Metacognitive coaching - what is it and why to choose?
What Exactly is MCP coaching?
Meta Cognitive Programming (MCP) is an innovative coaching methodology developed by Misha Saidov.
This approach merges cognitive psychology with practical coaching techniques to facilitate profound personal and professional transformations.
It focuses on transferring emotional self-regulation and thought management skills to the client while also incorporating clinical behavioral analysis.
MCP is a trauma-informed, evidence-based coaching technique that works with parts of the personality, their metaprograms, emotional modification, and behavioral activation.
While other schools work with excuses that prevent people from achieving their full potential, we help people understand and regulate their emotions, being a significant determinant of the future.
Differences from Other Main Modalities
In therapy or life coaching, there is no more effective evidence-based modality. CBT, DBT, EFT, ACT, and ST are effective not because of the differences between them, but because of the factors or elements they all use.
We share some concepts with schema therapy. For example, we rely on basic needs, call schemas metacognitive programs, and refer to modes and coping mechanisms as reactions. With CBT, we share the analysis of the behavioral chain and Socratic techniques for working with thoughts. With psychodynamic therapy, we share coping mechanisms and defense mechanisms. With EFT, we share the focus on emotional experience and the requirement for processing and experiencing emotions. The main difference from therapy in general is that we work with functioning clients and incorporate a lot of teaching and direct recommendations.
Key Components of MCP
Cognitive Restructuring and Behavioral Analysis MCP integrates techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and change negative or unproductive thought patterns. This approach includes a clinical analysis of behaviors to understand and address the root causes of emotional and cognitive challenges.
Emotional Self-Regulation One of the core aspects of MCP coaching is teaching clients how to manage their emotions effectively. Emotions are our fuel for actions. When you understand how and where to apply this fuel, the boundaries of what is possible are erased for you. When you see what is truly behind the emotions, inner peace and tranquility are established.
Trauma-Informed Approach Unlike many other coaching methods, MCP is designed with a deep understanding of trauma. MCP coaches do not work with traumas, but with the attitude towards the part of oneself that experienced the trauma, focusing on acceptance and moving beyond these experiences. We help the client not to "cross out" it, but to accept and leave the "past in the past," to move towards a legendary future without this ballast.
Metacognitive Awareness MCP emphasizes metacognition, or the awareness and understanding of one's thought processes. Clients learn to observe their thoughts, recognize patterns, and make conscious adjustments. This heightened self-awareness helps clients become more mindful and intentional in their actions and decisions.
Holistic Transformation We believe that people do not fundamentally change; this is why our focus is not on changing clients but on revealing their true essence. MCP aims to bring about holistic change by revealing the client's true essence. The focus is on subtracting rather than adding layers, purifying individuals to their authentic selves. This approach helps clients align more closely with their true values and goals, leading to a more fulfilling and integrated life.
Behavioral Activation MCP also includes elements of behavioral activation, encouraging clients to engage in activities that align with their values and goals. This proactive approach helps clients break free from negative cycles and build positive momentum towards their desired future.
MCP coaches do not fix "one-off breakdowns" and do not work with isolated cases. They do not add new instructions and skills in the style of "100 steps to success." They fundamentally change the mindset system so that the client understands what to do next. And does it.
Principles of MCP Coaching
Seeing Through. Seeing through reflects the biopsychosocial theory. We see the genetic infrastructure of the client simultaneously with the metacognitive programs.
Hearing Beyond Words. We structure and reflect on the client's content in a certain way—through the behavioral analysis chain. This helps to look at the individual elements of the client's life, their needs, and patterns under a magnifying glass.
Path of Sincerity. Our difference from cognitive approaches is that we require the dissolution of masks and defense mechanisms inherent to the client.
Go All the Way. In exponential coaching, special work is devoted to emotions. The coach helps the client expand their capacity to feel without turning off consciousness.
Being the Product of Your Product. Coaching is about transferring skills. A coach can transfer skills only if they thoroughly master them. This principle focuses on the figure of the coach and their work both with the client and with themselves.
How the Principles Work Together
Being the Product of Your Product The coach has created a safe environment and connection. The client looks at the coach as an example of what is possible for them.
Seeing Through. The client understands what is happening to them and why. The client begins to understand themselves.
Hearing Beyond Words. From general understanding, the client derives specifics for themselves. They see not only why this happens to them but also how exactly it happens, in what situations, and how they behave when they leave the present moment.
Path of Sincerity. The client begins to actively free themselves from what no longer works for them. They are no longer willing to tolerate old patterns and programs and actively reconfigure their life.
Go All the Way. The client goes to the end in their healing and begins to feel a new reality.
Why I Chose MCP
I was always looking for the answer to the question "Why"—why some people can achieve and others cannot, why some can build happy relationships while others struggle, why some look forward to the future while others remain stuck in the past. I sought a study that could provide these answers, not just teach techniques that might or might not work.
In Meta Cognitive Programming (MCP), I found those answers. MCP not only explains the reasons behind these differences but also provides a clear path to resolving them. The philosophy of MCP resonates deeply with me. It’s not about pushing people to achieve some superficial notion of "success." Instead, MCP helps individuals understand their true desires and needs, fostering genuine healing and personal growth over merely ticking off goals. This aligns with my belief that true success comes from within, from self-awareness and emotional well-being. MCP creates a safe space where people can explore their inner worlds, heal from past traumas, and move forward with clarity and confidence. Additionally, MCP teaches that coaching is not just a profession; it's a lifestyle.
MCP's emphasis on emotional self-regulation and cognitive restructuring provides the tools for lasting change. It’s about peeling back layers to reveal the authentic self, helping clients align with their true values and goals. This approach leads to a more integrated and fulfilling life, which is why I chose MCP.