anthony robbins coaching

advanced coaches skills

Archetypes

vision

action

results

Gaining New Perspectives & Insight

Why does this same issue keep coming up in my life?

I feel like I dont know what to do next.
Why did I do that, again?
What do I want to do with my career? Whats my life purpose?
How can I make my relationship more passionate and loving?

At one time or another, we have all heard our clients (or ourselves) ask some variations of these questions.
While there are many ways to coach when you get questions like these, one way to approach the
challenge or situation is by utilizing archetypes.

About Archetypes

Definitions:
Archetypes are fundamental identities that exist in the collective human psyche and
are accessible to everyone.
Archetypes are psychological structures reflected in symbols, images, and themes
common to all cultures and times.

Benefits:
Are incredible storehouses of knowledge that help us access wisdom
Creates new empowering alternatives (Step 5 of the 7 Master Steps) and resources
Expands abilities, perspectives, and options
Helps people identify and eliminate disempowering archetypal patterns that have
become limiting ruts
Increases self-awareness

Distinctions:
There are hundreds of archetypes and each have positive and negative aspect.
While one archetype is not better than another, one may be more empowering or
disempowering in a certain situation.

As a coach, you can help your clients expand their identity and the resources within themselves by
helping them access different archetypes. Think of an archetype like computer softwarethe makeup
of a computer contains a wide variety of programs to accomplish different tasks. In a Mac for example,
there is Microsoft Word to create written documents, Exel to create spreadsheets and graphs, iTunes
for music storage, or Entourage for email communications. Just as a computer has access to different
programs to best perform different jobs, we have access to different archetypes to best support us in
various situations in our lives.
2007 Copyright by Robbins Research International, Inc. (RRI). All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the express written consent of RRI is prohibited.

Page 1

anthony robbins coaching

advanced coaches skills

vision

action

results

Although the idea of archetypes has been around since Plato, Psychologist Carl Jung identified the
various roles or characters we have within us and labeled them archetypes. He suggested that people
go through life tapping into a variety of instinctive roles: parent, lover, warrior, caregiver, etc. Jung
proposed that each of us is capable of playing any one of these roles, yet we tend to use certain roles
more frequent than others (dominant archetypes).

At times we may find ourselves going through life with the same approach, only accessing some of our
archetypal patterns, or stuck in the same patterns of focus, physiology, or beliefs (the Triad). We could
hugely benefit from the opportunity to approach life or a certain situation from a different perspective.
What if we were able to access a variety of different archetypes to help us approach a situation in a
more empowering way?
Often the characteristics of one archetype may fit a particular situation or challenge better than others.
For example, being a warrior in a challenging situation at work may be extremely beneficial,
whereas being a warrior in an intimate relationship may not work out as well. Or being a parent to
a spouse may yield a different result than being a parent to our children. Identifying the archetypes
that we are using, and then identifying different archetypes we can access gives us a new realm of
possibilities and perspectives. Consciously tapping into the resources of a certain archetype(s) for
different situations and times in our lives can create a more fulfilling, successful, meaningful life.

As coaches, we can help our clients learn how to use archetypes to expand their identity, approach
life and situations with different perspectives, and to open them up to resources they already have
within themselves.

Coaches Corner

For example, lets say you are coaching an entrepreneur that is having challenges with her
business. This woman is full of ideas, fast paced, confident, and is constantly juggling new
projects. She has come to you for coaching because her business is in crisis and she has
begun to feel paralyzed by it. After understanding more about the situation, you realize she
has been focusing on feeling like a failure, and the loss of her identity as a successful
businesswoman. She is also scared of failing again. After helping her understand archetypes, you guide her through a process of associating to and identifying with the Magician
and Warrior inside her. The Magician can change a situation by altering its own thoughts
or behaviors, and the Warrior symbolizes discipline, courage, determination, and skill.
Once she is associated and anchored to the strengths these archetypes bring, it allows her to
look at the situation through these archetypes to gain a new perspective and to tap into additional
resources already within herself.

2007 Copyright by Robbins Research International, Inc. (RRI). All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the express written consent of RRI is prohibited.

Page 2

anthony robbins coaching

advanced coaches skills

vision

action

results

While there are hundreds of archetypes, as well as numerous ways that archetypes can be presented
or grouped together, below we will outline some of most common archetypesThe Four Quadrant
Model and the 12 Archetype Categories. Since the study of archetypes is immense, additional resources will
be outlined at the end of this document for further elaboration.

The Four Quadrant Model

(you probably have heard Tony Robbins reference this particular one!).
While there is no universal agreement about the precise qualities embodied in these four archetypes,
here are some of the qualities that are most often attributed to each.
Magician - Thinking
Getting perspective, generating options
Thinking critically, using analysis, logic, and intuition
Judging and making assumptions
Getting and organizing information
Creativity and imagination

Warrior - Doing
Taking action
Serving and protecting, setting boundaries
Using power, working with conflict
Street smarts
Team work

Lover - Feeling
Feeling and connecting
Empathizing and loving
Accessing bodily awareness and emotional intelligence
Playing and being spontaneous
Making music, dancing, making art

Sovereign - Being
Setting direction and motivating
Making choices from deep knowing
Giving support and blessing
Defining purpose and meaning
Seeing the whole, knowing rank and order

History of 4 Quadrants: After Carl Jung popularized the study of archetypal psychology, Jungian analyst and
scholar Robert Moore, with collaborator Douglas Gillette, identified and developed a four archetype model of the
mature male psyche. A summary of their work can be found in King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. (Moore and
Gillette 1990.) Their archetypal model was then expanded for practical use by both women and men by Cliff
Barry, Mary Ellen Blandford and their colleagues.

2007 Copyright by Robbins Research International, Inc. (RRI). All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the express written consent of RRI is prohibited.

Page 3

anthony robbins coaching

12 Archetype Categories

advanced coaches skills

vision

action

results

Building upon Jung's work, Carol S. Pearson has created the below group of 12 archetypes.

The 12 Archetypes and each of their strengths and insights:

1.
Innocent = optimism, trust, hope, faith, simple virtue
developing the trust, confidence, and optimism to take the journey
2.
Orphan =
realism, resilience, interdependence, empathy
recognizing that bad things happen and developing realism
3.
Warrior =
discipline, courage, determination, skill
learning to compete, set goals, and when necessary, defend yourself
4.
Caregiver = community, nurturance, compassion, generosity
showing care, concern, compassion for others; helping
5.
Seeker =
autonomy, ambition, identity, expanded possibilities
being willing to be different; having the courage to try new things
6.
Lover =
passion, commitment, enthusiasm, sensual pleasure
loving others, being romantic, intimate, and making commitments
7.
Destroyer = metamorphosis, revolution, capacity to let go
letting go and starting over; taking action to end bad situations
8.
Creator =
creativity, vision, skills, aesthetics, imagination
demonstrating imagination, innovation, cleverness
9.
Ruler =
responsibility, soverignity, control, system savvy
taking charge, being responsible, living according to our values
10.
Magician = transformative, catalytic, or healing power
changing what happens by altering your own thoughts or behaviors
11.
Sage =
wisdom, nonattachment, knowledge, skepticism
thinking clearly, critically, and formulating your own opinions
12.
Jester =
humor, life lived in the moment, exuberant joy
enjoying your life and work; being here and now

Note: To learn more about these 12 archetypes, check out Carol S. Pearsons book Awakening the Hero Within.

For You To Think About...

You are coaching a client that expresses challenges with being able to make a decision and stick
with it. They have mentioned inconsistency in working out, switching careers every few years, and
not committing to a long-term relationship. They have mentioned they are fed up with their
inability to keep the momentum going. How could you use the above archetypes to help them see
their situation from another perspective, and what resources they could tap into to move forward?

2007 Copyright by Robbins Research International, Inc. (RRI). All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the express written consent of RRI is prohibited.

Page 4

anthony robbins coaching

advanced coaches skills

Practical Application Exercises

vision

action

results

Using 4 Quadrant Model

Think of something that youve really struggled with, want to change, or have been uncertain
about. First really associate to these four elements within you: the lover, warrior, sovereign,
and magician. Which one has been dominating you most recently? Which has been the dominant part
of you? (Go with your first gut answer!) Then go to each one of these archetypes and associate to the
value that they can add. One at a time, and ask them what do they believe you need to do in this situation. Whats the answer or resolution that each one of these archetypes can offer? (Go in any order
you want.) Once you associate to the different perspectives of these archetypes, associate, anchor, and
condition in the strengths of these archetypes already within you.

Using 12 Archetypes Categories

Think of something that youve really struggled with, want to change, or have been uncertain
about. What archetypes from the 12 Archetype categories could help you in this situation? Pick two to
three archetypes that could give you a new perspective or alternative input. Really associate to those
archetypes and ask each of the archetypes you picked what they would say or do in the situation you
are facing. Once you associate to the different perspectives of these archetypes, associate, anchor, and
condition in the strengths of these archetypes already within you.

Additional Resources

You can find a listing of the 70 most popular archetypes on Carolyn Myss website, as
well as more information on archetypes:
http://www.myss.com/library/contracts/three_archs.asp
You can take an archetype assessment test ($15Pearson-Marr Archetype Indicator
Instrument) to see which of the 12 archetypes are dominant in your life and to learn
more about each of them.
http://www.capt.org/discover-your-archetypes/home.htm

2007 Copyright by Robbins Research International, Inc. (RRI). All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the express written consent of RRI is prohibited.

Page 5