Life Coaching/Expert Profile

Expertise

I am able to answer questions such as "could I use life coaching or therapy, and what is the difference?" "How can I improve my parenting skills?" "How can I implement consequences with my kids (step-family) and improve my children's overall behavior?" "How do I choose a coach?" "How do I parent my GLBT children?" "How do I come out to your family?" How do I parent adult children with severe and persistent mental illnesses?" "How do I set goals and actually achieve them?" "How can I start my own small business?" "How do I apply for government contracts?" "Who can I find to hold me accountable?" "What is the history of life coaching?""How do I become a life coach?" "How do I market myself?"

Experience in the area

I was a family teacher at Girls and Boystown for five years helping over 100 kids and families manage and live more successfully as a family. I worked in home support for adults with severe and persistent mental illness and worked closely with their families. I focused on life coaching in my masters degree in mental health counseling and I have a graduate certificate in life coaching from one of two universities in the nation that can grant that certificate. I founded a Professional Coaching, Training and Consulting Company called Basha Services.

Organizations

AGLIBIC (Association for GLBT clients in counseling), PFLAG (Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays), American Counseling Association, and Bellevue University Alumni Association.

Publications

Journal Of Financial Planning, RIA Biz, Dow Jones Advisor.

Education/Credentials

I have my BS in Professional and Applied Ethics and my Masters Degree in Human Services with a focus on Mental Health Counseling and Life Coaching.

Awards and Honors

Graduated with my Masters Degree with a 4.0 GPA. Navy achievement medal, three letters of commendation (Navy), Persian Gulf War Veteran and Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (Navy).

Past/Present Clients

I currently coach clients on starting business, personal goal attainment and marketing their new business. I have exited the therapy field to pursure coaching as a full time profession.

What do you like about this subject?

I love the idea of coaching, helping healthy people achieve their life's goals. Many people need a little help not a diagnosis.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

As a coach there is a consistent and steep learning curve. The more you think you know as a coach the more you realize you have not even scratched the surface.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Coaching actually arose out of something called Solution Focused Theory in counseling psychology.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Many therapists think that Coaching is "therapy lite" and there are many that are not supportive of this career path.