Wild Spirit Coaching
  LIFE COACHING FOR YOUNG ADULTS & TEENS

I named my practice Wild Spirit Coaching to reflect the idea that we all have a beautiful and intact core nature, and that core can become obscured through trauma and conditioning to the extent that we feel out of touch with our sense of joy, aliveness, and “rightness.” Fear can prevent us from engaging in the exploration needed to come back to our core. A supportive coach can help provide the framework for this self-discovery. May you find and live from your wild spirit!

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My practice is focused on young adults and older teens. The tools and training derive from Co-Active Life Coaching which is a person-centered practice in which coaches work collaboratively with clients to explore issues and arrive at the best solutions for them. In addition, I have been influenced by, and incorporate elements of Mindfulness, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Somatics. Life coaching is proven to be effective in helping people who are motivated to make significant and lasting change. 

 

Coaches help clients identify their strengths, values, and resources, as well as their limiting beliefs, self-sabotaging, and often self-destructive behaviors. The central task of the life coach is to listen without judgment, question deeply, and gently and skillfully re-frame, thereby enabling the client to make their own connections and come to a deeper sense of self-knowledge and self-trust than they previously possessed. Ultimately, individuals come to discern and shape their own strong identity rather than allowing others to define them.

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WHAT IS LIFE COACHING FOR YOUTH?

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During adolescence, teens begin pushing for greater autonomy — nature’s way of preparing them for independence. The adolescent brain, however, is often still seeking stimulation from high-risk behavior, and not yet capable of making sound decisions. This tension can be the source of a lot of conflict at home. 

 

It is this drive for independence that can make life coaching a particularly great fit for young people. It offers them the opportunity to think through problems, make decisions, and test out theories for themselves, and to be candid about challenges they are facing without becoming defensive. Life coaching fosters a sense of competence while it leverages the need to have a say in their own day-to-day lives. It is also a safe space in which to explore identity: who they are and who they want to be — and learn that they have the power to actually shape their own future to a much greater degree than they might’ve believed. 

 

Young people are keenly aware of societal norms and what it takes to "fit in," and to do so, they may feel pressure to conform to a mode of behavior that they do not truly feel comfortable with. By exploring their core values, they can tap into the inner wisdom we all possess, cultivating discernment to guide their decision-making, and ultimately learning to make choices that leave them feeling better about themselves. 

 

I believe that young people want to feel seen and accepted for who they truly are. As a life coach, I seek to make a genuine, heartfelt connection with my clients in which they feel supported to achieve their goals. When they feel accepted and not judged, they are free to look at themselves with the perspective necessary to make changes. 

 

Life coaching may be sought by a parent or guardian, or by the person desiring to be coached. During our free call, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and get a good idea of whether my style and temperament is a fit for you or your child. If s/he/they desire a separate exploratory call, I will be happy to accommodate that request as well.

 

READ MY BIO

 

Among the issues coaching may address are the following:

 

• Managing anxiety

• Coping with social issues

• Life vision, life purpose, and values

• Gaining life skills and moving toward independence

• Relationships and sex 

• Body image / Self-compassion

• Boundary-setting

• Reducing parental conflict

 

COACHING OR THERAPY?

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Coaches work with clients who are able to function in their lives but may not be happy with where they are and want to make positive changes. Therapists, on the other hand, work with clients who are not currently functioning either because of mental illness, depression, self-harm, or another serious situation. A therapist will provide a diagnosis and may give advice or otherwise provide solutions. Coaches support a client to find their own solutions — they will not provide one, nor give advice. If you are unsure of the type of professional it would be best to work with, just ask, and I will be glad to help you make an appropriate determination.