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Beatrice W. Hansen

Bebe Hansen

Bebe is the Principal of Presence-Based® Coaching, teaches and oversees all levels of our certification program, and supports our students through the certification process.

Bio

Bebe has assumed the helm of Presence-Based Coaching and as a senior faculty member teaches our ICF approved coach training with other PBC faculty members. Bebe designed the Mentor Coaching course, and has trained a team of PBC Mentor Coaches who deliver the course.

Bebe grew up in a family business (the largest flea market in the Southwest!) that exposed her to many areas of business management and ownership, as well as a wide range of diverse populations. Bebe operated the business for its last 7 years, until its sale to another family. She felt called to serve others in a more personal context, and earned a Masters of Science in Social Work, which led her to develop and operate a private psychotherapy practice for 5 years.

When coaching came forward as a possible career change Bebe met Doug through the Presence-Based Coaching training. Coaching proved to be a powerful blend of her background of both business and helping . Bebe is a precise and compassionate leadership coach and an incredibly skillful trainer, and has worked with leaders in the private, non-profit, and government sectors. Bebe also delivers leadership development programs around the Washington, DC metro area and internationally. Bebe is an avid learner. She particularly loves the PBC dual focus on personal development (through becoming a more effective coach … and human) and professional development (skill building around coaching methodology.) She loves that the PBC work is itself open and emergent. New threads of the curriculum arise through research and interests, and are continuously being integrated into the training. New material is often sparked from interactions with students.

As a whole, the curriculum continues to become more robust and integrated, and Bebe enjoys being a part of this evolution. On a personal note, Bebe has a deep ongoing commitment to yoga and meditation practices, and has been a practitioner of the Diamond Approach spiritual path since 2001. She enjoys road trips with her husband and spending time with her two grown daughters (and son in law), and is celebrating being a new grandmother. On weekends she enjoys reading for her book club and whipping up tasty meals with friends. She can occasionally be found sailing the Potomac.

Bebe Hansen

I most love watching the development of students into skilled coaches over time. The folks that are attracted to this type of coaching are amazing learners and are dedicated to their own and other’s development.

Coaches Rising Podcast

On this episode of the Coaches Rising Podcast, Joel Monk talks presence with Bebe Hansen. Bebe is the principle of Presence-Based Coaching, where she continues the amazing work of the late Doug Silsbee. Presence is a word that is increasingly common in coaching circles but what is it exactly? Bebe and Joel dig in. One way we can see presence is an inner resource that we can cultivate both in ourselves and in our clients. Bebe goes further, and breaks down the DNA of presence into three of its essential facets: stillness, immediacy and possibility. We talk about how each of these elements can profoundly deepen our coaching and lead to the changes that are waiting under the surface of the coaching conversation.

Video Interview with Rod Francis

In this lovely interview with Rod Francis in June 2018, Bebe Hansen, recently named Principal of Presence-Based Coaching, shares her personal and professional journey into coaching, talks about some key coaching skills and practices that support learning and change, and a bit about the Presence-Based Coaching transition.

The full blog post and video can be found here.

Interview

The following interview was created specifically for this website.

You are a primary teacher of this work – how does that surprise you?

What surprises me most is the fit of both coaching in general for me, and in particular, of this method of coaching, and the powerful way it serves both our students and the clients they serve. A little history. I came at first to see Doug and to learn about the Presence-Based Coaching work through a friend’s recommendation. I was checking out coaching as a potential career change. When I stepped onto the Bend of Ivy property for the first time, something in my heart felt deeply touched; in fact, tears came. This was very curious to me! When I heard Doug teach in that first retreat, I knew he would be a teacher for me. His presence and perspectives on coaching were enlivening. I am a deep diver, and have learned and embodied the Presence-Based work. I felt its alignment with my own values and purpose, and a growing love of the power of coaching from this multi-level approach. It has been extremely fulfilling to teach this work, and to be a part of shaping its evolution into the powerful and robust coaching program it is today. I have grown tremendously as a person, a coach, and teacher through this work, and through my association and eventual partnership with Doug.

What do you enjoy most about coaching?

I enjoy my role as support for an individual’s growth – no matter what context they are in. I see a variety of coaching topics brought into coaching, and I tend to take an underlying developmental approach in my seeing of the person, their challenges, and their strengths and capacities. In teaching the PBC retreats, I most love watching the development of students into skilled coaches over time. The folks that are attracted to this type of coaching are amazing learners and are dedicated to their own and other’s development.

You were a therapist before a coach – what’s different?

I have found coaching to produce better results for people who are basically functional in their lives, but are at a transition of some kind or are feeling challenged by the demands of their work life or leadership. Working in the present moment and looking forward, coupled with ongoing fieldwork and practices, really support change. And the addition of working in and through the body (somatics) creates sustainable change.

What are some lessons learned from your experience growing up at in flea market environment?

Some lessons: a 30 year family business doesn’t necessarily mean a smooth succession transition to the next generation! When I took over the helm of the business, I needed space and time to create my own leadership style that eventually helped the business turn around and brought a diverse work team together to serve our multiple stakeholders. I felt a tremendous responsibility with the business being situated in the middle of a large urban city and encompassing many acres of property. The nature of the business being a 7 day a week operation was also challenging. A main learning was a keen understanding of why humans have such a hard time getting along! I also learned that at heart, we all want the same things: to make a dignified living, to love and care for our families, and to make a contribution that makes things a little bit better for others.

What’s your leadership experience?

I have been asked to lead in many different settings and circumstances in my life – I seem to attract those opportunities, and others appear to trust my abilities as a leader. Besides leading the family business, my experience ranges from being the captain of our high school softball team, to years of leadership in non-profit board work, to owning a coffee store (pre-Starbucks days!) and now, the leadership I offer to the Presence-Based Coaching business and work.

Describe your interest in the body and somatic work?

As I look back, I can see the somatics thread of interest running through my life. I seem to have picked body centered therapists, relationship teachers and spiritual teachings along the way. There is a resonance of working in and through the body that I have always felt. And, I have been on my own personal journey through body-centered approaches to working with physiological and psychological armoring and barriers that have limited my own expression in the world.

How does the spiritual path inform your work with others?

My own interest and experience in the realm of inner work has created shifts in my understanding of myself, and have shaped who I take myself to be. I understand that I am a work in progress, and am always in the process of evolving and becoming more of who I truly am. I find the Diamond Approach and other spiritual work I’ve done has offered me a ground from which to hold my own and other’s journeys, and has helped me to cultivate my own presence, resilience and choice.

What do you love about the presence-based work?

I love how Presence-Based Coaching is informed by many streams: mindfulness, somatics, neuroscience, adult development, experiential learning, awareness practices, leadership theory, cultivation of presence, among others. This blend creates a powerful technology for supporting others to change in the way they feel called to explore. We have taken the best of many skillful technologies and created a very powerful change structure and support.

What did you love about working with Doug? What did you not love so much?

Doug was a master (in my humble opinion) at blending and synthesizing these multiple streams of knowledge into a useful and practical methodology of coaching. He created coaching tools that are easy to understand and to implement. What did I not love so much? Doug was a very generative person, and seemed to be always a little further down the trail that I was. This meant I was usually running to keep up with his latest thoughts, perspectives and theories! Sometimes, I found myself out of breath, and also grateful for all that he brought, which kept our work fresh and interesting!

What do you see happening down the road?

I wish I knew! And, I feel this work is something that brings tremendous value to our students and to leaders. Doug and I complemented each other in both implicit and explicit ways. I couldn’t have predicted any of this when I arrived at Bend of Ivy many years ago and felt so touched! And, I know the Presence-Based work will continue to evolve and develop. We have a global community of practitioners, which continues to grow, and these coaches continue to develop and serve. I am very grateful!

Arthur M. Blank

Success in business is predicated on eliciting the best from people. The Mindful Coach clearly articulates the essentials of how to do this. As someone who believes deeply in the potential of all people, I found Silsbee’s approach both practical and profound.

Arthur M. Blank, Philanthropist Co-founder, The Home Depot; Owner & CEO, Atlanta Falcons

Pam McLean

Your work was profound, important, and interspersed with plenty of psychological stirring of the right sort — beautifully done. I appreciate the great combination of your smarts, humility and strength — a perfect combination!

Pam McLean CEO, Hudson Institute of Coaching

Richard Barrett

Presence-Based Coaching is a masterful treatise on coaching in the consciousness age. This book brings structure and strategy to accelerating the evolution of leaders.

Richard Barrett Author, Liberating the Corporate Soul

Steve Heller, PCC

The Presence-Based Coaching program is a powerful and generative learning experience. The integration of Doug Silsbee’s unique and expansive concepts and models, his powerful personal presence, and his ability to convey sophisticated ideas in a manner that makes them readily understood and easily integrated combine to make the program profound and impactful.

Steve Heller, PCC, Program Director Leadership Coaching Certificate Program Institute for Transformational Leadership; Georgetown University

Dr. Ross Ungerleider, M.D.

Bebe’s unflagging commitment to teaching Presence-Based Coaching, and to mentoring and developing coaches, is both precise and loving. Her laser feedback is deeply insightful while her inviting presence is encouraging and supportive. Bebe’s gifts are integral to this exceptional learning experience, which goes far beyond how to coach.

Dr. Ross Ungerleider, M.D. Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon and Author