DIAGNOSTIC THINKING

To coach is to diagnose. To counsel, do therapy, to consult, to do problem-solving, to train, to engage in conversation—all of these activities involve diagnosing. Why? Before you begin to do anything, you have to have a good idea and a valid idea about where a person or a group is and what’s needed. This is true for us as itis true in medicine. In medicine the mantra is: Diagnose before prescribing. Now give that, how do you diagnose with a client (or a group) what is truly needed or wanted?

For the past two years, this has become front and center in my mind as I’ve watched the Meta- Counseling presentations. Why? Because the first thing that a person has to do is diagnose what the person who is their client needs. You have to diagnose before you can begin prescribing your intervention and run some pattern. Now if you think that’s easy—think again. I thought it might be somewhat difficult, but have discovered that for most people it is much more challenging that they realized.