looking for the link to book a coaching session? here you go!
Meinrad Craighead. Dogs at the Entry. 2000.
Hello and welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.
Do you have questions about this whole coaching thing? Let’s talk!
First off, why coaching with me?
Mostly because it’s just so painful to live daily in self-doubt and stuck in the same old confusing patterns, so you’re willing to try something else.
But also because you want to show up for this life. You’re longing for more, longing to cross a wisdom threshold you’ve been scared to cross (the dogs in Meinrad Craighead’s art above are here marking this sacred threshold for us).
And this is not just another personal improvement project (I don’t do that kind of coaching). When we consciously walk our path, we become a nourishment to our world.
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So, how do you know if this is for you?
It’s like your clothes don’t fit anymore, like you’re trying to wear a winter coat on a summer day, and it’s really itchy.
Or you’ve moved past the stage of feeling itchy, and you’re feeling worn down and disheartened. You feel kind of fuzzy, like you have no idea where you end and begin.
Still, every once in awhile you catch glimpses of something deeper.
And yet the fear and the smaller conversations just keep edging their way in (dammit), and the days keep filling up with over-doing and over-thinking.
You’ve probably gone on an epic search for the right to-do list, the perfect workshop/retreat/program, the right job, or the right person.
Or you’ve decided to double-down and focus everything on your kids or your partner or your work.
And even with all this activity, it somehow feels like you’re only treading water.
The to-do list is never satisfying.
The job, the new house, the person—they don’t have your answer.
You are left tired, kneeled over, and panting.
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I know this territory. I’ve lived in the foggy place of shame and self-doubt, and I’ve lived in the obsessive searching place of trying to “fix” and “solve” myself and everyone else. Back and forth. On and on.
When I started listening to a deeper wisdom in me, I had a lot of changes to make. I left my immature religion, realized I was bisexual, quit what I thought was my life’s work, my marriage ended, and I began my coaching work.
Following my instincts and the ancient wisdom teachings on offering and surrender, I decided, somewhat clumsily, to plow my old life back into the earth (not because I was so brave and amazing, but because life had gotten so painful).
And what I found was a deeper, sturdier selfhood emerging, a part of me that lives beyond surface personality and circumstances and preferences, a more conscious selfhood that trusts and moves and flows and is able to receive and be of service in this world!
Of course I don’t live from this place all of the time, or even most of the time. But I’ve tasted it. And I know that this is a path we can take that is both practical and profound.
And it doesn’t happen by grim determination, and you don’t have to do it alone.
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How does listening to a deeper inner wisdom (aka coaching sessions) actually work? Here’s how…
We meet for one-hour sessions, usually every two weeks for at least 3 months (but my clients often want to keep working with me because it’s just that helpful in their lives!).
1st session is $130 for 90 minutes and ongoing sessions are $88 for one hour.
We check in on the larger themes we’re exploring together. And then you tell me what you’d like to focus on for that session: the longing you can’t seem to trust or the dread that makes you want to crawl back into bed or the neighbor who keeps parking in front of your driveway (the little things are the big things).
I use my coaching intuition to sense into what you’ve brought to our session, and based on that, we proceed with some coaching tools, aka magically transformative exercises.
What are these transformative exercises? First, I offer an untroubled, stable presence holding you in high regard (this is actually so rare in our culture that it’s a potent medicine all on its own). Then I ask questions and listen deeply (again, rare and potent medicine). Later I might invite you to access your right-brain creativity to move past the limited, rational mindset, or we’ll do a visualization and talk to a scared part of yourself or a part of your body that needs to be heard. Sometimes I’ll introduce you to or remind you of wisdom teachings on owning and expressing your own reality, boundaries, shame, your inherent preciousness, etc, and then we’ll move through the mechanics of how to apply those wisdom teachings in daily life. Other times we’ll explore a metaphor you unconsciously used to describe the situation (you’ll talk about “sweeping it under the rug” and so we’ll do a visualization where you’ll lift up the rug and discover what’s under it and the wisdom it has to offer—always so much!). And these are all collaborative, co-creative experiences, by the way. We work together and adjust as we go.
In all of these exercises, helping you access inner wisdom and tap into a deeper selfhood is my foundational perspective. We might talk about the different names for this wise part of us: In IFS it’s "Self with a capital S," Thomas Merton calls it "True Self", Martha Beck calls it "integrity/essential self," GI Gurdjieff and Cynthia Bourgeault call it "Real I," Pia Mellody calls it your "functional adult self," 12-step tradition talks about being restored to the “sane” part of us, and Clarissa Pinkola Estés calls it "the wise woman archetype." (Yes, these are some of my primary teachers, and yes, this might all sound really lofty and abstract, but when you start to work with it, it becomes grounded and practical. You can actually taste what it feels like to access this part of yourself.)
Toward the end of the session I’ll check in with you to see how things are going. I’ll ask you to share what this process has been like for you or what you want to remember, and we’ll talk it through.
Sometimes I’ll ask if I can share an insight or a powerful moment I experienced in the session (I always learn so much from my clients!).
Then we’ll close the session and say our goodbyes. Later, if you'd like, I’ll send you an audio recording of the session and invite you to email me any thoughts/questions between sessions.
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How does it all add up? What kind of things might shift?
Well, accessing and living from a deeper selfhood is a life-long choice, but it can also bring tangible clarity and relief right away. Here’s what my current and previous clients have found in our work together…
leaving careers that no longer fit and starting new ones that do
one hour at time, heart, body, and mind begin to see that it’s safe out there and begin to come “online”
healing old money beliefs
feeling less scrambled and distracted and more sturdy, stable, and present
putting creative work in motion and writing and publishing books
loosening the hold of perfectionism, shame, white-knuckling, boundary issues, people pleasing, and codependency
negotiating salaries and entrepreneurs raising their prices/rates
less black and white thinking and more capacity for being a human full of contradictions/paradoxes
letting go of relationships that no longer fit and discovering ones that do
finding a mature and embodied spirituality
practicing a posture of trust and gratitude that is independent of circumstances
moving out of a disempowered mindset and taking conscious responsibility for one’s path
This might all sound like a lot, and it is! Because coaching happens at the intersection where people are willing to make real change and want support doing it. It’s a potent space.
Lastly, I want to end with a reminder that this is not just another personal improvement project. When we consciously walk our path, we become a nourishment to our world.
So, what do you think?
If you’re ready to cross the threshold and begin, sign up for a coaching session. And if you wanna chat a little first and make sure we’re a good fit, sign up for a free consultation or send me an email.
With care,
Brianna
P.S. All the details…
I am a certified Martha Beck Wayfinder Life Coach and a graduate of The Center for Action & Contemplation’s Living School founded by Richard Rohr
1st session is $130 for 90 minutes and ongoing sessions are $88 for one hour
Sessions are done via phone, zoom, or walk-and-talk coaching sessions in Fort Collins, CO
I offer a set number of reduced-rate coaching spots for those experiencing financial hardship—please contact me for availability
And what clients are saying…
"When I first signed up for coaching, I wondered if I was too type A, too "go-go-go" and project-manager-minded for it to really be effective. What I found is that Brianna has such a gentle and insightful process that I could bring anything to the session, including the “go-go-go” part of me. Brianna excavates but doesn’t use heavy machinery. She helped me look at what's under the rug in all kinds of different contexts and created a space where I was comfortable to go there, to look it in the face, and to work through the limiting beliefs and the sticky emotions with courage and compassion. I’m braver in my life (and made a huge, life-giving career change!) because I've been brave enough to stand with this stuff in session with Brianna." —Steph K.
“Thank you Brianna for the encouragement and proposing a way of doing this whole ‘trust’ thing differently. Before this, I surely haven’t given a shit about trusting myself. Maybe even ever. Thank you.” —Matt G.
"I sometimes fear being judged and I was a little nervous about that with coaching and I wondered if Brianna would be too "cool" for me. But Brianna’s approach is kind, relatable, and non-judgmental—she’s multi-faceted and comfortable with herself, which allowed me to be more comfortable with myself and all my facets, too. Most recently, Brianna helped me see that I am the “CEO” of my own health journey and that I'm not a victim of my healthcare providers, which was a giant turnaround for me and has helped me have a completely different attitude about my health and my doctors. I am feeling comfortable asking questions, sometimes demanding answers, and I just feel completely different in my approach to my own body and health. Whatever the topic, Brianna’s close listening and insightful questions either lead me deeper into whatever it is I'm looking at or give me a complete about-face.” —Rosemoon M.
“Brianna is such a warm and present coach, gently guiding you to open your eyes to new perspectives. I learned a lot about myself and found ways to tackle things I had been stuck around for a long time.” —Morana K.
Meinrad Craighead. Memory.