From gaining self-clarity, to finding flow, and achieving balance

Read about these inspiring growth journeys

“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” - Brené Brown


The people to whom these growth stories belong have had the courage to be vulnerable and do the work needed to lay the foundation for peak performance and meaningful growth, born from clarity in self and purpose, and an invigorating sense of harmony. I’m here to help you get there too—let’s create your journey map together.

Steve*

How Steve embraced new opportunities by working with their fears around change

(Neuroplasticity, Appreciative Inquiry)

  • • They had a job that wasn’t challenging enough for them

    • They wanted to do more, but had feelings of anxiety around leaving the safety of their job for a set of unknowns at a new company

  • Their fear of leaving a safe job manifested itself in catastrophizing: they were anxious about losing the new job, not being able to support their family, and ending up alone, living on the street.

  • Instead of trying to rid them of their “fear voice”, we used a non-diagnostic approach to look into how this voice was trying to keep them safe. With empathy, we helped Steve reassure that voice.

    We also began to add in other parts that were focused on the best things that could happen. Steve learned to view problems as possibilities by applying the technique of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). While doing so, they began to recognize that their ‘fear voice’, when used with confidence, was also providing some really valuable skills in planning and preparing for future events.

    Through this process, we enabled Steve to zoom out and focus on the larger picture, where they could envision and connect with more options than the worst-case scenario. From there, they were able to draw up a list of what their ideal next position would be, soothe the voice that wanted them to ‘remain safe by staying where they were’, and understand which parts they could flex on, and which they couldn't.

What changed for Steve:

In the end, not only did Steve land a fantastic new job but they also learnt new ways and techniques to repattern—via neuroplasticity—the way they interacted with wounded parts of themselves.

*Name changed to protect identity

Darren*

How Darren made better decisions by repatterning their thinking

(Neuroplasticity, Appreciative Inquiry)

  • They had a defined goal: They wanted to deepen their ability to respect others, repatterning their tendency to act instinctively and compulsively

  • Darren could only respect others when they had complete clarity on the reasons behind other people’s actions/decisions. We traced this thought pattern back to its root of being told how to do things by people that might not have been practicing what they preached

  • Through empathy and judgment-free coaching, we guided Darren gently toward an understanding of what caused them to act in this manner. Our non-diagnostic approach gave them fresh insight into what they needed—Darren identified that, to respect others, they had to receive feedback in a timely manner.

    They needed to know the ‘why’ behind decisions or delays, and there had to be a sense of fairness and integrity. By revealing this need, we helped Darren become aware of how their core values served them in their own life. Through Appreciative Inquiry, Darren shifted their focus from the problem to the possibilities, and began to see how they could use their values and perspective as a strength.

What changed for Darren:

Darren came to realize how their instinctive reaction toward others—stemming from their respect for them—was often a projection, and might not actually reflect the whole story. This awareness helped them reach a place where they could let those feelings come and go faster and more easily.

Eventually, by consistently training their brain to process those emotions better—that is, by applying neuroplasticity—Darren was able to move away from compulsive actions and make different decisions in the moment.

*Name changed to protect identity

Karim*

How Karim improved productivity by finding balance

(Appreciative Inquiry)

  • • They wanted to improve their productivity during the week

    • They especially felt sluggish at the start of the week, which caused them to lose out on a day or two of productive work

  • Karim was experiencing cycles of high and low productivity: during the week, they were highly efficient—they successfully managed work, stuck to their fitness routine, while juggling other responsibilities. But, come weekend, all these good behaviors and habits would go out of the window. The result: they ended up entering the week feeling lethargic and listless.

  • Our first step was to try and understand the cause of these extreme shifts in behavior. An empathetic, judgment-free approach helped Karim explore their actions and reasonings—we realized that they had entered into an agreement with themselves, where they would deprive themselves of any fun during the week in order to be disciplined and focused at work. But, on Friday evening, this agreement would no longer apply, so they would then over-compensate in the opposite direction.

    This realization encouraged Karim to invite more balance into their lives, by allotting one weekday evening to rest and engage in an interactive, connection-focused activity with their partner. Doing so stabilized Karim’s weekend—the part of them that was getting hyper-stimulated during the weekend was now getting activated during the week too, which decreased their need to overindulge in fun. Each facet of Karim’s personality was looking to fulfill a different need in order to make their life more meaningful and happier, and Appreciative Inquiry helped Karim understand and acknowledge how these were, in fact, huge character strengths.

What changed for Karim:

By following a more balanced rhythm during the week, and reframing their ‘weaknesses’ as strengths, Karim was able to reclaim Mondays and Tuesdays, and experience a greater sense of fulfilment and peace.

*Name changed to protect identity

Erik*

How Erik improved relationships by reframing their thought/behavior pattern

(Non-diagnostic approach, Neuroplasticity)

  • They wished to explore why they were frustrated with people who didn’t follow through on their word—in other words, people who exhibited ‘flaky’ behavior

  • Erik was struggling to understand why other people’s behavior—specifically when they were unreliable—triggered such a strong, negative response in them, so much so that they wanted to give these people critical feedback. This was souring their relationships and adding to their mental frustration.

  • We set out to explore the root cause of Erik’s thought and behavior pattern, by creating a non-judgmental, empathetic space. Digging deep helped us uncover certain approaches and beliefs Erik had adopted while growing up—they had embraced a narrative where they had to be the accountable one in the family, since they believed their parents were not able to step up to the table in that respect. This insight led Erik to understand the cause of their irritation with other people’s ‘flakiness’: it reminded them of their own family!

    Together, by leveraging neuroplasticity, we worked on reframing Erik’s view of their thought and behavior pattern, leading to an acknowledgement that this pattern actually helps them be a highly successful and accountable leader—they were known for their integrity and could always be counted on to follow through with their promises. By creating this continuum in their narrative, Erik was able to recognize and celebrate a key character strength; at the same time, they were able to release others of this expectation to show up in the same way.

What changed for Erik:

Identifying the root cause of their frustration enabled Erik to expand their compassion for others, reaffirm their own strength of accountability, and enjoy more peace of mind and harmony.

*Name changed to protect identity

Matheus*

How Matheus reframed their thought patterns to better accept feedback

(Non-diagnostic approach, Neuroplasticity)

  • • They wanted to understand why they had great difficulty receiving feedback

    • They were critically analyzing themselves continuously, and so, reacted negatively to other’s feedback

  • Matheus often felt attacked when they received feedback—they believed that since they were already analyzing their behavior/actions in minute detail, they didn’t need others telling them the same thing. This was combined with a core value of wanting to feel accomplished; so when constructive feedback was given directly without naming the positive portions, these two pieces—of feeling attacked, and not receiving positive affirmation—created a huge resistance to hearing what the other person was trying to convey.

  • We set about designing a formula that would ensure the best chance of success when it came to delivering feedback, and then guided Matheus to practice asking for feedback in that format with long-term, loyal, and established clients. We also explored their how core value of wanting to feel accomplished was one of their character strengths—this trait pushed them to work hard and reflect deeply on tasks, in order to avoid being wrong or inconveniencing others.

    We also recognized that while this deep-thinking, reflective side enabled them to carry out impressive analysis of complex problems, it also made them resistant to feedback, especially if the feedback implied that they had made a mistake or inconvenienced someone. In understanding this continuum in the narrative around their positive attribute, Matheus was able to create more situations where thoughtful work could be called out and appreciated first, which made receiving/asking for feedback or help easier and less-triggering.

What changed for Matheus:

These empathy-driven, non-judgmental explorations enabled Matheus to ask for support early on in their projects, thus notching more accomplishments by completing tasks quicker, while staying true to their character.

*Name changed to protect identity