commonly activate when expansion becomes real: – The Intellectual Neutraliser – The Spiritualised Bypasser – The Overwhelm Collapse – The Perfectionist Retreat – The Moral High Ground Collapse Each reveals how the psyche protects identity when self-redefinition is required. Momentum is easy. Expansion is inspiring. Until it asks you to become someone new. This episode is for coaches, aspiring practitioners, and anyone standing at the edge of their next level. Awareness changes everything. ..... BECOME A CERTIFIED PSYCHODYNAMIC LIFE COACH: If this conversation resonates and you’re ready to understand expansion (and ego defence) at a deeper level, the next cohort of the Psychodynamic Coach Academy (PCA) begins on March 30. The PCA is a 16-week, internationally accredited training in depth-informed coaching, designed to help you work skillfully with identity, shadow, and growth edges - first in yourself, then with clients. There are just two spots remaining in this cohort. Enrollment begins with a consultation call, and if you feel called to step into this work seriously, now would be the time. More information can be found on our website: https://www.psychodynamiccoachinginstitute.com/certification

Episode 109 - The Age of Exposure: What This Moment Is Asking of Us

Have you noticed how much is being exposed right now? Secrets are surfacing. Collective shadow is being exposed. Power structures are being destabilised. Understandably, this is causing people to react in volatile ways: Outrage. Denial. Fascination. Fatigue. Splitting. The truth is, when the light of consciousness hits what has been buried, it disrupts - it shakes loose whatever has been hidden and festering behind the scenes. ... and when that happens, the shadow doesn't show up dressed in light. What we’re watching collectively mirrors something deeply human... The fragmentation "out there" reflects fragmentation within. Exposure in culture echoes self-confrontation. Using the Johari Window as a lens, I explore where shadow actually lives (especially in the “unknown-unknown” parts of ourselves) and why moments like this accelerate contact with what we’ve never examined. The real question isn’t what’s being revealed: It’s how we’re meeting it and how we're using this opportunity for healing, wholeness, and growth. Integration is the work. .... For Those Called to Work With Depth: If this conversation resonates, enrollment for the next cohort of the Psychodynamic Coach Academy is now open. PCA is a 16-week, internationally accredited training in working with unconscious drivers, shadow material, and depth processes - ethically and professionally. Early bird enrollment is available throughout February. For more information visit: https://www.psychodynamiccoachinginstitute.com/certification

Episode 108 - Why Depth is No Longer Optional: Coaching as the Work of Our Times

We are living through a profound moment of transition... Old structures are dissolving. Identities are shifting. Many people feel called toward purpose-driven work, yet find themselves stuck, anxious, or disconnected, even after years of self-improvement. In this episode, Amanda explores why some forms of coaching are quietly evolving into a study of consciousness, and why depth is no longer a “nice-to-have,” but a necessity for anyone guiding others through change. In this episode, we explore: - Why surface-level change no longer holds in times of complexity - How Jung’s concept of individuation reframes coaching and personal development - Why so many coaches, therapists, and other practitioners feel something is missing from mainstream training - The difference between optimisation and becoming who you truly are - How coaching becomes steadier, safer, and more effective when it’s informed by psyche, embodiment, and meaning. Amanda also shares how this understanding sits at the heart of the Psychodynamic Coach Academy - a training designed not just to teach skills, but to support the inner development required to hold others well. This episode is for: - Coaches and aspiring coaches who feel called to deeper work - Practitioners who sense that insight alone isn’t enough - Those drawn to purpose, consciousness, and meaningful change - Anyone who feels the quiet pull toward a more integrated way of living and leading If you’ve ever felt that coaching is more than a career, that it’s a calling asking you to grow alongside the work... this episode is for you. ... A Gentle Invitation: Applications are now open for the next cohort of the Psychodynamic Coach Academy, beginning 30 March. Early Bird enrolment is currently available. You can explore the program and learn more here: 👉 https://www.psychodynamiccoachinginstitute.com/certification

Episode 107 - The Shadows That Gather Around a Woman of Innate Depth & Power

Have you ever noticed how your presence can make people both admire and resent you at the same time? One moment they’re drawn to your composure, your depth, your light - and the next, they’re calling you intimidating, too intense, or “a bit much.” Perhaps this has been the story of your entire life. In this episode, I unpack what’s really happening when your presence activates projection in your friends, clients, colleagues, even family. We’ll explore six common archetypes that powerful women unconsciously embody (the Refined Outsider, the Initiatrix, the Independent Light, and more) and why these energies stir admiration and shadow in equal measure. You’ll learn how to read the feedback of the field without shrinking, apologising, or over-explaining yourself and instead, how to stay rooted in your own energetic sovereignty as a woman of depth. Because when you understand projection, you stop taking people’s reactions personally and start reading them as data from the collective unconscious. If you’re ready to turn your depth into your profession, this is the work we do inside The Psychodynamic Coach Academy - our internationally accredited certification for coaches who want to work at soul-level depth. - Early Bird savings are ending soon. - Just 2 spots left! Discover more here: https://www.psychodynamiccoachinginstitute.com/certification