Who I Am and I What I Do
Photo by Jen Strongin
Hi, I’m Z (She/They)
I’m not the kind of coach who is going to hand you a framework for building your business, or try to tell you that there are ten easy steps to finishing that novel you always wanted to write. I don’t think there is one path available to everyone, and anyway I’m not that great at following step by step directions myself. (Also, honestly, I’m not wild about the term “coach.” I'm a coach the way the weird old lady in a hut at the edge of the village who would give advice in exchange for a live goat was a coach. I’ve got ADHD and a spiritual calling. No goats. Yet.)
What I really am is an enthusiastic person who believes in you. Yes, you. Yes, even if we’ve never met. I believe in us! In humans! And our ability to harness our power to create a collective future that we only dream could exist.
How I Work With Clients
I’m a person who can help you find and destroy the blocks that are getting in the way of your ability to access the wellspring of power and creativity you already have inside you. Sometimes, all you need is to talk to someone else, someone who is outside your own head. And sometimes, I can see the seeds of magic that are yet invisible to the person experiencing it. I’m not always sure where that comes from, and if you need for me to have a concrete methodology, with an orderly flowchart, I’m probably not the coach for you.
Sometimes, clients leave a coaching session with a specific list of tasks and things to research to make big changes. Other times, I’ll provide journaling prompts, mindfulness techniques, new scripts for communication, or we’ll deep dive into specific blocks. So, yes, I might give you homework, but it’s tailored entirely to you.
It’s YOUR Magic. It’s YOUR Power.
I don’t believe that I can give you anything you don’t already have. Think of me as a gardener, perhaps? I can help you identify and pull the invasive weeds that are squeezing out precious seedlings trying their damndest to survive and grow into the world. I can help you figure out what those seedlings need in order to thrive and reach the sun.
The site of this work can be almost anywhere. You probably know which arenas of your life feel more blocked or stuck or stifled than others. When it comes to coaching, I’m topic agnostic, but some things I'm more experienced talking about are: creative motivation, life purpose and career transitions, relationships including non-monogamy, and boundary-setting. Please note that coaching is not a replacement for therapy or working with a mental health practitioner!
Where Did I Learn This?
I am trained as a full spectrum doula, in circle dialogue facilitation, and restorative justice practices, but the real source of this work is my own experiences as a survivor of trauma who has been in joyful recovery for many years. I walk that path for my own reasons, in order to reclaim my own life. Now that I am on it, I find that I am able to leave bread crumbs for others, even if their journeys differ from mine. If I can show you mile markers, light lamps for you on your way, then my own struggles become a gift that I pay forward.
Fill Your Own Cup First
This work to me is urgent. The world needs us all right now to show up fully to the problems presented to us. We need to bring our whole selves, our most creative ideas, our most aligned action to the table. Anything we can do to step into our power will help us to collectively and joyfully greet the challenges that the next century is going to inevitably bring.
I fully believe that the more we turn towards what feels right to us, the more we lean into pleasure, creativity, love of self and of others, into playfulness and ease, the more we can align with our desire to live the life we actually want and to make the world a better place. This is the part I can help you with.
Lineage
Much of what I have to offer comes from my own personal experiences and intuition, but I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit to the many teachers and organizations who have influenced and trained me over the years. A non-exhaustive list is below:
Liz Naylor of Enlightened Mama
Lindsay Mack of Tarot for the Wild Soul
cheré suzette bergeron of Sassafras Healing Arts
Siri Vincent Plouff of Northern Lights Witch
Gigi Stafne of Green Wisdom
Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute