Here are stories of past and present clients along with what they say about their coaching experience with me. Some names are pseudonyms at the client's request.

Working with Janet is like reading a self-help book and having the author right there with you. It has helped us grow so much in our love for one another.

Michele: Adjusts to a New Position with Personal Leadership
 
Michele came to coaching shortly after beginning a new job. Initially, the work environment was not a comfortable fit. Surrounded by a new organizational culture, she feared that she would be rejected, and so tried to mask herself in a way that wasn’t authentic. Through coaching, she found openings to be herself and to connect with her new organization. When she showed up sincerely, without hiding, the atmosphere she was seeking began to manifest itself.
 
Coaching took the pressure off. It showed me that the realm of possibilities was a lot larger than I had thought, and that I wasn’t boxed in. As we went through the process I was really surprised by the questions, the techniques, the things that you brought up.
 
Right away I went out and got that sketch book and the colored drawing pencils that have become a part of my life. I recognized my desire for creative expression. I’ve shared my pictorial journal with my daughter, and that’s been a good thing.
 
Your listening was very good. You would come back with questions that were relevant, but surprising. I’d wonder, “How did she come up with that question?” There’d be a little buzz trying to figure that out. The questions led me to think more creatively in a greater variety of directions.
 
I definitely recommend your coaching. It elicited the answers from me. What ‘s up with me? What kinds of things would I like to have happen? And when we got into expanding the realm of possibilities, the answers still came from me. 


 ~~ Michele Bertaux, Charitable Gift Planner, Cincinnati, OH


Brian: Eases Pressure on Himelf and Produces Greater Results

Brian is a vibrant man in his early 40’s. He is an innovative chiropractor who came to coaching feeling spread thin between his growing family, his busy practice, and his desire to pursue a variety of projects to promote health. His athletic training had taught him to push through difficulty, but he was getting battered in the process of trying to do it all.

It was just amazing how when you listened to what I said, you steered the direction of the conversation and I got to see an underlying problem that wasn’t obvious to me. I was being too hard on myself and it was actually pulling me back when I wanted to go forward. It’s like a light bulb went on and half of the problem was solved by just becoming aware of it. It was very, very helpful to explore that issue and to use a strategy, a home exercise, to get more in touch with it and to shift it.

Visualization experiences that you created were particularly meaningful for me. And I wasn’t just seeing things, I was feeling the experience. And it definitely got emotional; some of the thoughts, in looking at things from a different perspective, provoked tears. I thought it was fantastic.

Now I am easier on myself, and I focus on creating an emotional rhythm, not the peaks and valleys that caused frustration before. The big gain is that I pull myself back when I fall into my old patterns. Even in our first session, I broke some old patterns. It has freed me up and allowed me to do so much more. It’s like a weight off my shoulders with less negative self talk. I don’t hesitate to schedule things and get out there and pound the pavement, interact with people, and tell them what I know without second guessing myself.

I was surprised at how effective coaching was over the phone! You were inquisitive, respectful, and very connected energetically. When I described something, you had more than just an understanding of what I was saying; you got what I was feeling. You responded to my thoughts, not just my words. I’m very self-challenging but you challenged me in new ways. Working with you helped me to set more realistic goals and to follow through and build on little building blocks.

 I absolutely recommend coaching. It is really worth any investment. Just the same as taking care of my body, and being proactive with healthcare, being proactive with getting life balance and flow is important to the quality of my life.

~~ Dr. Brian McMaster, Signal Hill Chiropractic, Milford, Ohio


Jessica: Increases Her Confidence at Work, Improves Her Health, and Heals a Strained Relationship

Jessica was always a high achiever. Though very successful in her work as a professor and author, she felt anxiety among her University colleagues. She had skipped the tenure track to be a more active parent and had felt like a second-class citizen with her co-workers ever since. She felt stress at work, kept distance from her colleagues, and used food and occasionally alcohol to sooth feelings of resentment and not belonging. Her relationship with her father was painful. When she came to coaching, she was aware of a general sense of being upset and she was really tired of it. One of the outcomes of coaching for her was a new perspective on her status in her department. She applied for and received a coveted sabbatical award. She realigned her eating and drinking habits to better fit her values around good health.

Working with you helped me focus on particular issues and design strategies to resolve them. You have a gift for getting to the heart of the matter. Your intuition, patience, and care helped me get rid of demons I have carried around for far too long. My sense of self acceptance and empowerment improved. I feel more worthy and valuable at work.

I came a long way in figuring out how to interact in my relationship with my Dad. I’m able to be me with him now. I’m able to forgive him (without him really knowing that) and to have a more real relationship with him. I’m not angry with him all the time.

When I get wrapped up in a problem it is scary to try to figure out how to open it up without it exploding. I felt safe with you and I could trust that it wasn’t going to end up uncorking me. When I stepped back during coaching and thought about the future, I didn’t have that dire sense of the world coming unglued.

Part of the benefit of coaching was taking the time to think about my issues. You don’t usually say during the day, “I’m going to allow myself to be uncomfortable about this particular issue now.” You know what I mean? When I had coaching sessions and then homework afterwards, I did. I said, “OK, I’m going to look at this now… and I’m not going to die from it.” And there’s someone I can process it with. The issues felt more solvable.

You were insightful. It was like if I had this problem in front of me and thirty different ways to approach it, I probably would have tried twenty-eight ways before I got to the right one. You were a guide that helped me get there without going down a lot of dead ends.

I’ve recommended coaching to a number of my friends.

~~ Jessica Morrow, Professor, Madison, Wisconsin



Sherman: Increases Productivity, Improves Family Relationships, Soars in Creativity and Influence

Sherman is a non-profit leader whose life’s purpose is to address issues of poverty. When he came to coaching, he his mission felt daunting, and conflicts with people he loved were draining his energy. Through coaching, he worked through roadblocks of fear in his relationships and in his creative dreams. He created connection with an estranged daughter and deepened the emotional intimacy in his marriage. He gained perspective on his work that inspired rather than drained him. The dream of writing a book turned into two active book projects in-the-making. Speaking and teaching engagements blossomed locally, nationally, and internationally.


Coaching has been a tremendous help as I have improved relationships with my children, become a more patient and insightful husband, and responded more effectively as an executive in the company I work for. The effects have been very broad.

What was in the way before was fear. With my daughter, it was fear of confronting the issues. What’s going to be the repercussions? What if what I desire from the relationship is not mutual with her? With coaching, I found the courage to go forward anyway, make the effort to attempt change… and to be OK with the outcome. I WENT TO LONDON TO SEE MY DAUGHTER!! Although there was a lot of emotion leading up to the journey and the actual trip, I was able, through coaching, to see things from her perspective, to expect certain things from her perspective, and to engage with her one on one. We connected and I will be forever grateful for that!

Exercises from your coaching guided me outside of myself to see from a totally different perspective. I had revelations that had not come otherwise that got to the root of things. What we dove into was sometimes difficult or painful to see, but the gift that you bring is an objective, compassionate person to walk with through that and properly come back to reality ready to use the insight.

Your warm and compassionate delivery resonates with me. You are insightful and you are good at keeping me focused on me: my responsibility, my accountability, my frame of thought rather than what the other person is doing.

I did not fully realize what I’m capable of. My work with you has helped me to understand that some of the things I desire, I’ve already done and that some of the perspectives of who I want to become, I’m already becoming. So it’s helped me to see myself more clearly. I see the issues that I know I have to work on and even more, the positive attributes that I had not given myself credit for. Coaching has challenged me to systematically put effort toward areas of my growth. Your encouragement to go forward is invaluable!"

~~ Sherman Bradley, VP of City Gospel Mission, Cincinnati, Ohio



Carol: Clarifies What Matters, Increases Self Acceptance, Makes Career Change

 A lot has happened! It's as if just shifting one thing shifted everything at the same time. It opened the flood gate; broke the log jam. You've helped me to see things differently that helped me to shift and do these things. I may have done the shift but you cut down the tree so I could see. You helped me find the path.

 ~~ Carol Holyoake of Alton, New Hampshire