55 Highly Effective

Breakthrough
Coaching Questions
from The Sacred Depths
Transformational Practitioner Training

BY JOANNA LINDENBAUM
Dear Practitioner,

I am thrilled that you downloaded this Toolkit!

If you are new to me and my work, my mission (and passion…and obsession!) is to train coaches,
therapists, and other transformational practitioners to be as effective, powerful, and
empowering as you can be when you are working with your clients and groups.

I believe deeply that the better we are as practitioners, the more we are able to support our
clients towards results…and then the more confident, on purpose, and satisfied we can feel!

I also believe that the BEST marketing in the world is happy clients. I have built my business -
and have taught thousands of others - on the idea that when you deliver high-quality service,
you activate more referrals and renewals from clients who sing your praises and want to go
deeper with you.

One of the foundational elements of supporting clients toward change is being able to ask
Breakthrough Questions: questions that open up new ideas, awarenesses, possibilities, and
understandings for your clients.

In this toolkit, you will find 55 Questions that lead to Breakthroughs. But, the questions on their
own are not nearly as powerful as knowing when to ask them…and why to ask them. To that
end, I’ve divided these questions into categories and given you some pointers on their purpose
and when to use them.

The questions you will find here are mostly cognitive-based questions - activating cognitive
awareness and breakthrough is usually the FIRST step to co-creating transformation with
clients.

This is all just a tiny, tiny taste of the deep work we do in the Sacred Depths Transformational
Practitioner Training, and I’m thrilled to be able to share it with you!

(And if you want to join me for a LIVE session, I’ve got one coming up on May 30th! Would love
to see you.)

enjoy, and with love,

Joanna Lindenbaum
Founder, Applied Depth Institute

© Applied Depth Practitioner Institute | AppliedDepthInstitute.com | [email protected] | All rights Reserved

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 Am I getting that right? Questions
When to Use:
After you’ve reflected back to a client or Created Awareness by Mirroring. These
questions put your client’s inner wisdom and agency front and center when you make
suggestions and/or introduce new awarenesses.

Examples:
1. I’m hearing X, am I getting that right?
2. It sounds like you’re saying Y. Did I hear that correctly?
3. As you were speaking, I could almost sense that Z. Am I getting that right?

Definition Questions
When to Use:
You may think you know what the client means when they use a certain term to say a
certain concept, but don’t make assumptions. You may actually be working with a
different definition than them, so it’s important to ask. Also, it’s so powerful for the client
to define something for yourself. Examples: Freedom, Family, Romantic Relationship,
Success, Balance. A way of helping connect the dots.

Examples:
1. What does X mean to you?
2. Define “Y”
3. Explain “Z” a little more --Tell me more about….
4. How is X different than Y (ex: How is Space in your Schedule different than Space in
your Mind or Body? Or How is Self-Trust different than Self-Confidence?)

© Applied Depth Practitioner Institute | AppliedDepthInstitute.com | [email protected] | All rights Reserved

Page 3
 Clarifying Current Situation Questions
When to Use:
To gather more details on the current situation both for you as a coach as well as to
create more awareness and understanding for the client. Only go as far as the details
you need.

Examples:
8.What exactly did she say during the team meeting?
9.When you say no one signed up…was there interest? Enrollment convo?
10. How did that date go badly?
11. Tell me a little bit more about…
12. What are you overlooking?
13. What was your intention when you canceled that doctor’s appointment?

Visioning Questions
When to Use:
a) Something needs to change
b) Something needs to be tweaked
c) An issue needs to be resolved and seen in a different way
d) There is a new creative idea, projective, or incentive ready to emerge that needs
support
e) Client is ready for expansion

Examples:
14. What would it look like if…..you owned your own business, you had a child, you
were pain-free, you found your perfect home
15. If you could change 1 thing about X, what would it be? (GAP/VISION)
16. If you could have this any way you want, how would you have it?
17. What would the best possible outcome look like here?
18. What would an ideal X look like? (relationship? Wedding? Program launch?
Schedule? Job? Team?)
19. What would you like to have happen here?
20. Share with me the details, round out this picture….
21. What do you see when you step out of the box?
22. Where does the Universe want you to stretch next? (Spirit Question)
23. What else?
© Applied Depth Practitioner Institute | AppliedDepthInstitute.com | [email protected] | All rights Reserved
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 Feeling Questions
When to Use:
1. After a series of Intellectual Awarenesses/Mental Level Learning
2. When you sense the client needs to connect deeper than Mental or Cognitive level
3. When you sense there is not an emotional resonance with what you are discussing

Examples:
24. How would that feel?
25. How do you feel in your body right now? Or How do you feel in your body as you
describe that?
26. What does your heart tell you about this?
27. What energy do you associate that with?
28. What do you notice about the tone of your voice?
29. What’s underneath that? (There is usually an emotion or feeling UNDERNEATH
stated feeling, particularly for confusion, worry, or anxiety; Generally, fear or anger or
grief lay beneath those)
30. What is an image or metaphor that reflects X situation? (Also powerful for a coach
to provide the metaphor or image – “it reminds me of a racehorse waiting at the gate…”)
31. What would feel exciting here? (or Joyful or Inspiring…whatever is a value of the
client’s)

Motivation Questions
When your clients are aware of their motivation, it’s easier for them to move forward.

When to Use:
When you sense your client needs motivation, a bigger reason, a mission, or inspiration
in order to move forward.

Examples:
32. What’s your deep why?
33. What makes this important to you?
34. What about that excites you?
35. What value does this experience have for you?

© Applied Depth Practitioner Institute | AppliedDepthInstitute.com | [email protected] | All rights Reserved

Page 5
 Percentage of Number Questioning
When to Use:
When a client needs support distinguishing story from reality; when a client is unclear
about their “Truth”; or when a client is confused about something in their life. Use after
they have shared something that seems misaligned to you or confused.

Examples:
36. On a scale of 1-10, how true is that statement?
37. What percentage of your friends are actually not thinking about your best interest?
38. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you actually want to apply for that job?

Uncovering & Understanding the Obstacle Questions

When to Use:
When a client is blocked in taking an action or getting clear on a dream, vision, goal, or
situation, it is likely because there is an underlying obstacle. You can ask these
questions to uncover & understand the obstacle.

Examples:
39. What’s standing in your way?
40. What’s challenging here?
41. What are you scared of?
42. What’s at risk for you?
43. What other situation does this remind you of?
44. What belief is holding you back here? Where did you pick that belief up?

© Applied Depth Practitioner Institute | AppliedDepthInstitute.com | [email protected] | All rights Reserved

Page 6
 Strategizing Questions
When to Use:
Use these questions when a client has gotten clear on a vision (big and small) and your
client is ready to clarify their next steps.

Examples:
45. What would you like to do differently?
46. What can you change about this immediately? --What are 3 action steps you can
take this week to…
47. How do you plan to achieve that?

Integration Questions
When to Use:
After a lot of awareness has been created, or different strands/threads/ideas have
come to the surface, or at the end of a session.

Examples:
48. What are you seeing for yourself here?
49. What’s important about this?
50. What are you learning?
51. What’s the wisdom that’s coming forward here?

Yes/No Questions
When to Use:
Very sparingly; they will be most powerful if only used seldomly, and in moments when
a client is on the verge of making a serious commitment or decision.

Examples:
52. Are you done with staying up so late?
53. Are you ready to commit to blueprinting everyday?
54. Are you willing to let go of your relationship?
55. Are you finished allowing yourself to be a doormat?

© Applied Depth Practitioner Institute | AppliedDepthInstitute.com | [email protected] | All rights Reserved

Page 7
What Clients Have To Say About Joanna

"Joanna is absolutely masterful at teaching coachingskills, for

both beginners and those more experienced. I’ve sharedher
coaching tools with my clients groups, and they lovedher work.
I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the quality anddepth of her
training. Highly recommended."

— Bill Baren

"For years, I have secretly wished for an experienced,

mastery-level coach to step up and create the certificationI
wish I’d had back when I was new to coaching. Somethingthat
could cut YEARS off the learning curve of an ambitious,highly
driven yet empathic woman like me; something withthe
repeatable secrets of how to REALLY move clients totheir
success. Joanna is that coach, and Sacred DepthsIS that
certification.”

— Elizabeth Purvis, 7-Figure Goddess

“The whole experience has been over and above

my expectations, and so very profound.”

— Marcy Stahl

“I started unsure of how I would pay for the course,and ended

up with more income than ever before!”

— Michelle Thompson

© Applied Depth Practitioner Institute | AppliedDepthInstitute.com | [email protected] | All rights Reserved

Page 9
 MEET YOUR MENTOR & GUIDE

Joanna Lindenbaum
I’m Joanna Lindenbaum, and I’ve facilitated hundreds of Rituals,
Group Programs, and Transformational Experiences for individuals
and groups for over 20 years. I’ve discovered that there are certain
skills and techniques Transformational Practitioners must master
to successfully create REAL shifts, healing and openings for
participants.

Without these tools, things can go very, very wrong. Your

workshops, programs, rituals & 1:1 work can fall flat, or you will
complete it feeling exhausted and spent. However, when you
know how to mine your thought leadership and how to create
exercises that impact deeply, everything can change: your
programs delight your clients, and they end up doing the best
marketing for you—singing your praises wherever they go.

That’s why I’ve created the Advanced Depth and the Sacred
Depths Transformational Practitioner Training. Both programs
help you create amazing experiences and deep transformations
for your attendees—in trauma-informed and high-integrity ways -
leaving them raving about the power of your work.

This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international,
federal, state, and local laws. All rights are reserved. No portion may be sold, reprinted, or used without
written consent from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
If used in a review, please include a link to www.applieddepthinstitute.com Please note that this
publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence. You should use this information
only as you see fit, and at your own risk. Finally, use your own wisdom as guidance. Nothing in this
document is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical, or other professional advice.
© Applied Depth Practitioner Institute | AppliedDepthInstitute.com | [email protected] | All rights Reserved
Page 10
 “Sacred Depths was an illuminating, deep-dive program for
coaches like myself who are called to take their masteryto the
next level so that they can deeply serve their clients.”

— Terra Christoff

“I have so much gratitude for what is genuinely asacred

and deep immersion, and for Joanna’s fearless
commitment to holding high standards in this field.”

— Monika Nataraj

“My desire and ability to market are stronger becauseof the

confidence I gained and I’ve very quickly found newclients.
Sacred Depths is more than a course, it’s a life changing
journey. “

— Sharon Epstein

“I’ve been a full-time coach for 13 years now. TheSacred

Depths Coaching Program gave me more tools to recognize
my client’s fears and resistance, and to help themwalk
through them. I’ve become a better coach and gottenout of
ruts that I didn’t even know I was in. The programhas also
supported me to go deeper into myself to fight myown
resistance and procrastination. My clients now regularly
rave about their sessions and send me emails afterwards
saying how helpful they were. The program is a muston the
path to become excellent and masterful as a coach.”

— Monica Shah
© Applied Depth Practitioner Institute | AppliedDepthInstitute.com | [email protected] | All rights Reserved
Page 11