Welcome. My purpose is to help improve an individual’s quality of life by helping with transformation, helping clients realize and become their best self. It's an inside job that doesn't have to be complicated or accomplished alone. A coach can help. Often times, there can exist difficult or unpleasant barriers, realities that can be hard to face and move beyond. The thing is, more often than not we know what to do, but actually doing it can feel super hard, if not overwhelming. But having a coach means you're not alone. Asking for help doesn't make one weak. Rather, it's a sign of strength and an important step toward self-awareness. Sometimes, we simply need a little help, a bit of guidance, insight into habits that don't serve us. Or, it may be we're simply not doing what we may have been called to do, as was the case with me. And sometimes, we may just need a bit of a kick in the butt.

As a certified life and health coach and peer support specialist, my hope is that I can help. With compassion, kindness and understanding drawn from my own transformation. Working together we can uncover what's underneath it all, ideally improving quality of life and helping to realize the life you were meant to live.

My coaching practice is designed to guide people in making change, transforming their lives by offering support for whatever it is they seek in every aspect of their life. A life and health coach can serve as a guide in transformation to becoming the change desired.

Lived Experiences That Can Benefit Others...

It's been a hard, educational, and wonderful journey, one that may benefits others...

My career started in 1986 as a marketing communications professional working for a small advertising and public relations agency. In 1991, I began working at mid- to large-sized ad agencies in NYC, working on a number of well-known brands. In 2005, I moved to central Vermont where I continued in that profession until the end of 2023. In the course of that time,, I began working in the human services sector when in October 2014, I began working at a 100-bed, gender-specific, inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center, drawing upon my own lived experience as a recovering addict and alcoholic. That role, that I now recognize as the beginning of my transformation, evolved into case management work and ultimately serving as an unlicensed clinician, providing individual and group therapy. It was a tough and at times, heart-wrenching setting, so much so, I stepped down and was asked to consider taking on the treatment center's marketing and communications. While no longer in the clinical milieu, I remained involved in the clinical cycle, helping individuals gain access to the facility in addition to building the brand and awareness.

Both my experience as a clinician and then marketing communications professional offered the opportunity to work with a variety of providers and insurance carriers, creating and understanding of treatment landscape that become fairly profound. While at the treatment center, I was able to help expand access to individuals in New York State by facilitating contracts with two managed care providers. The role also allowed me to deepen relationships with Vermont State agencies including the Department for Children and Families, the Department of Corrections including Parole and Probation, Department of Vermont Health Access, the Chittenden Women’s Correctional Facility and nearly every Designated Agency and health care center throughout Vermont and NY’s North Country. I also helped in maintaining relationships with the Vermont state legislature, working with appropriations and other legislative committees as well as the Vermont Judiciary.

While serving as a non-licensed clinician, I became quite familiar with navigating the health insurance quagmire, serving as an advocate for those with whom I worked, often times receiving coverage authorization for extended stays, beyond what may have been typical at that time, based upon clinical necessity and within clinical parameters.

Following my time at the SUD treatment facility, I went on to work at one of Vermont’s largest Designated Agencies. That was in mid-February of 2020, three weeks prior to the first diagnosed COVID-19 case in Vermont. The world and the face of human services, and in particular mental health services, changed dramatically.

While mostly not-so-good, there were a few positive outcomes stemming from the pandemic…notably the greater acceptance and reduced stigma tied to mental health and the accepted practice of using telehealth/telepsych services. On the other hand, while greater acceptance of mental health services led to more people seeking help and support, the number of providers did not increase, creating waitlists in excess of 180 days to see a licensed clinical mental health provider. For the most part, that remains unchanged. And, in some cases, is even worse, especially for adolescents and children.

The Why

Given these conditions, the increased demand for mental health services and support, and the static number of licensed providers, something needed to be done. A life and health coach, as well as peer support specialist, can serve as a bridge of support for many struggling with mental health, substance use disorder or co-occurring conditions. A life and health coach does not replace the purpose, value or efficacy of a licensed clinical mental health counselor. Rather, a life and health coach can provide support until a provider can take on new clients. Coaching can also serve as guidance and support for the those under the care of a licensed counselor.