Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS COACHING?

Coaching is a partnership between the Coach and the Client in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the client to maximize personal and professional potential. Coaching is a process of uncovering the limitations in your thinking patterns, learning to overcome them, and train your brain to be more efficient and productive.

We help clients achieve their goals through powerful conversations that are intended to inspire new thinking, perceptions, and behavior that actualize your potential, improve your performance, create focus and directional clarity, support the achievement of your personal and professional goals, and enhance the quality of your life.

The Coach-Client Relationship is one of collaboration, guidance, and accountability.

WHAT MAKES COACHING SO POWERFUL?

Coaching is valuable because none of us transform our thinking on our own, we get stuck in our automatic thought processing and fool ourselves into thinking we are acting consciously and willfully. Humans are masters at rationalizing our actions, ignoring our emotions, and finding what confirms our beliefs. We are also exeptional at blaming whomever or whatever we can when the choices turn out badly (Marcia Reynolds " Coach the Person, not the Problem").

To stop unhelpfulthinking patterns, someone outside of our head needs to disrupt our thinking by reflecting our thoughts & believes back to us and help us facilitate self-reflection. Every action we take has a reason. We don't recognize the faults in our reasoning unless someone questions our thinking. And the most intelligent people need the most help thinking about their thinking, as they are the best rationalizers.he bottom line is reaching the next level of success in your career and life will require you to think differently.  And that's where partnering with a coach will help you to assess your beliefs and perceptions against the context and possibilities in a way you can't do for yourself, thus enabling you to reach that next level of success, whatever it looks like to you.

HOW OFTEN WOULD I MEET WITH MY COACH?

At the beginning of Coaching engagement, we meet with clients on weekly basis. Through many years of experience and testing of different time frames, we've found that this frequency yields the greatest returns in terms of change. Meeting once a week offers time for reflection and application of learning between sessions while maintaining the momentum of our work together. After the initial period, we can adjust the frequency to bi-weekly or monthly options depending on the client's needs.

HOW LONG DOES THE COACHING PROCESS TAKE?

The time frame can vary greatly and depends on a wide range of factors: your goals, your commitment and openness to change, your capacity for introspection, your circumstances, how quickly and thoughtfully you complete homework assignments, and other unique factors. We have individuals who come in for a 3-months engagement to address a specific issue they are facing. We have others who come in looking for a total transformation in multiple areas of their life. Those individuals who partner with us in multiple capacities and for multiple goals work with us for a year or more.

WHAT IS THE COACHING PROCESS LIKE?

We start each coaching engagement with personalized assessments and a comprehensive strategy session. This allows us to develop a deep understanding of you, your personal history, and your underlying operating system in a short period of time. Armed with this knowledge, we then begin to help set and achieve goals to help you overcome anything that is standing in your way and preventing you from having a life you love.

We ask powerful questions, we assign individualized homework, we utilize proprietary exercises and processes, and we often evaluate individualized metrics to help you tap into your unique potential. Our process is invigorating; you will begin to find clarity, change your mood states and take powerful new actions in multiple areas of your life.

HOW ARE COACHING SESSIONS STRUCTURED?

Coaching is a collaboration that helps you move forward in life on your own terms. We'll help you set the agenda for each session and for the overall coaching relationship. My job as your coach is to facilitate your exploration and self-discovery and help you develop an action plan to achieve your goals.

Sessions follow a basic structure, beginning with your agenda for the call and ending with you deciding on your action steps for the coming weeks. I use a variety of coaching tools to help you identify and overcome obstacles, set goals, and move forward. Accountability is an important part of coaching, and we will work together to ensure you set and accomplish realistic, relevant, and authentic goals. The point is that you are in charge.

I'VE TRIED THERAPY IN THE PAST AND FELT IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME. IS COACHING SIMILAR TO THERAPY?

No, Coaching is not therapy and does not substitute for therapy if needed.

There are some similarities in the process and the tools used, but therapists are licensed to help you with mental health disorders as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, like Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar disorder & related disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, Schizophrenia Spectrum and other Psychotic Disorders.

In Coaching, we focus mainly on the present and the future. We begin with where you are today and help you create a plan to bridge the gap between current and desired state, overcome any obstacles, and move forward to achieve your goals and create the life you love. Coaching is action-oriented and solution-focused. I believe that my clients have the resources within themselves to realize their full potential, and I know that sometimes we all need some help in figuring out just how to do that.

After consulting with you about your goals, if I believe that you would be better served by working with a therapist than a coach, I will advise you so.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I WILL BENEFIT FROM COACHING?

  • You feel ready to make beneficial changes to your life
  • You are ready to take 100% responsibility for your actions and choices
  • You are ready to be held accountable for accomplishing the steps necessary to achieve your goals
  • You agree to communicate honestly, be open to feedback and assistance, and create the time and energy to participate fully in the program.
  • You acknowledge that you can optimize potential results from the program by completing all assigned practices between coaching sessions (we will provide assignments and exercises to help you rewire your brain, build new thought patterns and habits).

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE COACHING METHODOLOGIES YOU USE?

Neuroscience and Neuroplasticity: A field of study focused on understanding the elements of change from the perspective of the brain. Our brains are truly extraordinary; unlike computers, which are built to certain specifications and receive software updates periodically, our brains can actually receive hardware updates in addition to software updates. Different pathways are created and discarded according to our experiences. When we learn something new, we create new connections between our neurons. We rewire our brains to adapt to new circumstances. This happens on a daily basis, but it's also something that we can encourage and stimulate. We apply the latest research in neuroscience to better leverage change in our clients.

cbc diagramCognitive Behavioral Coaching (CBC): The effective principle of CBC is this: what we think about a situation, affects how we feel about it and what we do as a result. As we can better understand and influence our habitual thinking patterns, we can have better control of our moods and behaviors. CBC approach develops an awareness of the habitually recurring thinking patterns that create your mood states and reactions to events, circumstances and others. As negative thought patterns and moods can be personally and interpersonally destructive, we equip you with tools to minimize the impact of your thoughts on your mood, relationships, and overall quality of life.

acc diagramAcceptance Commitment Coaching: This coaching theory revolves around helping clients reconnect with their passion and meaning, align actions around personal values, and build psychological resilience to deal with daily stress and adversity. The ACC model supports individuals move in the direction of their chosen values by implementing six core processes acceptance, defusion, self-as-context, mindfulness, values clarity, and committed action. ACC works perfectly for individuals who seek help because they feel they are stuck in a rut, are not making progress at achieving their goals. ACC helps to develop greater psychological flexibility, get unstuck, take a more mindful and accepting approach to daily stressors, and achieve values-based goals.

Mindfulness: This is a process of creating sustained awareness and focus at the moment to override reactive emotional tendencies and begin to change habitual neurotransmitter patterns.

"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom" - V. Frankl

With a help of mindfulness, you can tap into the space between the external event and your response. And instead of unconsciously reacting to things, be able to consciously choose your course of action based on the desired outcome. Mindfulness practice helps grow new neural connections in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that's involved with attention, learning, memory, and compassion. Furthermore, mindfulness calms your nervous system so your body isn't in a fight-or-flight state all the time, burning right through all of your energy, similar to an overworked internet browser. When you don't restart your laptop and keep running too many tabs open, your laptop will freeze or crash sooner or later. Similarly, if you don't do regular "mental reboots" and leave too many tabs running at the same time, you can expect to feel overwhelmed, tired, and burned out. Through mindfulness practice, you can increase your productivity and efficiency, and apply your energy towards what matters most (values-guided actions).

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is the original and best-known application of mindfulness training in modern contexts. Developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s, MBSR aims to address the unconscious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that create stress in our lives.

Stress is at the foundation of pretty much most suffering that's out there. Whether it's anxiety, depression, addictive behaviors, bad habits, stress at work, or feeling overwhelmed with life. There is always going to be stress and pain, but how our mind relates to it increases our suffering. "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional".

In other words, when we stress out about being stressed out and try running away from it, the result is just that even more stress is created, effectively just making us feel way worse. It's a vicious cycle. MBSR helps break that cycle by teaching how to see stress and pain in a different light, which, in turn, decreases suffering. MBSR helps harness your mind and control your stress. And when you feel like you have control over it, that makes you feel better and more resilient, which gives you the mental energy to focus on the things that make you happy.

Read more about Coaching Services we provide here.

IS OUR PARTNERSHIP CONDIFENTIAL?

This coaching relationship, as well as all information that the Client shares with the Coach as part of this relationship, is bound to confidentiality by the ICF Code of Ethics.

I CONSIDER MYSELF AN OVERACHIEVER. SHOULDN'T I BE ABLE TO REACH MY GOALS ON MY OWN?

Athletes, performers, CEOs, and presidents know they need a trained professional or even a team of experts to help them determine the best direction and to provide objective support and feedback. Without this, it is almost impossible to achieve excellence. No athlete would consider going to the Olympics without the support of a coach. The extra edge the coach provides makes all the difference. Why shouldn't you have this same advantage in your own personal and professional life?

Sign up for one of the coaching packages — you’ll be amazed at the results you can achieve!

WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?

Both Coach and Client will be diligent and prompt for sessions in order to make the most of their time together. The client agrees that it is the Client's responsibility to notify the Coach at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled calls/meetings if they need to cancel or reschedule.

If the Client fails to reschedule or cancel within at least 24 hours, the Client will not be reimbursed for the missed session. Missed sessions and failing to cancel with the required notice, except emergencies, will result in the Client being billed $350 for the session.

If the Client is late calling for any session, those minutes will be deducted from the session and the session will end at the scheduled time. The Client will forfeit the minutes he/she/they are late.

WHERE CAN I SEE SOME TESTIMONIALS?

Please see my Coaching Testimonials page for an extensive range of client testimonials.

I NEED MORE INFORMATION; HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH?

You can reach us through the Contact Us page.

"I can’t express enough gratitude for my personal and professional growth while partnering with Anna. If you are looking to tap into potential you likely aren’t even aware exists, and open to exploring the whole you, I highly recommend a coaching engagement with Anna. I started my coaching engagement through a corporate sponsored program focused on leadership principles. Entering the program, I made some assumptions that it would be a very..."

Sean McKay

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"I was initially introduced to Anna as our learning facilitator for the Leadership & Innovation program at MIT. Her ‘Office Hours’ were so inspiring and we felt her passion to help people with their leadership journeys. I trusted her immediately. I was at a particular crossroad in my career path and life in general. On completion of my program, I had no hesitation to reach out to Anna for help. Anna listens patiently with no judgement..."

Freeda Rego

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"Anna is a wonderful executive coach. Regardless of the goals I set out, and the pivots that I needed to make, she was continuously able to steer me in the right direction so I could get past the hurdles in front of me. She has been quick to understand the root causes of roadblocks and ready with guidance on how to approach and overcome these obstacles. She is very patient and caring and always had a positive attitude when working with me. I..."

Felicia Swartz

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"“Anna is a masterful facilitator. Her exceptional ability to connect with diverse groups makes each session a memorable experience. The impact through her workshops is truly transformative!” "

Participant

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"I first encountered Anna as my instructor for the Leadership and Innovation program at MIT Professional Education. I was immediately impressed by her credentials, openness, and comprehensive approach to leadership development. I was considering engaging an executive coach and am grateful that I was introduced to her through MIT. Anna has helped me navigate a complex time. Coming from an already successful career leading integrated production..."

Suzanne Molinaro

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"Anna is a thoughtful, brilliant coach. Anna helped me shape my own authentic leadership style rooted in my values and supported by the best practices in the leadership field. I’ve worked with Anna on a wide range of topics including leadership, team management, talent development and managing my anxiety. Anna has given me very concrete ideas that I’ve been implementing daily at work - and she tailors her coaching to me, my leadership style..."

Baira Dyakieva

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"This journey has been incredibly enriching, providing me with profound insights into the latest digital transformation strategies and the critical role of leadership in fostering innovation. A Special thank you to Anna Barnhill for exeptional guidance and inspiring office hours. Her expertise and passion truly made this learning experience unforgettable. The experience not only broadened my strategic vision but also enhanced my ability to..."

Arunava Sarkar

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"Anna is an incredible career coach, bringing together sound and strategic professional advice with a high degree of emotional intelligence. She has a way of helping you find the answers that are right for you. It's been so beneficial to work with her."

Erika Smakula

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"Anna helped me to achieve some big breakthroughs in the time that I worked with her. I had held strong limiting beliefs for a long time, and Anna was able to identify and help me to shift them. She did this beautifully with compassion and wisdom, while also holding the space and accountability for me to show up and do the work. I am so grateful to Anna for her partnership and support, and highly recommend her as a coach to anyone who is..."

Alison Wong

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"Anna was such a great help for me. She makes the effort to really assess the situation, was spot on with assessments of who I am as a person, helping me understand what I need to do that aligns to my values & principles. I was able to navigate thru my strengths and opportunities. In the end, the support she gave helped me figure out what I need to be successful. She had been an amazing partner in my journey of leadership growth. "

Jane Barrion

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"As part of the professional development for my government office, our leadership encouraged us to take advantage of a professional coaches program. I did and based on recommendations from the algorithm, selected Anna based on our shared gender and our professional experiences in the IT career field. As of 2024, women make up 27.6% of the tech workforce. Over the months that she coached me, we had a series of stressful IT failures. Additionally..."

Charlie Hu

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"Our instructor, Anna, was absolutely delightful and highly professional. She ensured that we maintained good time, promptly beginning and ending the sessions. She confirmed that everyone had an opportunity to provide input and engage. She wonderfully attempted to get feedback from participants who were not immediately ready to jump in with comments. Anna was keen to listen to the needs of the group and invited several special guests. To me..."

Anju Kakkar

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"Anna is hands down the best coach I've worked with. She's intuitive but doesn't make assumptions, so her style is one of guiding versus directing. This allows plenty of room for self-exploration, which has enabled me to grow professionally (and personally) in a short space of time. I highly recommend working with Anna."

Alison

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"Anna Barnhill's expertise and engaging style made the learning experience enjoyable and effective. Her ability to create a supportive environment fostered active participation and encouraged meaningful discussions during office hours. Her prompt feedback and evaluation of assignments and forums were greatly appreciated. Overall, her commitment to our growth and development as learners was evident and had a positive impact on our learning..."

Mohana G.

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"Anna is a phenomenal coach. I have worked with a couple of coaches in my professional life. I felt her approach was more insightful and non-judgmental. She gave me time and space to speak out what I am trying to resolve or work towards. She listened carefully and pointed out what the overarching message she was hearing. I felt like she helped me self reflect and self resolve many issues. I resonated better with the outcomes or decisions..."

Navneet Sachdeva

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"Anna Barnhill is highly recommended. I was paired with her as my executive coach as I transitioned into a leadership role at my organization. My personal change coincided with organizational changes as well that posed a dual challenge. The executive coaching I received from Anna was indispensable during this time. She’s very approachable and open which allows for the level of conversation that leads to deep insight, action planning and..."

Anthony Randle

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"Attending Anna’s program was a pivotal moment in our team’s development. Her insights and methodologies have been invaluable."

Participant

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"Working with Anna, there was no doubt she was completely invested in my success. She takes a highly personalized approach to coaching and is a terrific listener—always helping me to uncover those lightbulb moments for me. I came to her to work on professional development, and I finished with having a clearer understanding of myself, which benefitted me beyond just my career. She is a trusted partner who is motivating, patient and asks the..."

Ariana Finlayson

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"Big thank you to Anna Barnhill for all the support during the Leadership and Innovation program at MIT. Anna's attentive and thoughtful responses to my comments and questions were invaluable. She is not only an outstanding teacher but also a genuinely kind and caring person."

J.P. Peralta

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"Anna went above and beyond expectations, she made the difference in making this a great and comprehensive learning journey."

Oscar Contreras

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"Anna is a masterful facilitator. Her exceptional ability to connect with diverse groups makes each session a memorable experience. The impact through her workshops is truly transformative!"

People Resources Leader

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"I am writing to wholeheartedly recommend Anna as a professional coach. Throughout our time working together, Anna has been an exceptional mentor and guide. Her extensive knowledge and expertise in leadership development have been invaluable to my growth. Anna possesses a unique ability to identify and nurture the potential within individuals. She has helped me to not only recognize areas for improvement but also to excel in both my personal..."

Harpreet Sandhu

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"From the beginning, I have found Anna to be an insightful and caring coach with a natural intuition about how to tackle issues that otherwise were not apparent to me personally. Anna has patiently worked with me to think through ways to improve my outlook and actions and has not hesitated to bluntly remind me of when I have not followed through with the plans we have developed. Anna is both supportive and demanding, the best combination I..."

Casey Low

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"I highly recommend Anna as an Executive Coach. Her ability to challenge and reshape my perceptions has been instrumental in maintaining my focus on key goals. Anna’s unique approach involves skillfully redirecting attention to what truly matters, coupled with immense patience and understanding. Additionally, Anna’s method of integrating educational articles into our sessions provided valuable insights and enhanced my professional growth..."

Tony Youseffi

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"Anna is wonderful teacher! She is so dedicated and determined to help. I have an impression that she truly cares. She has been going above and beyond to support the class. Thank you so much for the overall experience."

M. Kacher

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"Anna is wonderful! She helped me pick myself up during a difficult time. She gives you the tools to help yourself. I was numb just going through the motions. Anna helped me figure out what I needed to be happy. I finally feel like I am the person I am supposed to be. I highly recommend her. My life has completely changed for the best! "

Becky McGregor

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"I cannot recommend Anna Barnhill highly enough. As my coach, I can always count on Anna to actively listen and provide meaningful input during our sessions. She has thoughtful responses and makes it a point to ask if there is something she can help with. The tools she has provided me with, will help me for a lifetime to come. I am grateful for finding Anna, and all the progress we have made together! "

Christian G.

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"Anna was a great coach to work with! She listens really well and asks pointed questions to get to the bottom of an issue. She makes me feel challenged … and inspires me to think in different ways. Her mental traps framework is very effective in helping me catching and labeling self-sabotaging thoughts as they occur, and I like the perspective switching to ask myself "what would I say/do to my best friend" to cultivate self-compassion. Thanks..."

Anonymous

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"Anna has been the single most helpful voice in my coaching journey. Within only a few sessions she provided me with spot-on good insights. This advice would stick to me, as powerful helpful reminders throughout the weeks to come helping me deal with anxiety. From day one she had an accurate and deep understanding of my concerns, and from there, we outlined action plans that were straightforward and effective. After our sessions, I always feel..."

Laura Novoa

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"Anna is an incredible coach and has helped me tremendously on my wellness journey. She’s been able to help me work through my issues on a large and small scale by identifying the root cause and offering concrete solutions. I understand myself in a way I didn’t before, and I am eternally grateful for Anna because of it. I highly recommend working with her!"

Anonymous

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"Working with Anna has been so beneficial to my career development and personal life. Her approach to coaching, identification of areas that need to be worked on, and finding solutions to life's challenges is incredibly motivating to me. In addition, she is always sharing helpful resources that I can easily follow through. Her kindness and honesty during our sessions made our conversations feel very comfortable. Thank you, Anna! "

Patricia S.

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"Anna is an excellent coach, that is extremely results-focused. She has a strong ability to create awareness of what is holding you back, as well as a plan for moving forward. She asks powerful questions that help to create amazing discoveries and helps to build you up to be able to pursue your big dreams in life. She is calm, professional, and committed to your success. As a result of her coaching, I was able to take significant steps in my..."

Chris A.

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"Anna is an amazing coach. She is a great listener and provides useful feedback regarding my career struggles. She is also providing me with effective frameworks that I haven't used before. Which is key to my momentum. I'm making significant progress personally and professionally with Anna as my coach."

Anonymous

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""Anna was a wonderful coach - she provided me with tools that helped get my anxiety under control, manage my stress better, and practice mindfulness. Anna has a very thoughtful and caring approach and I found it very easy to communicate with her. She helped me realize that I was frequently falling into the catastrophizing "mental trap" and I am now better equipped to challenge that thinking trap and stop myself from catastrophizing, which has..."

Daniel S.

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"Anna Barnhill was an excellent facilitator. She organized really insightful sessions with guest speakers presenting real live experiences that aligned with the course modules content. She actively listened to our challenges and created a space where all the participants felt confident to speak and share their thoughts. "

Osmara R.

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"Anna has been instrumental in providing me new tools to increase the effectiveness and impact of my communication both professionally and in my marriage. Anna coached me through various techniques to improve my perception of information presented to me while also improving my approach to connecting and delivering my message with maximum efficiency. All of Anna’s coaching has been backed with supplemental materials and role play scenarios..."

Matt H.

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"Anna has been great to work with. Her knowledge on the material and how our brain works has been extremely helpful. She has coached me and gave me tools to develop and help me when I run into problems. We have talked about multiple topics and she has found ways to help. How she is different from others is she will make you think and give your homework. She will make sure you are challenged and practice your tools to help develop your skills..."

Mike D.

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"I’m a professional and creative who typically considers herself to be a highly motivated go-getter. However, at the stage I met Anna, I was lost, angry and stuck. I wanted to blame anyone and everything but myself for my “being off my game”. Under all the layers of shame, guilt and procrastination lived the truth – I was 100% responsible for healing myself. Anna helped me uncover this reality. It felt as if her light gave me the..."

Michelle H.

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"Anna is absolutely amazing at what she does. She has helped me to overcome some very difficult things in my life such as being my worst critic, help manage my anxiety/stress, and giving myself self love. I couldn’t be more grateful for my sessions with her. Dealing with such raw emotions and not having the tools to know how to handle them have been extremely difficult for me. She has changed my outlook on life, I would recommend her to..."

Alyssa K

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"Initially my goal was to improve Executive Presence under Pressure and I am really thankful that I got in touch with Anna. We have spoken at length at Thinking Traps, Opposite Reaction, Breathing techniques etc. etc. that have really helped me be more mindful, calm & composed. Anna is a great listener and asks very good questions which at-times makes me really & deeply think about the Why! Thank you Anna for your support on helping me improve..."

Siddharth Sodhani

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"I absolutely recommend Anna as a coach. She is gentle, intuitive, and intelligent. She debriefed my ELI assessment and did an amazing job understanding where I come from and helping me be go through my blocks with compassion. If you are looking to understand you fears and the things that are stopping you to do better at work and life in general, she is the right person! Her work is amazing! Thank you, Anna! "

Katherine M

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"I have greatly appreciated my time with Anna! She exuded an amazing balance between care and constructive guidance. She met me right where I was at every point in time and did so without judgement or critique. She offered thoughtful advice founded in both personal experience and knowledge. Anna always made sure to communicate prior to our meetings what specifically I wanted to cover, which I always appreciated. "

Luke R.

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"Anna has been an amazing coach. She has given me the necessary tools to allow me to be mentally aware and be as present as possible in order to navigate any situation at hand. Her guidance in how to use these tools and how to navigate mental traps has been fundamental and have helped me reduce stress, approach life with a much simpler outlook, and balance my time in ways I was not able to do before. - Thank you so much, Anna. I was able to..."

Daniela M.

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