Hi there, and welcome!
I am an experienced coach trained in mediation and post divorce co-parent coaching, parent education, and life coaching. My ongoing professional development includes working with my mentor, Karen Bonnell, author of The Co-Parenting Handbook: Raising Well-Adjusted and Resilient Kids from Little Ones to Young Adults through Divorce or Separation and The Stepfamily Handbook: From Dating, to Getting Serious, to forming a "Blended Family" . I am also trained in mediation through King County Dispute Resolution Center and as a life coach through the Martha Beck Institute. I am a certified Gottman Institute instructor. I have an MA in Education and have over a decade of experience teaching infants to adult learners. My goal is to help clients build, repair, and maintain strong and healthy communication channels. I can meet you wherever you are now and help you get to where you need to go.
My story.
Like many people who have answered the ‘life calling’ to take on a career in coaching, I’ve experienced the benefits of having a trusted coach and mentor first hand. I’ve felt stuck, defeated, lost, or simply unsure where to go or what to do next. We live in a culture that celebrates individualism -- and there’s nothing wrong with having a “you got this” attitude, but it’s also OK to ask for help, to reach out your hand, and to realize, sometimes you want someone by your side.
I bring to the table an objective point of view, trusted tools, proven strategies, compassion, and creativity. By trusting some of the big challenges you’re facing with someone outside your immediate family or social
circle, you free your bandwidth to be more fully in those relationships while you and I take care of the deep discussions and heavy lifting needed to reach your goals. In many cases, we’ll be discussing all of your relationships, repairing and strengthening the ones that bring meaning to your life, and letting go of those that are holding you down or back. I’ve spent most of my career in education. I have worked as a parent educator at Seattle Colleges and a facilitator for families with PEPS. This rich work with families inspired me to train as a life coach with the Martha Beck Institute.
I continually expand my education by training with specialists in subject areas most useful for my clients.
My style.
I don’t use the terms “broken home” or “divided” to describe families after a divorce, I prefer the term “two- home family”, one that can still be united while living apart. It takes work to get there. I’ll help you acknowledge your feelings and the feelings of others; we’ll channel that wisdom into the actions that make up your new life. Most importantly, I listen as much as I share or teach. It’s important that my clients feel heard, seen and understood. I welcome clients with calmness, compassion, and an open mind. The tools I use are not scripted, printed and bound for us to follow -- they are more like a broad palette of paints, proven strategies that we’ll use on your canvas, as and when needed, to paint the picture you want to realize.
