Listen to the episode Season 4 | Ep 73
On this episode of the Coaching Studio
In this episode of The Coaching Studio, host Lyssa deHart talks with Paul Sanbar, MCC, a coach who brings creativity and play into his work in unique ways. Paul’s coaching approach is anything but traditional—he uses LEGO® Serious Play® to help people think differently, solve problems, and see new possibilities.
Paul shares his winding career path, from studying architecture to working in business, psychotherapy, and poetry before finding his way to coaching. He talks about how those experiences shaped his perspective and why he believes unlearning is just as important as learning in becoming a masterful coach.
Lyssa and Paul discuss the idea of liminal spaces—the in-between moments of change—and how coaching helps people move through uncertainty. They also explore how hands-on, visual coaching techniques can help clients unlock insights in ways that words alone sometimes can’t.
This conversation covers how play and creativity can lead to deeper coaching conversations, why people sometimes need to “build” their ideas before they can fully understand them, and the importance of trusting the coaching process while letting go of rigid expectations. Paul also shares how his coaching approach evolved on his journey to becoming an MCC.
This episode is full of practical insights, personal stories, and new ways to think about coaching and growth.
Paul’s Recommendations – Go check them out!
Paul Shadi Sanbar, MCC is an Ingenuity + Leadership Coach, certified coach supervisor, and hands-on visual thinking facilitator. His life’s work has been dedicated to self-development and creating positive change through purposeful play, storytelling, and powerful conversations—first as a psychotherapist and now as an ICF-accredited Master Certified Coach and EMCC Global-accredited coach supervisor and practitioner.
A certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods facilitator, coach, and trainer, Paul is also a member of the MURAL Consultant Network. He developed the Hands-On Thinking LIMINAL SPACES coaching framework, based on the belief that sustainable, systemic development happens when individuals and teams think and reflect not only with words but also with their eyes and hands, putting their imagination to work in both tactile and technological ways.
About the Host
Lyssa deHart ditched her therapy practice to become a Leadership Confidence Coach. Along the way she discovered a passion for professional coaching and wanted to find ways to share that passion with the world. Come join her in discovering and meeting some of the most amazing professional coaches on the planet. Her goal is to inspire coaches. Lyssa is the author of Sticky Outcomes: at the Intersection of Coaching, Neuroscience, and Lasting Change, StoryJacking: Change Your Dialogue, Transform Your Life, The Reflective Coach - a 12 Month Journal, and Light Up: the Science of Coaching with Metaphors. Lyssa is an ICF MCC Coach, PCC Assessor, Certified Mentor Coach, and Coach SuperVisor. Lyssa uses her understanding of the ICF Core Competencies, combined with her knowledge of Neuroscience, to work with people to become extraordinary professional coaches. Let's Go!
