I am Trauma-Informed, with a Master Certification in Life Coaching, and have obtained my certification as a 1st Responder Mental Health Coach with the A.A.C.C. Currently I have a senior status and am seeking my B.A. in Psychology.
Simply put, my goal is to inspire, and to help the “stuck” to get “started” again. My best Clients are those who have either forgotten how, or lost their motivation to live fully, to grow in passion and purpose, and to take the lemons of life and to convert them to lemonade.
I feel, based upon proven experience, that I have the ability to identify with, and to speak to those struggling to rebuild after a crisis, and this strength is central to what drives me. I suffered through and come out on top of divorce, narcissistic abuse, parental-alienation, and am thriving!
Jesus came, I believe, not to the successful, but the downtrodden – the oppressed, the broken, demoralized, beaten up, and exploited among us. I can raise my hand as one of these. It is my brokenness that drives me to Him… I am a Christ-follower and, operate from a Judeo-Christian perspective, but respect all others who come to me, and the spiritual orientation that he or she comes from.
I am no stranger to depression, health breakdowns, crushed dreams, and dashed hopes. I have also experienced physical abuse, and as a cancer survivor, I am a firm believer that “starting over” isn’t a one-time, but a sequence of being knocked down and getting back up, finding faith and learning to love - again. I am versatile and flexible, able to encourage and motivate the down-and-out. Along with kayaking, racquetball, glass blowing, sketching, and other hobbies, I pursue my biggest passion – encouraging others to DREAM, again.
Let me share a story.
A number of years ago, I knew a man who bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Miyagi on the hit movie, “The Karate Kid.” 92-year-old Bob Hissamoto, half-Japanese samurai warrior, had once worked with Albert Einstein on his formulas, was also a Yale and Harvard Professor, details that hardly anyone knew.
He was just "Bob."
Shortly before he passed away in 2002, Bob and I were spending a bit of time together. I had just made a self-depreciating comment, and he reacted. Bob clamped his hand to my wrist, tethering me to the table, and his fingers bit into my skin as his eyes bore into mine.
“Promise me,” he entreated, “Promise me, that you will never stop being all you can be…!”
“I - I promise, Bob,” I stammered.
My last memory of him was seeing him mouth the words, “Promise,” through the car window as his wife drove him away.
I try to keep that promise to him, and to myself, and love to include others, in this life-long endeavor. Traumatic events do not have to be life-shattering, but without doubt, they are life-changing. What is your trajectory – down or up?
Let’s do “up” together!
