Sound is more than harmony. More than relaxation. More than a beautiful extra in coaching. Sound is a form of expression. An invitation to feel. A way to make the unspeakable audible – without having to explain it. In recent years, I’ve experienced how deeply coaching changes when sound is integrated. And I don’t mean a calming sound bowl at the beginning of a session. I’m talking about the conscious integration of voice, rhythm, musical expression, and silence – used with intention, sensitivity, and presence. Here are three real-life experiences that have surprised and shaped me.

1. Holding distance – and yet being deeply connected

In classic coaching, the challenge often lies in creating emotional closeness without entanglement. As a coach, I want to be present, empathic, open – but not overwhelmed. I accompany – without losing myself.

And here, sound offers an unexpected solution: It allows me to feel deeply connected and yet clearly grounded. But here comes an important distinction:
Most of the time, it's not me making the music – it’s the client. And that changes the entire dynamic. In sound-based coaching, I work with simple instruments – percussion, frame drums, monochord string instruments, sound tubes, the voice, or even just silence. It’s not about creating "music" in the traditional sense – there are no melodies, no performances.

It’s about expression. Rhythmic drumming. A raw sound. Scratching, humming, sighing. A slow fading out.

Interestingly, people without a musical background often have an advantage here: They don’t fall into the trap of performing. They’re not thinking about major or minor, about right or wrong. They simply are. Authentic. Rough. Sometimes disharmonic – but real.

And me? I hold space. I listen. I don’t experience the emotion through explanation but through vibration. That allows me to stay grounded – while being fully attuned.

It’s healing closeness – without enmeshment.

What is AuditiveCoaching©

2. Feeling deeply – without needing to analyze

Music reaches the limbic system –
That’s where our emotions live.
Where tears begin long before we know why.

I remember a client who spent months trying to describe an inner unrest – without success. In one session, I handed her a frame drum and invited her to just play – no rhythm, no expectations. What followed was a pounding, chaotic drumming – like a heartbeat in turmoil. I accompanied her with a deep drone sound. After a few minutes, she stopped, placed her hands on the drum and whispered: "Now I know what it sounds like inside of me. And I can finally hear it." The sound had unlocked something words couldn’t touch. And this is not an isolated case.

Music activates areas that the mind often avoids. It speaks in the language of the nervous system, the body, the soul. The limbic system reacts instantly – with tears, goosebumps, trembling, or a liberating sigh. It’s not about talking. It’s about resonating.

Have you heard about the 'Sound Of Plants Projekt'?

3. Intuition finds its way home

When people integrate sound into their coaching – whether as clients or coaches – something deep within begins to shift. Again and again, I witness how people who explore sound, voice, and music in a coaching setting start trusting their intuition much more. They make decisions with their full system, not just their thoughts.

They reconnect with themselves – with their own rhythm, their inner silence, their vitality. And most importantly: They rediscover their own voice.

Not just metaphorically – literally. They begin to hum, to sound, to speak with more clarity and presence. The voice becomes a resonance chamber of the self. And this reconnection is deeply transformative. It means:
I am allowed to be as I am.
I am allowed to be heard.
I am allowed to sound – without needing to impress.

This experience doesn’t just transform coaching.
It transforms lives.

Sound as a companion on the path

These three experiences – and many more – show me that sound is not just a method.

It’s a bridge.
It’s a mirror.
It’s a transformative medium that connects us with something essential.

It brings us into contact with our innermost being.
It connects us with ourselves – and with others.
It makes visible what has long been hidden – not through analysis, but through vibration.

If you’re curious how sound can deepen your coaching practice – as a coach or as a client – I’d be happy to walk a few steps with you on this path.
Sometimes, transformation begins not with a conversation – but with a tone.

Warmly,
Martina M. Schuster