What is coaching?

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Support to achieve your goals

At a very basic level, coaching is support to achieve your goals. A more expansive definition of coaching is a safer space for growth (that may involve healing.) It is an action-oriented space that is future-focused. This is a space where you figure out what is calling you. And you get to work with a coach to create a plan and movement to make that calling into reality. Coaching also provides a space to slow down, to reflect on what is important to you and how you can bring more of that into your life. 

Co-creative relationship

By nature, coaching is a co-creative relationship where one person is trying to bring about a change in their life and a coach is holding space, perspective, and empathy for that change to manifest. It is a safer space that is objective, free of masks to be able to explore the uncomfortable feelings, thoughts, and anything that may prevent you from manifesting the change that is calling you.

And, coaching is also a space where you have a loving and supportive accountability partner.

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Not therapy or advising

Therapy:

Therapy is about healing wounds from the past, coaching is action and future-focused (although it may bring healing, but we are not centering that.)

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Advising

Advising is about telling people what to do, coaching assumes the people already know the answer and need space and support to have clarity and act on it.

Coaching approach

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Psychosynthesis Coaching

Rooted in transpersonal psychology, psychosynthesis coaching invites us to manifest what is calling us in alignment with our spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental aspects holistically. As you work to develop your goals, the goals are in alignment with a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in your life. They are aligned with your values, not what you believe you should do based on what you perceive society expects of you.

A circular diagram with four segments labeled co-find, co-align, co-design, co-syn, surrounding a central label "Positive Core."

Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an organizational development process to figure out when a human system is at its best and how it can replicate it. In coaching, I use this approach to help you figure out when you are at your best (the conditions, people, and elements that bring you there) and what changes you can create in your life as we work on manifesting your goals and calling. The aim is for you to be at your best as much as possible. That doesn’t mean you’ll always be happy and comfortable. It means that you go through life with the best resources and tools you can possibly have based on your values, preferences, and calling.

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Racial + Social Justice

Social justice is the fair distribution of resources across all people, regardless of their positionality within a social group (aka their social identities.) In a just society, each member and group is affirmed, respected, valued, and held accountable. Racial justice is the fair treatment of people of all races, through deliberate systems that support racial equity (equitable outcomes based on race.) 

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Racial and social justice are rooted in my practice. They manifest through explicit consideration of how our social identities impact our coaching relationship. I pay attention to how our co-creation may perpetuate systemic oppression, especially white supremacy culture, and invite us to consider how the change that is calling you can advance racial and social justice. 

This includes paying close attention to the norms, behaviors, and beliefs that present themselves (yours and mine) and at times shifting them to be rooted in justice, liberation, and love. as appropriate, we will consider how your calling and goal(s) affect others. And if or how they need to be involved if the decision affects them. 

I combine these approaches to create a unique coaching philosophy and methodology that is customized to you.

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What people are saying

  • “When people turn to life coaching, sometimes there is that expectation that the coach will have all the answers to our personal and career challenges. We often look to them for guidance and wisdom, but Joana consistently reaffirmed that I should be looking to myself for that guidance and wisdom. Joana's practice encouraged me to reconnect with myself through exploring body language when making decisions and trusting those instincts. Learning to trust myself and my inner wisdom has had the most profound impact on my life through these sessions.”

    ~Asya Shine

  • “Joana is such an amazing coach because she celebrates your wins, mourns your losses, challenges your givens, and overall just exudes this level of trust that is needed when you are looking for a transformative experience.”

    ~Serena

  • “Working with Joana was a profound experience for me. For the first time in my life I felt stuck and very unclear on what my professional goals were. Joana helped me discover what was important to me and helped provide a sense of direction, all while centering social justice and self compassion.”

    ~Anonymous

  • “Joana is one of the kindest and wisest souls I have ever met. In every coaching session we had, I appreciated her thoughtful questions, the intentional pauses, and the different exercises we did to help me achieve my goal. Definitely one of the best coaches I’ve ever had! I highly recommend her.”

    ~ Erica Berejnoi, Ph.D.

  • “My coaching sessions with Joana were very enlightening and clarifying. She offers up questions and/or comments that get to the heart of the matter. The places of origin — of your thoughts, your idea of yourself, your idea of your place in the world, even your idea of your abilities and limits.

    What’s best about her process is that there is no rush to have everything aligned. You develop goals at a pace that’s realistic and pragmatic. It’s a piece by piece experience that makes your end goal feel more and more achievable, and within reach. She coaches through this process all while maintaining a space of patience, acceptance, and adaptability so that you can absorb all of these small ingredients your journey has to offer you. You will always have a clearer understanding of your end goal and how to get there after having talked with Joana. “

    ~ C.H.