Meet the Archetypes...
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The aim of developing the 9 Female Coaching Archetypes is to attach a story and character to the patterns of behavior and internal challenges I have identified as some of the most common in myself, friends, clients, colleagues, and more indirectly – authors, actors, and artists.
Based on the premise that we are all connected and share more things in common than we sometimes realise, I believe that each of these archetypes embodies something relatable. Most of us will resonate with at least one, several, or all of these archetypes (a lot, or a little) at different stages in our lives in our ongoing personal development journey. The idea is that the archetypes should overlap; even if you resonate with one strongly, don't box yourself in.
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Before we dive into this story I have derived from my observations of the modern-day female archetypes, I need to preface something:
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My intention is NOT to summarise the complexities of human beings into these 9 archetypes as that would be reductive. Nor would I want these to make people feel like they NEED to fit into one or any of the archetypes. I hope that these will not come across as generalised stereotypes but rather as relatable archetypes that help highlight some of the common internal challenges coaching focuses on. It is also important to reiterate that the challenges described in this article are internal struggles with the self; while these would affect most areas in one's life, the challenges do not consider some of the external factors that many women face such as discrimination, abuse or inequality.
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What I would like to highlight is that no matter how good life is, we all have personal internal struggles that shouldn't be viewed as weaknesses we want to hide, but rather as challenges better approached with curiosity, non-judgment, and compassion.
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Coaching encourages us to embrace all sides of ourselves: to understand, learn, and grow from our internal struggles with the self.
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These archetypes are comprised of a mixture of personality traits, behaviours, inclinations, thought processes, and life circumstances. They remind us that we are all faced with our own set of challenges no matter how good our life is. They show us that we are all connected and that many of our fears and desires are shared.
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My belief is that we could all do with a little more self-love and a little less self-loathing; the archetypes are an attempt at identifying the different parts of ourselves and how to work with them rather than against them.
Why Archetypes?
The concept of archetypes in the psychology of human behavior was introduced by Carl Jung. His theory suggests that archetypes are universal, inborn models of people, behaviors, or personalities that play a role in influencing human behavior.
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In storytelling, the use of archetypes is pivotal for character development and for creating meaningful and relatable stories. Human beings process information best in story form; using archetypes in storytelling is an effective way to communicate intangible and abstract ideas.
When we identify relatable characteristics in others, we feel connected and are able to resonate more deeply. If anything, I hope that the 9 Female Coaching Archetypes help you find comfort in the knowledge that you are not alone in this world and that the internal challenges you are facing are more common than you think.
Continue reading for a deeper understanding:
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This generous archetype is very caring and giving of herself. Her tribe is hugely important to her – she’s the friend you can always count on. She surrounds herself with close connections and has strong relationships with people who cherish her loyalty and kind nature. This archetype is very generous with her time, energy, attention and is always willing to help others and offer favours to friends, family and sometimes even strangers.
She is a great listener, consistent, reliable and very trustworthy with a lot of love to give. She is innately nurturing with a desire to help, protect and fix. This means that there are people who depend on her; she has responsibilities which for the most part, she loves but sometimes they make her feel a bit trapped.
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Naturally a bit of a people pleaser, she struggles to say no. “Yes”, “thank you” and “I’m sorry” are her most common phrases. Her kindness and generosity can be taken for granted or taken advantage of if she is not careful. She is often so worried about her relationship with everyone else that she forgets to put energy into her relationship with herself.
Prone to spending a lot of her time worrying about everyone else, she sometimes fixates on problems and gets stuck when trying to identify solutions. As a result, feeling stuck, fatigued, anxious and stressed is quite familiar. Her challenges are making time for herself, creating boundaries in relationships and learning to say no.
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This humble archetype is very capable and competent; often a high-achiever who downplays her successes. Modesty is her middle name as she is almost uncomfortable with any recognition. She is a hard worker and often surprises people with her many talents which she usually understates.
A natural leader and enthusiastic team player, her main motivation for achieving is for the success of the greater good – whether it be for the family unit, team, business, or world. She is sometimes so preoccupied with the success of the collective that she forgets about her own best interests. Inclusive and collaborative by nature, she loves to make everyone feel included and get everyone’s input.
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Very sensitive to appearing boastful or arrogant, she can sometimes undersell herself and saves her proud moments for herself. Overall, this archetype is strong and quietly confident but can sometimes appear to lack self-esteem. She is prone to undervaluing herself and struggles to celebrate her achievements.
It’s common for this archetype to be taken advantage of or for her achievements to be overlooked by others because quite frankly, she does exactly that to herself. Her challenges are establishing boundaries with herself and others, becoming more comfortable with praise, valuing herself more and standing up for herself.
This female archetype has an abundant life with lots going on in multiple areas. She thrives when she has a busy schedule packed with many exciting plans to look forward to. Surrounded by lots of close connections, she has a very rich and meaningful life and community.
She feels very happy, fulfilled, and mostly grateful for the life she has. In her mind, she “has nothing to complain about” and therefore feels a bit guilty whenever she does feel a bit down or discontent.
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Like a busy bee, often juggling and coordinating a million plans for herself and those around her, this multi-tasker is a bit of a wonder woman capable of achieving a lot. Feeling constantly busy and like there is never enough time in the day is very familiar.
With so much going on, she is prone to spreading herself thin and leaving little time for herself; her self-care routine is seldom the priority. Her challenges are juggling responsibilities, prioritising, and making time for herself.
This go-getter archetype has been a high achiever in most areas of her life. She is very driven, ambitious, and hardworking which has led to many successes in her personal and professional life. When she puts her determined mind to something, almost anything is achievable.
Her dedication and strong work ethic are sometimes overlooked as people assume that she always achieves naturally; behind the scenes, there is much personal sacrifice that contributes to her success. Her high expectations for herself (and others) regularly make her feel disappointed. This talented achiever’s success is so consistent that sometimes her accomplishments are taken for granted by herself and others.
Striving for perfection and excellence is her game; as a result, she is quite self-critical and is prone to feeling overwhelmed with stress, and sometimes close to burning out. As a bit of a perfectionist, she likes to feel in control of situations.
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The pressure she puts herself under is what helps her achieve but when she doesn’t manage it effectively, it can become more harmful than helpful. Her challenges are learning to celebrate her achievements before focusing on the next milestone and balancing the way she puts pressure on herself.
Fiercely independent, this strong female archetype is very comfortable with leading her own way. She feels happy and confident in her personal and professional life. As an occasional lone wolf, she has learned to value herself and fight her own battles.
Standing up for herself is in her nature; this courageous stance in life is admired by many. Brave, determined, and solution-focused, this archetype is a natural-born leader with a positive influence on those around her. She loves her own company and doesn’t mind spending time alone; she is comfortable with moments of solitude and as a result, is quite selective about whom she spends time with.
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She is very driven and ambitious; asking for help is not easy for her. Her independence is key and the feeling of being trapped or tied down is her worst nightmare. This can make committing to people, plans, and even life decisions quite challenging. Relying on others is difficult for her as she struggles to let her guard down to allow people in – especially romantic partners.
She is comfortable with looking after herself and doesn’t want to face the vulnerability of depending on others. Her challenges are trusting others, making big decisions, and occasional feelings of isolation.
This unique archetype has a very distinctive character, often described as quirky and idiosyncratic. In some ways eccentric, she dances to the beat of her own drum. Mostly opting for the road less travelled, she can be viewed as unconventional and somewhat of a trailblazer, pioneer, and innovator.
At her best, she is celebrated by others for her individualism and authenticity. Often seen to be challenging societal norms and expectations, she sometimes feels misunderstood.
This archetype feels quite different and struggles to resonate with the other females from her family and childhood friendship circle. Finding the people who ‘get’ her can be tricky; she finds it hard to share her woes or seek comfort from friends and family as her assumption is that no one will understand.
She tries to convince herself that she doesn’t care about what others think –when really, she does. This makes her feel like she needs to justify herself or seek validation to feel more secure with her decisions. What she really wants is to feel more accepted and longs for a sense of belonging. Her challenge is feeling judged and misunderstood, which brings on feelings of frustration and self-sabotage.
This talented archetype is full of potential and has done well in many areas of her life. Versatile and flexible by nature, she is accustomed to going with the flow and adapting to change. This means that she’s able to flourish in a variety of environments. With a diverse skills-set and multiple strings to her bow, she can be considered as a multi-potentialite.
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Overall, she is very content but as someone who is interested in many areas, she has always had this nagging curiosity about whether she is fulfilling her full potential. Even though she sometimes feels like she hasn't discovered her true calling or purpose yet, she has done quite well in her career.
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Sometimes it feels like she is just going through the motions and wonders if she should be doing something more meaningful or challenging. In a way, this archetype feels like she is stuck in a bit of a rut, and like something is missing.
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She often considers studying further, starting her own business, shifting the direction of her career, planning an adventurous trip, or starting a new hobby. Whatever it is, she has an urge for change; her challenge is figuring out what that change is and where to start. Because of all her options, she can be prone to procrastination and putting off the things she really wants to do.
This empathetic archetype’s gifts are her high emotional intelligence and sensitive disposition which enable her to empathise with others very easily. Her strong intuition and sensitivity allow her to form connections with people from all walks of life, who she instinctively seems to understand on a deeper level.
She has a good grasp of understanding human behavior and is the go-to friend for advice, often described as wise beyond her years. Most of her decisions are made based on her gut feeling. This old soul finds herself drawn to helping and saving others. It’s common for her to allow others to burden her with their problems, often absorbing the problems and pains as if they were her own.
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A strong and optimistic character, she walks around with a huge weight on her shoulders carrying around everyone else’s load. She is usually very objective and often plays the role of mediator when conflict arises. Her challenges are putting boundaries in place with others and learning to be more selective with her empathy.
Letting go of painful experiences is particularly difficult for her as she feels things so deeply. She is prone to feeling emotional and physical fatigue; sometimes overwhelmed with the negativity around her. Her downtime and self-care routines are vital for her rejuvenation.
This passionate archetype has a zest for life, with many interests and a never-ending bucket list. As a bit of a glutton for new experiences, she is known as an adventurer, explorer, and thrill seeker. Constantly on the chase for the next exciting episode in her life, the world truly is this archetype’s oyster.
With a very enthusiastic and positive outlook of the world, there is so much that excites and interests her. When she finds something she enjoys, it’s natural for her to channel her deep drive and ambition, developing a passion that becomes borderline obsessive.
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Known for giving things her all, she can be a bit of an all-or-nothing type character. She is a real go-getter with no off switch and travels through life at 100 miles an hour. She ebbs and flows between being extremely impulsive and completely stagnant; she struggles to find a balance between the two.
Even though she thrives in the chaos and unpredictability of life, she often craves a bit more stability, structure, and security. Establishing solid roots is an important part of giving herself just enough grounding to allow her free-spiritedness to flourish. Her challenges are knowing when to slow down, managing her impulsivity, finding balance, and creating structure.
Final Thoughts
In summary, all of these archetypes are on a personal development journey overcoming internal challenges as they evolve. No matter what’s happening in our lives, we are always changing. Some of these changes are big and noticeable but the more common ones are incremental and happening beyond the surface; the type of changes we aren’t always consciously aware of.
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Coaching is a professional space where we become more aware of these changes and more deliberate with how we influence the direction of our growth.
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As cliched as it sounds, the most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself. Ironically, this is the relationship we most frequently neglect.
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Coaching is the dedicated time you choose to work on yourself in a creative, introspective, and compassionate environment.
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The 9 Coaching Female Archetypes Grid
