Kathie’s Journey

I’ve been on an amazing journey of personal growth and healing for nearly 25 years.

My discoveries along the way led me to life and relationship coaching. I want to share my story with you, because reading it will help you understand what motivates me, why I’m so passionate about coaching and why you’d benefit from working with me.

I have “done” many things in my life. I have worked in small business, corporate and municipal environments. I started and ran my own business support service. I have always been a hard worker and excelled at my jobs, and yet I knew there was something more rewarding for me to pursue.

In 1994, I suddenly found myself consumed by a “healing crisis.”

My childhood and young adult years were spent dealing with challenging life and family circumstances. I assumed I had processed it and moved on with my life. Apparently, my adult body decided to release the suppressed stress of the past before the residue of it killed me in the present. It initially got my attention through panic attacks. Eventually, I experienced what is often referred to as “the dark night of the soul.” In short, I was forced to look at the darkness within me in order to connect with the light of my true essence.

To the outside world, I appeared to move throughout my days as usual. In my private world, there was a struggle raging within me. Along with the support of my family, I was blessed to find exceptional professionals in the medical and healing arts fields who helped guide me while I walked on my path of healing. This would have been an impossible journey to walk alone, so I was grateful for their presence in my life.

In particular was one very enlightened doctor who, at the onset of my “healing crisis,” forever changed the course of my life. I remember saying to him in a panic “Why now? I’m so happy!” He responded, “That’s exactly why now! You are in a safe place within your life, so there’s room to deal with whatever is festering inside you. This is a good thing!” A good thing!? How could this be a good thing? I wondered.

I made a decision in that moment to lean into the storm within me and trust I’d come out the other side.

I have given thanks many times for his wisdom, because he definitely set me on a journey of healing that profoundly changed me forever. I eventually came out the other side transformed and with a firm foundation of who I am. Since that time, I have devoted my life to my personal journey toward authenticity, healthy living and fulfilling my soul’s purpose. My past is responsible for shaping me into who I am today, so I honor it and embrace the lessons that were held within it.

During my journey of healing, I learned I have a choice in every moment.

• I chose to walk toward the unknown rather than stay in the known.
• I chose to empower myself rather than retreat in weakness.
• I chose to explore the darkness until my burdens lifted and then moved toward the light.

Along the way, I also learned it’s not about trusting that life will always go smoothly, rather it’s about trusting that I can handle anything that comes my way. The more I trust, the more clarity I gain within my life. Every day presents opportunities for me to learn and grow.

The profession of life coaching really began to take shape during those transformational years and kept crossing my path.

I was always incredibly curious about and drawn to coaching. Ultimately, I am grateful I waited to pursue becoming a life and relationship coach, because I am able to show up as a much more whole, experienced and capable person and, therefore, coach.

Once I made the decision to become a coach and began training with The Coaches Training Institute, I knew immediately this was my calling. I had found the missing piece. In life and relationship coaching, I have found the framework within which I can utilize the lessons I have learned (and continue to learn) to encourage others to discover their true essence and live a life of choice.

Becoming a caregiver to my mom provided me with another opportunity for growth and healing.

In 2003, circumstances made it necessary for my mom to move near me.  She was showing signs of early dementia and had some mobility challenges, so we decided the best option was for her to live in an assisted living community.  Through the years, I helped transition her from assisted living to their in-house memory care wing to a different skilled nursing community.  When I first started to care for her, I was not a relationship coach.  The way I showed up as a caregiver dramatically shifted and improved after I completed my relationship coaches training.  I learned how to communicate more effectively, understand other perspectives, learn to interact vs. react, etc. I loved her through it all for fourteen difficult, overwhelming, memorable and magical years until her life ended.

My personal experiences have made me passionate about supporting other caregivers.  I bring all my coaches training and tools as well as personal and professional experience to my coaching.  I specialize in helping adult children face the challenges of eldercare with their eyes and hearts wide open to find the joy within their often overwhelming journey.

What else would you like to know about me?

I am a devoted wife, sister, Auntie, and friend. I love to travel, write and photograph nature. I am an avid reader with a constant stack of books by my side. I enjoy golf, tennis, sailing, kayaking, hiking and working out at the gym. I am currently learning to knit, juggle and speak Spanish.