If you’re a coach wondering how to help clients overcome blocks, you’re not alone.

Imagine this.

You’re coaching a highly capable, mid-level leader. She’s sharp, driven, and has all the right experience. But she’s struggling. She avoids feedback conversations, hesitates to delegate, and feels constantly anxious about how she’s perceived.

You try mindset coaching. You explore values. You even try reframing her assumptions. Still, she’s stuck. You’re doing all the right things, but something’s missing.

Here’s the thing:
It’s not about her mindset—it’s about her brain.

The Neuroscience of Why Clients Get Stuck

This leader didn’t lack confidence. She had a high sensitivity to Esteem—one of the six domains in the SAFETY™ Model. Her brain was constantly scanning for signs that she might be undervalued or judged. And every time a colleague questioned her ideas, her limbic system hijacked her ability to respond calmly or strategically.

Once she completed the SAFETY™ Assessment, the shift was immediate.

• She had language for what was going on.
• She stopped blaming herself.
• She started communicating her needs more clearly.

And as her coach? I stopped guessing. I started guiding—with data.

The SAFETY™ Model: A Science-Backed Framework for Breakthroughs

The SAFETY™ Model, developed by the Academy of Brain-based Leadership (ABL), breaks psychological safety into six key brain-based needs:

🔹 Security – Predictability and clarity
🔹 Autonomy – Control and choice
🔹 Fairness – Just treatment
🔹 Esteem – Value and recognition
🔹 Trust – Belonging and inclusion
🔹 You – Unique personal context

When one or more of these needs aren’t met, your client’s prefrontal cortex—the part responsible for reasoning and decision-making—gets hijacked. The result? Emotional reactivity, mental fog, hesitation, and blocked progress.

When you understand which need is driving that block, you can coach more effectively—with empathy and clarity.

How to Help Clients Overcome Blocks—With Science, Not Guesswork

In today’s world of change and complexity, our clients don’t just need new strategies. They need help navigating the very biology that’s keeping them stuck.

The SAFETY™ Accreditation Program equips you with:

✅ A validated psychological safety assessment
✅ A practical framework grounded in neuroscience
✅ Coaching tools to identify emotional triggers and meet unmet needs
✅ Insights to coach individuals, teams, and leaders more effectively

Whether you’re a leadership coach, trainer, internal HR partner, or culture consultant, the SAFETY™ Model helps you create insight, build trust, and remove the internal blockers that stall performance.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Our next SAFETY™ Accreditation Program is coming up. It’s ideal for:

✔️ External coaches
✔️ Internal coaches
✔️ People & Culture professionals
✔️ Leadership trainers
✔️ Consultants ready to scale their impact

Learn more and reserve your spot here

Let’s help more clients overcome blocks—by starting where it matters most: their brain.