I always have a hard time explaining to folks what I do, even as I enter my ninth(!) year of coaching professionally. Over time I have come up with some language that helps (scroll down for that...), but last year I happened to catch the end of one of those PBS specials where the speaker, Lissa Rankin, author of Mind Over Medicine, was talking about how a doctor's communication is critical to the healing of the patient. In fact, the physician can have a placebo effect, and therefore become the medicine itself.  That sparked an a-ha moment for me - I realized that I'm not a doctor, but through my writing, speaking and especially coaching, I am medicine, and strong medicine at that! 

I like to call myself a "holistic career coach" or "life chiropractor" because an individual's work is my entree into looking at their entire life. This is because our jobs/careers are generally where we spend the most time and energy, so if that's "off" many other things like health and relationships will be "off" as well, and vice versa. When I meet with clients, I get in there with my x-ray vision and supersonic hearing and connect the dots, see what is out of wack and give you an adjustment along with tools and resources to put you back in alignment. 

"Treatment" could take the form of specific tasks and homework, my prescriptions so to speak, but sometimes it is simply me seeing you in a way that you've never looked at yourself before, which gives you new insights about who you are, where you should be going and how best to be using your time and energy. Most folks come away with a different perspective that is profoundly healing and motivates them to move forward in a positive direction, however long a process that might take.  Everyone is re-awakened to the person they know themselves to be. 

In other words, you get a good dose of special sauce to do the things you need to do that will create purpose, meaning and balance in every area of your life!  Often this is a one-time injection and you're re-calibrated and on your way; other folks are in the midst of a deeper transformation and need more guidance over a period of time.  Although there are most certainly phases when we all need outside expertise and support, it is always my goal to empower you to ultimately become your own coach and trusted counsel. 

We are humans, and we bring our whole human selves with our entire characteristics, experiences, limitations, talents, stresses and passions to wherever we are, whatever we are doing and whomever we are with. This resonates now more than ever with our 24/7 accessibility, increasingly virtual workplaces and the overall blurring of lines between our personal and professional lives, so we need to learn how to manage, balance and integrate it all!