Streams

Various developmental lines - such as cognitive, emotional, entrepreneurial, interpersonal, and spiritual - can be described as "streams". These streams advance relatively independently through different levels. Development is not a linear, step by step affair, but rather more of a spiral- ever upwards, re-visiting similar themes, but never the same place.

Multiple intelligences   The concept of "streams" is used by Wilber¹ and Beck & Cowan², in conjunction with the developmental levels they describe.
The "Human Givens"³ approach to psychotherapy, lines up a "human needs list" beside a "human capacities list". Capacities are harnessed for the fulfillment of needs.

"Capacities" and "Streams" are comparable notions. The "life streams" in our Lifestream Associates logo, are our human capacities, the different human capacities that together constitute on individual’s make up. The also refer to the perennial ‘Love streams’ which flow underneath all of our life’s ‘illusory’ experiences, sustaining our soul’s journey

Coaching may start out advancing only one of these streams, pulling it up a level, but then the client may want to look at another steam, that then comes to their attention, and then another. A "stream" might, in itself, be relatively autonomous, but ultimately, benefit from "stream companions", on the same "level", to enrich the metaphoric and functional exchange.

If someone is intellectually advanced, with advanced aesthetic sensibilities, but lacks social skills, it is likely that it is social skills he needs, not a lonely art project or reading list. A community art project or book discussion group might, however, combine his existing strengths and support the aspects he wishes to strengthen.

1. Ken Wilber – Sex, Ecology, Spirituality - http://wilber.shambhala.com
2. Don Beck & Christopher Cowan – Spiral Dynamics -http://www.spiraldynamics.com/book/book.htm
3. Joe Griffin & Ivan Tyrrell – Human Givens - http://www.humangivens.com