I define a coach...

...as a holistic practitioner required to wear many hats while performing different roles in a relationship meant to foster the emergence of another individual into their wholeness that they may live life in joy, abundance and prosperity. Here is a list of the many hats Dee wears and the roles she plays in coaching my transformation:

• A kind, non-judgmental practitioner who has made it safe for me to express concerns, devulge personal issues and to unabashedly emote the emotional experience of being human.
• A patient and empathic listener who carefully exposed my denial in critical areas of my life, and with respectful pacing, has allowed me to become aware of the issues and aspects in my life that have needed changing.
• A deeply caring professional who has offered insight and perspective into how I have been living a compromised life and how I might choose differently by setting new goals and personal intentioning.
• An informed teacher who has offered information and expertise as tools with which I may create my life differently from this time forward.
• A nurse whose professional acumen has assisted me in writing and progressing on health care goals.
• A responsible coach who has held me accountable for my "homework" assignments.
• A gracious individual who has inspired my progress by always finding something about my week to celebrate, even when I am feeling negative and defeated.
• A "parental influence" in not allowing defeatism in our practice together, setting boundaries, and insisting on redefining negativity into opportunity for transformation.
• A practitioner who has been skilled at assessing how important it has been for me to own this process of transformation as an intensely personal process, worthy of being designed and paced for my individual need. Recognizing the importance of making this process my own, she has been immeasurably flexible, respectful and creative in allowing the coaching experience to be defined by my needs, unlimited and unconfined by scripted programming, while still holdng me accountable for the progress and final product...the new and improved and empowered me!
• A role-model for how to be in a relationship that is respectful and nuturing. And as I am respected, celebrated, and nutured I find myself passing that love forward into the other relationships in my life.
•   A dear friend for whom I have grown so deeply fond.         ~ Cathy P, FL

I have found Dee to be very resourceful...

...sharing mind/body connections with underlying mental causes related to physical symptoms, nutrition/ supplement information, new information re complimentary practitioners, exposure to new ways to heal and be well. In the course of 12 weeks, my goal changed from a weight loss goal to a well being goal to be healthy, happy and well. And . . . I lost 23.5 lbs in 12 wks and exceeded my weight loss goal. She also helped me identify and change my focus from negative (what I don’t want) to positive (what I do want) and held me accountable by telling me the truth with kindness and compassion. I never felt guilt or shame when I did not complete my intentions in a particular week. We always celebrated what I did well. I felt I had choices and a level of value and acceptance was communicated so that I felt safe to share.     ~ from two DSS Staff doing a small group coaching program, NC

What I like about Dee’s coaching is...

...that she is multi-dimensional; i.e. genuine, real, caring, intelligent, wise, and understanding of human behavior. She is tough because she cares about life. She takes a personal approach. I asked her to challenge me more and she did.     ~Joe C, NY

What we like about Dee’s coaching is....

...the co-creation that she participates in with us. The effect of that is we take more ownership of the coaching process. She asks questions that lead us to our own conclusions, rather than giving directives. By asking what we want and delving into the 'whys' several levels deep, she has helped us set priorities.
    ~S & B, Couples Coaching, NC