Coaching Services
Working with me means:
- You can be in a comfortable spot because our sessions are done on the phone or internet.
- You are the expert on your life. I’m the expert on the coaching process. Together, we’re a winning team!
- Helping you go beyond judgments. Labeling things as “good vs. bad”, and “right vs. wrong” shuts down creativity and the ability to see opportunity.
- We accept that chronic health issues are an ever-present part of your daily life. I totally get it, so you don’t need to convince me or prove that.
Let’s cut to the chase.
It’s time to get really clear about what you get from working with me.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as:
“…partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential”.
One on One Coaching
We’ll embrace and celebrate who you are at your best, while clearly identifying your default mindset and the patterns that keep getting in your way. You’ll learn to use this information to avoid the pitfalls of the past and stay on track with your goals.
Together, we’ll design a customized coaching package to meet your specific needs, challenges, and budget. It may include:
- Energy Leadership Index assessment (ELI) and 90-minute Debrief to identify and target specific areas that will have the greatest overall impact for you
- Between two to four 60-minute sessions per month by phone or internet
- Working together for a minimum of three months (to see real and sustainable results), and potentially up to six months or a year, depending on your goals and commitment to achieving them
- Email support
- Additional “Oh shit!” sessions for support through the rough patches and when you get stuck
- “SOS” text access for even more support
- Access to the Reclaiming Your Power Mastermind Group (see below for more info)
- Access to private Facebook Group to connect with like-minded chronically ill folks in a positive space for support and accountability
- Between-session assignments that are meaningful to you to move you toward your goals
Below are the SASS steps we’ll go through as we work together. SASS = Step back; Assess; Strategize; Support. And I totally made up the acronym because I just like it!
SASS Step | Which Means… | Because… |
|---|---|---|
| Step back | Take a step back so you can move forward | Transformation requires awareness, so we’ll look at your limiting beliefs and internalized “rules” which have guided you until now, and then re-write your “Rule Book” to support your health and quality of life. |
| Assess | Identify issues, thoughts, and habits that are creating stress and getting in your way | Stress increases inflammation and triggers the process of catabolism. Simply put, catabolism means your body is cannibalizing itself (yes, you read that right!), can exacerbate your symptoms, and even lead to further illness. Over time, this can result in your body literally falling apart! |
| Strategize | Put together your personalized Life Improvement Plan | Clear goals are essential to success! We’ll create a clear vision of where you want to be, and a step-by-step plan to get you there. We’ll also identify and address areas that are getting in your way. |
| Support | Create a solid accountability plan and tweak it as we go | Things don’t always go according to plan, and you might even get stuck. That’s okay because I’ll help you get “un-stuck”, and we’ll work together to address issues as they come up. |
Schedule a free consultation with me. We’ll talk about how my coaching can help you, and then we’ll use some of the time as an actual coaching session. Then I’ll make a recommendation about the services that will be most effective for you. Finally, if I feel that I cannot serve you to the level that you deserve, I will be honest about that. I’ll do my best to offer other resources and referrals to move you forward.
"Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher."
~ Oprah Winfrey
Reclaiming Your Power Mastermind Group
Isolation and frustration often accompany chronic illness. Support groups (both online and off) are wonderful and essential, yet the focus on “problems” can easily descend into negativity and hopelessness. Developing connections with like-minded people who understand chronic illness can be life-changing. This Mastermind Group engages the strengths and wisdom of all participants to create a group synergy that is solution-focused and inspires positive forward action toward your goals. This group is available separately or as part of a one-on-one coaching program. Here’s how it’s structured:
- Three-month commitment
- Four moderated group calls (by phone or internet) per month of 60 minutes each
- Weekly suggested topic of focus
- Brainstorming
- Action planning
- Accountability check-ins
- Email support
- Private Facebook Group for continuing support
Energy Leadership Index Assessment and Debrief
The Energy Leadership Index assessment (ELI) and Debrief may be purchased separately. This assessment is taken online and is followed by a Debrief with me, which consists of spending 90 minutes together by telephone. There is no judgment in this assessment, no “good vs. bad”, simply pros and cons of each result. We’ll describe and celebrate who you are at your best, while pinpointing your default thought patterns under stress that can trigger a downward cascade in your symptoms.
Presentations
Speaking
My own experiences have taught me that you CAN live an amazing life with a chronic illness. The first step is to get your mind in the right place, because this has a big impact on your physical and mental wellbeing. It took me a long time and a heckuva lot of trial, error, pain, and heartbreak to figure all of this out. This is why I’m so passionate about sharing what I’ve learned. I want to help your organization or group to challenge preconceived notions about illness, disability, and empowerment. I love doing presentations and workshops. Please reach out to me to discuss your interests and needs in more detail. Below you will find topics that I can present on, and I’m excited to work with your group or organization to create a customized experience that fits your needs.
Some possible topics are:
Why Your Mindset Is More Powerful Than Your Illness
You are NEVER powerless, even if your health issues are genetic and degenerative. This presentation will help you understand why and how your thoughts have a powerful PHYSICAL impact on your body and symptoms. This information will empower you to increase the balance in your energy “bank account” by identifying the areas to invest in that will give you the biggest energy boost, while cutting off thoughts that keep draining your “account”.
The Four Thought Patterns That Fry Your Energy Supply… And How to Get Past Them
Living with a chronic illness means energy is at a premium. There are four specific thought patterns or “blocks” that keep you stuck and quickly burn through your energy. We’ll identify each of them and provide strategies to help you deal with them.
Friends with Benefits: How Loving My Illness Changed My Life
“Normal” is good, “different” is bad. Illness or disability is tragic and the worst possible thing that can happen to you. These are things we are all taught from the day we were born and accept without question. But in reality, how true are these beliefs? What do these beliefs and judgments cost us, both personally and as a society? Through my personal story I will challenge your beliefs, values, and assumptions. I’ll share how I made friends with my illness, a revolutionary act which empowers me every day to release shame, be my most authentic self, and to stop hustling for worthiness.
Workshops
Design Your Chronically Fabulous Future: A Vision Board Workshop
The most powerful way to set goals is to begin with a technicolor vision of where you want to be and what you want to bring into your life. Start setting the wheels of the Universe in motion with this fun workshop that helps you reconnect with the part of yourself that knows there are no limits. You’ll connect with others on the same path, and together we’ll access your creativity and passion to create a vivid image of the future you desire. Then we’ll look at the four “big vision killers” and how to tackle them. You’ll leave with a personal mission statement, actionable goals, and a powerful visual reminder to keep you on track.
Exposing Yourself: Choosing If and How to Disclose Health Issues
“Chronic” is hard for healthy people to understand. You’re not going to “get well”, and your illness is a big part of your everyday life. So how do you navigate relationships with your employer, friends, and family while chronically ill? You don’t want pity or to turn people off, but life would be so much easier if they really understood your needs and limitations. This workshop will help you think through the pros and cons of disclosing your health issues in your unique situation, both personally and professionally. You’ll leave with a game plan to move forward, and some strategies to help you achieve your desired result.
How to Talk So Your Docs Will Listen: Simple Skills to Help You Get What You Need
For many reasons the current relationship between people with chronic illnesses and our doctors is NOT WORKING – for either side. Both doctors and patients have expectations, stresses, and frustrations that are often a setup for a negative interaction for everyone involved. Through many conversations with doctors, patients, and coaches, along with my personal experiences, it’s become clear to me that there is a path to improving this situation for everyone’s benefit. This workshop is the first step on that path. You will learn some simple skills to communicate more effectively with your doctors and other providers, feel more empowered and help you get what you need from them. The long-term goal is to teach these skills to both sides, so that we can create positive, productive, and powerful conversations that completely change these relationships, and improve the lives of both patients AND doctors.