The Clearing Beyond

If a person decided that they wanted to scale Mount Everest, if they were going to risk life and limb to reach the roof of the world, they would be foolish to simply buy a plane ticket for Nepal, land, and simply start walking toward the highest mountain. If, in fact, their dream was not sourced by a whimsical daydream but instead a real adventure, they would begin with research. They would seek out expertise on what was needed to end up on the top. This would undoubtedly include things like a fitness regime, gathering positive and negative accounts of others who had made the attempt, the cost of the trip, the risks associated with the attempt, the time frame of possibility, and, most importantly, the securing of an expert guide who had personally achieved the summit.

There is a clear distinction between going to a therapist and working with a personal coach. There are overlapping elements, but they are unquestionably different. Therapy is an in-depth emotional journey to discover chronic issues that originate in the subconscious mind and the harmful effects of personal history. It is done by highly qualified individuals who specialize in techniques designed to explore these hard-to-access areas of their clients' lives and then help them get past that which vexes their existence. In many cases, this exploration is done over the course of years as the therapist and client work together to untangle the origins of that which causes current emotional pain. I have been to therapy and I have benefited from it, but I am not a therapist. I am a Personal Coach.

Coaching is not about correcting something broken. It is about building something intentional.

I use the title of “Personal Coach” instead of the more generic moniker of “Life Coach” because I don’t like the inference created by the all-encompassing term “Life.” I work, after exploring a client’s goal-oriented wants and needs, to build a plan to attain a preordained outcome. Together, we collaboratively establish a plan based on current ability and then work to enhance those abilities in a concerted effort to reach a more evolved destination. As a coach, it is my job to put in place an actionable agenda that can be critiqued and augmented as the client’s personal journey proceeds. As the plan unfolds, I am also responsible for adherence. In that capacity, it is up to me to provide nonjudgmental accountability and, in that space, to identify and navigate the obstacles that naturally arise in pursuit of meaningful goals. There are no two clients alike; therefore, individualized planning and specific motivations are paramount for success.

My experience as a Personal Coach is derived from a combination of academic study and life experience. I write about the eclectic nature of those experiences to give a clear picture of diversity and wisdom gained. The merging of these two foundational elements is what makes me a well-suited guide for most of life’s journeys. Every life has challenges, and although they are not as death-defying as a trek up Everest, sometimes a guide is necessary or, at the very least, advantageous. Personal Coaching is for those who are ready to move beyond the daydream of growth and are interested in doing the work to make their goals a reality—and for those who want to approach that work with greater clarity, structure, and intention.

If you find yourself ready to move beyond intention and into action, reach out. We can begin to build a path forward.