A conversation with Michelle Brody: author, executive coach, and clinical psychologist. In this episode, Michelle digs deep into the differences between coaching and therapy. 

Using the example of discussing family patterns, she explains where she draws a boundary between the two fields as well as where she feels safe to step over that line. Michelle also talks about “coming out” to clients as a psychologist - and how this admission can affect the way that clients perceive her. 

Michelle is interested in exploring the emotional junk that we hide under the table where the work takes place: the emotions and judgements that people hold in private. Without digging into that difficult stuff, people won’t be truly aligned. From her coaching and her psychological expertise, Michelle explains how we can begin to unpick these knots and create better workplaces.

In her books, Michelle analyzes dynamics between couples as well as dynamics within teams. Here, she explains to Alex that these dynamics often have more in common than we might expect. She talks about how people respond to threats with some kind of emotional armor; this protects them, but comes off as cold, and looks to others like you’re fighting.

What does your armor look like? Michelle sheds light on the different kinds in this episode.You may find that your kind is causing you more problems. In a long-running conflict, you may end up in a “circular armor” situation where two parties get more and more defensive until they’re completely stuck. Discover how you can fix this issue by listening to the full conversation.