Practical coaching to help you clear the noise, focus your energy, and show up with greater effectiveness.
Life and Transition Coaching
Clarity and Purpose
Work with me to explore your deep interests and values to gain clarity on how you can best show up in the world. How do you bring your gifts forward? What are the risks and rewards? We will work together to create a space for visualizing your optimal self and explore how to work around the barriers you see, either real or perceived. See what happens and what shifts when you consciously claim your personal North Star.
Personal Effectiveness
Do you have a hard time making the changes you know you need to make? Are your wheels spinning? Do you feel exhausted by the tired, old, routines? Let’s work together to discover how some surprisingly small tweaks can open to a vibrant sense of aliveness and clarity. What do you need to say “yes” to? Where in your life can “no” be a complete sentence? See what happens when this dynamic cascades through all facets of your life.
Life Transitions
We know it when we feel it: change is in the air. Sometimes it arrives quietly in the night and other times, it may strike like lightning. Some major transitions, such as loss and grief for a loved one, may be best handled under the supportive care of a licensed therapist. Other kinds of transition can be very hard in their own unique ways, whether around career, purpose, retirement, establishing new habits, wellness, spirituality, relationships, and well, you get the idea. Transitions invariably involve the loss of something familiar, followed by a period of uncertainty, and then the embrace of something new. How can you support yourself, maintain perspective and persist through change when it can seem so hard? We will work together to identify what can be available to you in this very moment, to open new resources and ways of being. We will look at what is currently hard (and exciting!) and evaluate how to be real with it in a way that is healthy and kind to yourself. What wisdom and resources do you have available right now?
Coaching for Academia
Academia comes with its own unique challenges — and opportunities. Whether you’re a student, faculty member, or administrator, coaching can help you clarify your priorities, navigate obstacles, and move forward with greater confidence and purpose.
- Do you need support in prioritizing your research goals?
- Do you need to clarify action items, timelines, and personal benchmarks?
- Do you need a more supportive work-life balance?
- Are you feeling overwhelmed and seek to explore some new perspectives and approaches?
I can help you clarify your goals and identify what is a priority and what is peripheral.
Whether you are a student, recent graduate, grad student, professor, administrator, or are in some other way navigating the hallways of academia, I understand. I was an art professor just shy of 20 years. By many measures, I found success: I was promoted to associated professor (twice!), was awarded tenure, had a robust exhibition record, and developed innovative programs. I am a published author. I worked with fantastic students and brilliant colleagues. I chaired committees, hired new faculty members, and contributed at numerous levels of my institutions. I enjoyed some of it tremendously. And then I did something radical: I chose to leave my tenured professorship to do something else. After almost twenty years as an academic, I recognized that my priority had changed. I decided to place my role as a mentor/advisor/coach front and center. I now work full-time with undergraduates in career services at an Ivy-league school and run a private coaching practice working with all sorts of clients from corporate, academic, and other backgrounds. I’ve never felt such a clear sense of purpose and fulfillment.
I share all of this to make the point that I understand academia as a unique context, and as your coach, when I say that “I get it,” it will ring true. Your situation, goals and circumstances will be uniquely yours. What pathways would you like to clear for your journey forward? What do balance, fulfillment, and success look like for you?
For students or graduate students, I will provide a supportive and encouraging environment to help you identify your strengths, clarify your values and goals, and develop an action plan to achieve success. I can help you navigate the challenges of academic life, such as time management, stress management, and goal setting.
For faculty, administrators, and staff, coaching can help you identify your strengths and areas for improvement, develop a growth mindset, and set goals to achieve success. I can help you with feedback, support, and guidance to help you navigate complex workplace dynamics, improve communication skills, and manage stress and burnout. I especially understand the challenges faced by those on tenure track and can work with you to develop a supportive framework.
Coaching for Creatives
Creative work takes both freedom and focus, and finding that balance isn’t always easy. Whether you’re an artist, writer, musician, or creative professional, coaching can help you move past obstacles, stay connected to your vision, and bring your work to life.
With 30 years’ experience as a photographic artist, author and art educator, I can guide you on a journey of discovery and productivity, helping you unleash your full creative potential! I will not teach you the specific craft, per se, but rather work with you to develop a useful framework for your endeavors. Together, we’ll explore your creative inclinations, identify obstacles that may be holding you back, and develop personalized strategies to help you achieve your goals. I will encourage you to take risks, experiment with new ideas, and challenge yourself to reach new levels of curiosity. With my support, you’ll learn to tap into your innate resources and express your unique voice in powerful and inspiring ways.
Whether you’re a writer, artist, musician, or any type of creative professional, at any level of experience, we’ll work together to identify and overcome any creative blocks that may be preventing you from achieving your goals, whether completing a novel, preparing for an exhibition, or starting a new craft. We can explore how your creative work can find a receptive audience, or perhaps most importantly, bring you personal fulfillment.
Finding a balance between the different head spaces required for creative work can be a real challenge. On the one hand, creativity demands a certain level of freedom, where we can explore new ideas and concepts without the pressure of immediate results. On the other hand, we also need to be able to switch gears and focus on more concrete tasks and goals to bring our ideas to life. However, these two states of mind are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the ability to move fluidly between them is key to unlocking our full creative potential. By embracing both open-ended, associative thinking and goal-oriented action, we can harness the power of our imaginations while also bringing our ideas to fruition.
So, if you’re ready to unlock your full creative potential and take your craft to the next level, let’s work together and make it happen!
Spirituality Coaching
Exploring your spiritual life can bring clarity, perspective, and a deeper sense of purpose. Whether you’re part of an established tradition, seeking your own path, or simply curious about mindfulness and reflection, coaching can help you integrate spiritual practices into daily life in a way that feels authentic.
I offer guidance and support to those seeking to deepen their understanding of the spiritual dimensions of life. If you’ve ever wondered about meditation but weren’t sure where to start, I can help you develop a regular practice and explore the benefits of mindfulness and contemplation. Together, we can integrate spiritual practices into your daily activities to gain a deeper perspective on your life’s purpose and meaning. I can help you explore deeper levels of experience and awareness, and provide tools for reducing stress and cultivating a more healthy and balanced life. Whether you’re part of an established faith, seeking your own path or looking for an alternative to traditional religion, I can help you explore and deepen your path.
We can work together to identify some accessible practices that you can begin right away, such as a daily 5-minute meditation, mindful walking, deep breathing, journaling, and reflective reading. I can also be a sounding board for your spiritual reflections as you contemplate how to integrate your spiritual beliefs into your everyday life. Whether you’re seeking to deepen your connection with a higher power, explore new spiritual practices, or simply gain a greater sense of clarity and purpose, I’m here to support and guide you on your journey.
I draw on over 20 years of experience practicing yoga and meditation, as well as exploring various aspects of Vedanta, yogic philosophy and anatomy, personal and Christian mysticism. Along the way, I ventured to India and have intersected with spiritual teachers such as Sri M, who have profoundly improved my understanding of spirituality and the many paths that can lead to a deeper connection to higher presence. For more information about my spiritual journey, please read my book, Nowhere in Place, which explores how my interests in art and mindfulness intersect. As a contemplative visual artist, I bring an understanding of how creativity and spirituality mingle and support one another.