Many years ago, I realized that I was not living the life I truly believed I could be.
I didn’t feel fully alive. It was a vague discomfort that I had difficulty putting a finger on, but I knew deep inside that there was something more I needed to be doing with my life. I knew I had a need to live the most authentic life I possibly could, but how?
So, I began a journey, which at times was very messy, to find what being “alive” meant to me and to find my authentic truth. This sounds lofty and vague, and, frankly, it’s an unfolding path I’m still walking that not only holds promise but challenge. I learned quickly on my way that it was not about being happy all the time. Instead, it was so much more about being willing to move towards and embrace discomfort, emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual.
As a former firefighter/paramedic, I certainly understood what physical discomfort was, but I had a long way to go with my willingness to push myself into mental and emotional discomfort. That was unexplored territory. By being willing to explore that discomfort, I have come to understand that my mind and my thoughts as well as my emotions or feelings have a profound influence on my experience in life. They influence the actions I take as well as those I don’t take, which, ultimately create the results I have in my life -my experience of life. I am still discovering new spaces in myself, and it has been through life coaching, which includes but is so much more than self-help/self-care, that I have gained the ground I stand on today.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
— Neal Donald Walsch
In my desire to deeply understand myself and live my own best life, I’ve found that deeply understanding others and helping them discover and attain their own best lives, was exactly what helped me be as alive as possible. As I found my own empowerment, I strove to empower others with the same tools/skills I was learning. I also realized that experiencing my own messy, human moments brought me to a place of more understanding and compassion for all humans.
In my process of loving my full self, it became clear that embracing all the humans, in all of their good and bad aspects is an integral part of that journey.
I love coaching people because not only is it a way to be of service and help others, but it’s also a place where I continue to learn about myself and all humans. Throughout this process, I have pushed my zone of comfort in so many more ways, as these photos illustrate. But there’s so much more that can be seen in a picture, and that is exactly why life coaching has such power, in my opinion.
Collaborating is the keyword in coaching. The client is always the expert at their lives, and as their coach, I bring the knowledge and skills they need to up-level their lives and evolve into their best selves.
The process I use is called “causal coaching”, which uncovers the cause of one’s problem rather than treat the symptoms. It’s also referred to as Thought Work which uses a logical process to gain awareness around how our brains and emotions play such a huge role in our overall experience of our lives.
In my role as Life Coach, I bring the experience of having been a career firefighter/paramedic for the City of Madison Fire Dept.(Wisconsin) for almost 30 years. During my last 3-4 years, I was fortunate enough to be one of the first Community paramedics for the department. This began my passion for coaching people- starting with Health Coaching, Wellness Coaching (certified by WellCoaches) and finally getting certified by The Life Coach School as a Life and Weight Coach. In addition to coaching clients and providing Wellness Webinars, I also volunteer at a local community center to bring Life and Health Coaching to populations who have less access to this kind of service.
It is my sincere desire to offer and teach my clients the tools they need to succeed on their own terms. My vision of “success” is for each client not only to have more personal empowerment but also, ultimately, not need the services I provide. That said, I truly believe that we all need coaching at different times in our lives as we all have “blind spots” where that outside view can make all the difference in our personal growth.
Sessions
Sessions are provided over Zoom, phone, and in-person when possible and upon request.
45 min session – $50
Package of 6 sessions – $250
Working together on a weekly basis or every other week is recommended. Like going to the gym, it takes more than one workout to get fit. Being consistent and having a level of accountability is very helpful.
Sessions are completely confidential.