Thriving

In 1996, I launched my coach practice, became the first Master Certified Coach in Canada and enjoyed the success of doing what I love, helping others to realize their dreams. My commitment to the coaching profession led me to co-found the Vancouver chapter of the International Coach Federation, and over the years, I have been featured in various media across Canada, including B.C. Business Magazine, The Vancouver Province, The Vancouver Sun, Global TV and City TV.

I was recognized as one of the top practice builders in North America by renowned success coach Robert B. Alderman, founder of “The Full Practice Forum.” In the same year, Coach University recognized me as a leading practitioner. In 2010 I was named the Director of Erickson College International Business Center, where I trained and mentored coaches worldwide to take their talent and passion for one-on-one coaching into highly rewarding and successful businesses. 

I was living my definition of success, I consciously created a life I loved. My life partner and I purchased our dream home in our desired community, my business was thriving, and I was embracing the preciousness of young family life.

And then, an unexpected and traumatic life event altered my life. My husband Brian passed suddenly in 2016.

Life as I knew it changed in a moment. Grief walloped me. I was instantly a widow and a solo parent in one fell swoop.

Survival

All of my decisions were for my mental health and the well-being of my son, and I realized I needed to be near family. We moved 3,000 miles to be close to my parents, and we started to heal. In 2019, I was beginning to feel we were turning a corner with our “new normal,” and I was gaining energy to rebuild my life. I participated in a trauma-informed coaching certificate program and gifted myself with a memoir writing retreat in Corfu, Greece, and it was there I reclaimed my dream of designing and creating intimate women’s retreats in beautiful destinations.

And then Covid happened; in the familiar isolation of loss, I found myself deeply missing the ocean and lifestyle of the West Coast. My soul was calling me back to the place I left when my husband passed away. We moved back to the Coast in 2021, and while I trusted my soul’s inner voice about the move, it was not easy for me or my son. Parenting a grieving son, the accumulated stress of the death of my husband, two moves, and the pandemic in a five-year window was taking its toll. There was fresh grief at the reality that I was navigating all of this alone as a solo parent with limited support, and the years of stress were beginning to take their toll. My body started saying no.

Through my ongoing commitment to self-healing and a great need to understand what I was experiencing, I started to see my body’s symptoms as expressions of stored trauma. It turns out that the mind alone is not enough to move through trauma (a hard truth for a lifelong coach!). My commitment to releasing the trauma stored in my body led me to commit to biological healing and focus on nervous system regulation. This was a game-changer. It is a healing path I am continuing today.

Life of Meaning

2022 to now…

Settled in the geographical area and a home that brings joy and soothes my soul; my health, my well-being, and my son’s well-being are at the forefront of everything I do.

At the center of my values lies simplicity. With an ongoing process of acceptance, surrendering and trusting the natural unfolding, at this time in my life my priorities are:

  1. To be the most present and peaceful parent I can be for my teenage son, (this inspired me to start a moms group for single moms of teenage boys – an inspiring community/tribe) and be available as a support system for loved ones who are going through their own transformational life transitions.
  2. Self-care ~ cultivating replenishment, rejuvenation and vitality.
  3. To continue to be open and nourish a romantic relationship which is quite magical, and the organic nature of it feels divine.
  4. Meaningful, nourishing, supportive connections with friends/family.
  5. Coaching a select few coach clients. 

My priorities shape my daily choices.

I continue to love helping people increase their self-awareness, achieve personal breakthroughs and create a fulfilling and meaningful life. I am not certain what the future holds professionally. At my core, I know I am a women of service, and for the first time in my life, I am not planning what is next; I take day by day and respond to life as it arises. This is a new way of being for me, it is uncomfortable at times, but it feels on purpose.

Life gives us many unexpected experiences; loss can be devastating, and transitions can be life-changing. Know that you are not alone, know that you have the resilience to get through what you are experiencing. As much as I have a love-hate relationship with technology (especially with raising a son during this screen age), our access to knowledge and connecting with others going through similar experiences can be a lifeline. Find your lifeline and keep going, one hour, one step, one day at a time.

One day you will thrive again.

If you can relate to my journey, I would love to hear from you.  Visit my contact page for an opportunity to connect with me.

Together we can 💕

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