Positive Psychology Coaching
An integrated and holistic approach
Photo: Nic Lehoux, Olson Kundig
What would it take to live and work at your best?
We all have the capacity to change and grow, and what this means for one person will be different than the next. For some, it’s about leveling up in their career. For others, it’s about restoring balance or reorienting toward what matters most. Whatever the destination, coaching offers a path with dedicated time and space to explore, take action, and grow.
My approach blends science and lived experience, drawing upon my MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology (MAPPCP), training as a Certified Organizational Coach (COC), and experience leading teams in organizational and recreational settings. Modern research shows us ways to strengthen well-being, resilience, and performance. But personal growth is also about your own story — your thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and the systems you live and work in. Together, we draw on this all to build new levels of awareness, accountability, and purpose in pursuing meaningful outcomes that last.
I follow an “n of 1” philosophy when it comes to personal and professional development: I believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that my role is to help you discover the approach that works for you. From beginning to end we work from your agenda — my role is to help you gain greater awareness and clarity, and together we create the conditions that take you to insight and action in the areas of life that matter most to you.
Who I work with
I work with growth-minded people at key inflection points in their life or career. What unites my clients is a growth mindset, willingness to experiment, and commitment to investing in themselves.
People I coach include:
- Executives and leaders in transition
- Entrepreneurs in new stages of growth
- Leaders of technical and cross-functional teams
- Individual contributors stepping into people leadership roles
- Professionals navigating career choices
- High performers seeking better work-life balance or improvements in health and well-being
Education and Credentials
- Masters of Science in Applied Positive Psychology & Coaching Psychology (MSc/MAPP CP)
- Bachelor of Education (BEd, Middle Years)
- Bachelor of Arts (BA, Psychology)
- Certified Organizational Coach (COC)
- Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
Experience
- 20+ years working in cross-functional teams
- 10+ years as a people leader
- 5+ years as an internal coach offering 1:1 and group coaching within the University of British Columbia
- 4 years as an independent coach offering 1:1 and group coaching, and leadership development program design and delivery
- 2 years as a health coach with a tech startup providing 1:1 coaching within a biopsychosocial model to health and wellbeing
- Experience partnering with entrepreneurs and small business owners as a co-founder and consultant
- Long time player, captain, and coach of team and individual sports (Ultimate, hockey, rock climbing, surfing, swimming, cycling, cross-country and telemark skiing, running)
- Individual wellbeing practitioner (yoga, meditation, breathwork)
Interested in learning more?
If you’d like to learn more about working with me as a coach, the best place to start is for us to have a 30min call to talk about what has brought you to seek a coach and how we might work together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions that I’m often asked and that may be coming up for you. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at any time and we can schedule a time to chat more.
Where and how does coaching take place?
Coaching sessions are scheduled in either 30 or 50 minute time blocks, and take place over Zoom or by phone. I also do “walk and talk” sessions where we each go for a walk independently and connect by phone to do a coaching session outside — some people find this option appealing for the way it allows you to think more expansively, and it’s also a way to integrate a break of physical activity in an otherwise busy day.
What happens in a typical session?
Every session is unique, but at a broad level we will progress through a similar sequence of stages. We open with a check-in to help us both arrive with our full attention and energy. If there is anything we need to clear out of our mind, distractions from the day or anything that needs tending to, we take care of it up front. We then spend a few minutes to follow up on anything that has emerged since our previous session and then set a focus for our current session. Then we dive in. Every session will wrap with a takeaway (for example an insight or an action) and next steps.
Depending on the topic and your style of learning, I may introduce different activities or “method sheets” to support the process. These method sheets are self-directed resources I’ve developed over the years that can be especially helpful if you are a visual learner or benefit from structured ways to make abstract ideas more tangible.
How do we schedule sessions?
Once we enter into a coaching engagement, I will provide you with a booking link that will let you select from my time slots available over the coming weeks. I am available during the work day for internal UBC coaching clients, and for external clients I am available on the edge hours of the work day and on Saturday mornings. On occasion, I also schedule larger blocks of time off to be available for larger external coaching engagements.
What happens in between sessions?
There will always be a takeaway, next step, or (optionally) activities for you to do in between sessions. The nature or specific details of what this will be and how much time it will take will vary.
How long does a typical coaching engagement last and how much does it cost?
Every coaching engagement is unique so I don’t prescribe a fixed period of time but I do ask for a minimum commitment of three months for any new/first time coaching client at a cost of $1,000 (CAD). On average, my coaching engagements last between six to twelve months. The frequency of sessions and length of engagement is something that we will work out together. If you are looking for an hourly rate, the amount my rate would break down to is $175 per coaching session. Included with all coaching engagements is access to additional resources to support you in between your coaching sessions.
Once we have completed an initial coaching contract, you would be able to schedule any follow-up, check-in, or situational coaching calls as they come up. It’s important to me that we have first established a strong rapport and familiarity with each other before I make myself available for single session bookings.
Outcomes
Every person’s situation is unique, and so too are the outcomes. Here is a sampling of what you might walk away with after our time together:
- a shift in mindset and perspective
- clarity of vision, purpose, and focus
- increased levels of awareness, accountability, and commitment
- momentum in taking action towards new goals
- improved career satisfaction
- healthy and sustainable work-life balance
- new levels of peak performance
- confidence and excitement with navigating the future
- successfully transitioning into a new job or entirely new career path
- new habits that sustain a practice of physical and mental wellbeing
“I genuinely appreciated the opportunity to work with you, and have learned so much more about myself, my values, and how to find a career path that honours these. Thank you!!! ”
– S.G.
“The last time we spoke I told you about two positions I applied for…I got an offer on the second job last night and accepted today! It’s been seriously helpful working with you… I’m seriously indebted for your help!”
– A.L.
Where to begin?
People reach out to me when they have reached an inflection point in some aspect of their personal or professional life. Maybe you’ve noticed a mis-alignment or a sense that there could be “more”. Or maybe you are uncovering a gap between where you are today and where you aspire to be. Or maybe you are bracing for a trajectory into new levels of growth and performance.
Wherever you are at in your own journey, you have reached a point where you recognize there could be a different way forward and you’ve decided you’d like to take your next steps with greater clarity and confidence.
My goal is to help you find clarity, purpose, and energy, to pursue your ambitions with focus, and drive.
Our first step is to have a 30min call where I’ll ask you a few questions to get a sense of where you’re at, you can do the same of me. We’ll get a sense of what it could be like to work together and at the end we’ll know: Is it worth spending more time in a coaching engagement?
Sometimes there is a simple resource or referral I can offer, and we’ll be done. Other times, the first step in our journey together will have just begun.
If this resonates, you are ready to begin!