Coaching is often described as a space of expansion — a place where perspectives open, possibilities widen, and individuals reconnect with their inner authority. Yet even in a field designed to liberate thinking, many of us unknowingly carry inherited assumptions, norms, and internalised narratives shaped by cultural, historical, and social forces. These forces influence how we think, how we lead, and how we relate to ourselves and others.
This is where decolonisation in coaching becomes more than a concept.
It becomes a responsibility — and an invitation.
During our ECAP full-day workshop in Ho Chi Minh City, guided by My Holland (Founder & CEO of Equest Asia) and Anthony Holland, we explored this theme in an experiential, embodied way using the LEGO® Serious Play® tool. What unfolded was not just a workshop — it was a profound unlearning.
Coaching is often seen as a space of growth and personal transformation, yet many of the beliefs that shape how coaches listen, question, and hold space are inherited rather than chosen. These beliefs come from cultural conditioning, historical hierarchies, family expectations, and societal norms that we have absorbed over time without much examination. During our ECAP workshop on December 6th with My Holland and Anthony Holland, we explored how these unconscious structures influence not only how we think, but how we coach. Decolonisation in this context is not about politics; it is about unraveling the unseen influences that shape our perspectives, our leadership styles, and the emotional safety we create for clients.
Decolonising the mindset means understanding where our beliefs come from and deciding whether they truly serve us — or whether they serve old systems we no longer want to reinforce. For coaches, this becomes essential. The more liberated the coach’s mind becomes, the more expansive the space they can hold for others.
One of the most profound insights from the workshop was the realisation that colonised thinking often shows up subtly in coaching sessions. It appears in how we interpret silence, evaluate confidence, define leadership, or judge what “progress” should look like. A coach conditioned to value assertiveness may misread a reflective client as unmotivated. A coach raised in a culture that prioritises harmony may avoid difficult questions. A coach who grew up equating achievement with worth may unintentionally push clients toward goals that reflect societal expectations rather than personal truth.
These are not deliberate choices — they are inherited patterns. Without awareness, coaches may unintentionally recreate the very systems that clients are trying to break free from. Decolonisation invites us to slow down, question our assumptions, and recognise where our interpretations come from. When we begin noticing these patterns, a new level of freedom emerges both for the coach and the client.
The morning session led by My and Anthony used LEGO® Serious Play® — a method that seems simple on the surface but reveals profound internal stories. As participants built structures representing identity, leadership, or inner conflict, they uncovered beliefs their conscious minds had long ignored. Through play, the protective layers of logic dissolved, allowing deeper truths to surface naturally.
One coach realised she had built walls around her figure without noticing — a representation of how she learned to protect her thoughts in environments where dissent was discouraged. Another noticed that her model placed authority figures on higher levels, reflecting an internalised hierarchy she thought she had overcome. These discoveries were not forced; they emerged through metaphor, storytelling, and creativity. This process demonstrated how deeply colonised patterns sit beneath rational thought — and how play can help us see what seriousness hides.
A key conversation throughout the workshop centered on the distinction between personal truth and inherited stories. Many participants realised they had adopted beliefs from their upbringing, culture, or workplace environments that no longer served them. Some carried perfectionism from academic systems that rewarded compliance. Others held fears around speaking up shaped by cultural norms that equated obedience with respect. Some internalised leadership models from patriarchal or colonial structures, believing authority must look a certain way.
These internal narratives shape how coaches show up — how they set boundaries, how they challenge clients, how they perceive success, and how they interpret emotional expression. Decolonising the mindset invites coaches to differentiate between who they were taught to be and who they want to become. It is a process of reclaiming one’s voice, values, and inner authority.
The afternoon session on Immersive EQ Somatic Practice with Tanya Truong and Chi Mai Khoi added a crucial dimension to the day: understanding how colonised beliefs show up not only in the mind but in the body. Participants noticed physical responses when exploring themes like authority, vulnerability, or self-expression. Shoulders tightened when discussing pressure to perform. Breath shortened when confronting old narratives about failure. A heaviness settled in the chest when speaking about belonging or identity.
These somatic reactions revealed that colonisation is not merely cognitive — it is embodied. The body remembers constraints long after the mind forgets them. Through grounding exercises, breathwork, and guided movement, participants began releasing emotional tension stored from years of internalised expectations. The practice brought a powerful awareness: to decolonise the mind, we must also decolonise the body.
Decolonisation is not just personal development; it is a professional responsibility for coaches. When coaches examine their inherited assumptions, they expand their capacity to hold diverse perspectives without imposing their own. They become more attuned to cultural nuances, more sensitive to power dynamics, and more capable of creating psychologically safe spaces for clients from different backgrounds.
A decolonised coach does not assume their worldview is universal. They don’t treat Western leadership frameworks as the default or interpret emotional expression through a narrow cultural lens. Instead, they approach each client with curiosity, humility, and cultural awareness. This shift is not cosmetic — it transforms the relational dynamics of coaching. The coach becomes a partner in exploration, not an enforcer of norms.
Decolonising the mindset makes coaching more inclusive, more ethical, and ultimately more transformative.
By the end of the ECAP session, participants weren’t leaving with neat answers but with deeper questions — the kind that expand consciousness. They became aware of how their histories shaped them, what assumptions they had unknowingly carried into coaching, and what new possibilities opened when those assumptions loosened.
Coaches spoke about discovering parts of themselves they had silenced, recognising emotional blockages tied to cultural conditioning, and feeling a renewed sense of purpose in creating more liberating coaching spaces. Decolonisation was no longer an abstract concept — it became a lived, ongoing practice of unlearning, awareness, and intentional action.
This learning is not a single event but a lifelong journey. And as coaches evolve, so does the quality of space they offer their clients.
Thanks to My Holland and Anthony Holland, the ECAP community experienced decolonisation not as a theoretical framework but as a human journey — personal, emotional, and profoundly transformative. Combined with Tanya and Khoi’s somatic integration, the workshop invited coaches to explore the full landscape of themselves: mind, body, culture, history, and identity.
Decolonising the coaching mindset is ultimately an invitation to freedom — the freedom to question, to choose, to redefine, and to coach with greater authenticity and depth. As we continue to grow as a community, this work becomes not just beneficial but essential. Because when coaches liberate their own thinking, they create a coaching environment where clients can do the same.