My passion for quality client care and my commitment to advocacy around accessible coaching, fair pricing, and ethical, informed treatment of those we connect to and work with are some of things that set me apart from others.

I have personally fallen victim to social and societal injustices that acted as a catalyst for my current career and advocacy experience. My drive for integrity was built on painful past learning experiences that began patterning when I was young. It was extremely hard to hold people accountable. I learned that I had to ‘play the game’ well in order to get my needs met and services delivered. Later on, this would also apply to making sure my client's needs were met as well.

My early experiences, alongside the ethical considerations that I felt were being overlooked within the mental health field inspired me to become an advocate for trauma informed care and ethics in practice. Reducing re-traumatization has been the focus of my work since May of 2013.

I view the coaching industry as a system of care. Particularly because there is so much mirroring – in behaviors, tactics, and approaches that focus on pathology, profit, and the speed of ‘getting results’ as a metric of success.

I am dedicated to discussing solutions that address the lack of integrity and ethical mindfulness in the coaching and mental health industries displayed by service providers working closely with their clients.

It is past time to do away with outdated, archaic systems and approaches that can contribute to shame, exclusion, and financial and emotional hardship. I encourage approaching those we serve from an empowering context rather than playing on pain points that reinforce negativity and create an imbalance of power in the coach/client relationship. It is unethical to use deceitful tactics disguised as ‘help.’

Too many people have been harmed by coaches and service providers who have made bold claims in their marketing, including stating or promoting that they are trauma informed, but ultimately were not.

It's important to be transparent about what we are able to provide the people that we work with. Are we being who we say we are? Can we deliver what we said we would? In unregulated spaces where folks have come to rely on us as we provide support, education, and resources, it's on us to hold ourselves accountable.

TIME FOR A CHANGE

As a lifetime patient who is both a provider and a recipient of services, my combined experience influenced me to branch out and become a consultant. I aim to inspire a new wave of professionalism in coaching and service provision. One that carries dignity, respect, and integrity in all engagements, marketing promotions, and services, between professionals and their clients, audience, and followers.

I support the future of coaching and helping professions in the mental health and human services field by holding a vision for the collaborative discovery of what it means to live fully, as humans, being human. This includes having an awareness and understanding of the roles that our biology, physiology, genetics, personal histories, environments, trauma, repeated patterns of stress, conditioning, and social determinants of health can play. This is essential, alongside mindful consideration for the level of accessibility, community, and sense of belonging one may or may not have.

These things can have an impact on our thinking and how we process and encode information, our behavior, and how we apply logic, reasoning, and understanding, and our emotions. Thus, also having a role in a clients journey-- e.g. behavior, awareness, and emotional receptivity.

I personally do not use the term ‘safe space’ because I cannot guarantee my spaces will meet someone else’s personal safety needs. There is no way for me to determine what supports someone's felt sense of safety and what feels best in everyone’s body and mind. Nor can I control individualized outside factors that have a role in personally getting that need met.

I recognize and respect someone’s value as a human first and foremost and meet them where they are at on their journey, whether they choose to work with me or not. I practice actively modeling what I teach, though I am only human, and far from perfect. I do not ask for more from my clients than I am willing to do for myself.

I believe that the ability to help others is also found and grown from our own willingness to set aside what we think we know to explore additional aspects that contribute to one’s humanity and wholeness. Compassion for our shared experiences becomes a beautiful foundation for accessing our competencies, sharing resources, facilitating change, and maintaining momentum on the journey to support others and nurture optimal outcomes.