Not so long ago I was suffocating inside the wrong life.
From the outside it appeared like I’d “made it”: driven, high achieving, and professionally accomplished. But inside, it was another reality.
Behind the façade, I was ruled by depression, anxiety, shame, and unrelenting self-judgement. Traumatized and disassociated from my authentic self, I spent years chasing the only thing I knew – achievement. Gold stars. Approval. Success. Striving.
Until fate forced a reckoning.
On the cusp of my 40th birthday my husband walked out, my illusions were shattered, and everything I thought I knew burned to the ground.
In these pivotal moments we either harden, or we soften.
I took the road less traveled, and decided to break myself wide open. Bushwhacking my way toward the life I was meant for, I dove headlong into the fire. Again and again. In that space, I confronted self-deception, fear, and limiting beliefs. I got my proverbial shit together, excavated long buried dreams, and listened to the call of my soul’s purpose.
One change at a time, until everything looked different.
It sounds easy. Believe me, it wasn’t.
This is where Firebird Rise was born. From the ashes of lived experience.
After many falls and rises, I know now that growth isn’t a straight line. It’s a spiral that takes us ever deeper into discovering the truth about who we are. With each revolution, our sense of what is possible expands. Unfolds.
Keep going long enough and you can twist your way right into the heart of mystery. Into magic.
Empathy. Understanding. Perspective. Humor. Creativity. Courage. That’s the gold I discovered within my own flaming phoenix descent and rebirth.
The cycle eventually led me here. To coaching people like you through your own process of discovery, transition, and change. Serving as a trusted mentor and companion to my fellow Firebirds.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
My professional chops include…
A Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington, leadership and management trainings galore, and mentorship from executive coaches to accelerate my career growth.
I’ve spent 20+ years in the nonprofit sector, with much of this time at the senior leadership level. I served at the helm of two mid-sized nonprofits, and understand firsthand the accountability, demands, and pressure that comes with the territory. At one time I was on course toward a college Vice Presidency before making the conscious decision to exit Ambition Superhighway, take a breath, and reimagine my life.
My coaching experience began…
Informally! I’d been serving as a career mentor to others in my field for about a decade before the Big Burn. After my divorce in 2011, those requests extended from the professional to the personal as people began noticing my inner transformation and asking “How did you DO that?” In 2018, I made it official and became a certified life coach through Lumia Coaching. Since that time I’ve served more than 200 coaching clients, and am credentialed as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation.
Beyond my life coach training with John Kim (“The Angry Therapist”) and Noelle Cordeaux at Lumia, I’ve also been greatly influenced by the work of Colin Beavan (“No Impact Man”), an activist and coach that I had the privilege to work with on my own path of transformation.
In addition to my coaching practice, I currently serve as a coach training instructor and head of brand voice for Lumia Coaching. In this capacity I get to combine my love of writing with a passion for all things related to the art and science of human flourishing!
My grounding in self-awareness and spirituality…
Goes back as far as I can remember. Influences include my Catholic upbringing, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, the study of Buddhism and Animism, daily meditation practice, psychotherapy and trauma recovery, and work with an intuitive coach. I’ve studied the tarot card system with Liz Worth.
Since 2019, I have been in training & mentorship with shamanic practitioner and teacher, Heather Cole Gatto, and am shaped by the lineages that flow through her. Heather’s teachers include Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma) and Char Sundust. I have studied animism and ritual with Dr. Daniel Foor, and served as a Teaching Assistant for Katy Pavlis’ advanced Mysticism and Ritual course. Under the guidance of my teachers and mentors, I seek to bring ever-deepening humility, curiosity, respect, cross-cultural awareness, and earth-honoring practices to my life and work.
For some of my musings on growth, spirituality and ritual, you can check out my blog.
No recounting of my influences would be complete without mentioning my greatest teacher: the horse. Nothing and nobody holds up a mirror to show you the truth about who you are with more accuracy! If you’re curious about what I could possibly mean by this, check out “What a Horse Taught Me About Fear.”
All these threads are woven into the fabric of who I am, and how I show up for you as a coach & ceremonialist. It’s the solid ground upon which I stand.
a LITTLE CHRIS TRIVIA
I’m a Pacific Northwest native, having traded my longtime home in Seattle for the forests and streams of the Olympic Peninsula. Thanks to the wonders of technology, I now live and work in a rural town by the sea on the ancestral lands of the Chimacum and S’Klallam peoples.
I’m an avid reader, and loves me some hammock-time with a good book. But not in direct sunlight - this here gal is likely to wilt in the heat.
A horse barn is my happy place, and dogs really are my best friends.