Meet Karen
Certified Professional Coach and Consultant
Karen's coaching helps clients achieve their goals and communicate with confidence. Whether you're seeking individual sessions, team or family coaching, Karen can guide you in making choices with ease, helping you successfully manage the many facets of better living.
My Story
At times we go through life on auto-pilot. We grind through every day responsibilities of work (paid or unpaid), partnerships or family and are expected to show up mentally prepared. Some days we are just not up for it. Life can be unrewarding, unsatisfying and overwhelming. For thirteen years I helped my parents navigate Medicare choices, healthcare options, cancer, and death. It was never a road I planned to be on, but life unfolds in unexpected ways. So what were my choices? The dedication to family won out, but wanted to share how I took advantage of my skills as a caregiver, corporate consultant, and film set decorator to find my purpose and pathway as a coach to integrate all my life passions. I can guide you in doing the same. How did I do it?
Part 1 - Live in the Moment
My journey began when I observed my mother reviewing complex insurance plans, then helped her research medical gap coverage options, and later assisted both parents through health challenges. That led to enrolling in a 26 module course titled “Working with Older Adults” spanning education on aging transitions, healthcare options, financial determinations, estate laws, ethics, and quality of life planning. I wanted to better understand the aging spectrum, grasp ways of being supportive, but not intrusive, and advocate on my parent's behalf to age their way. Years later these experiences and conversations with medical providers would lead me to make very tough choices as a daughter about life support measures, driving capabilities, financial responsibilities, and end-of-life care.
Using my experiences as a caregiver, I now help others stop wading through hundreds of pages online, reading books, reference articles, or perusing further resources, to still be left with unanswered questions. Are you wanting ways to manage your unique life situation? Seeking guidance in making decisions for loved ones? Or perhaps desiring a plan for yourself as you grow older?
Then you’ve found the right person.
Part 2 - Learn Everything You Can About Your Vivo Moments
Next, I enrolled in educational courses and learned all I could about elder services and programs. While not my preferred snapshot in time, but that was the path before me, so I took it all in. The takeaway here is, "Be where you are". If life throws you a curve ball, go with it. Turn the seemingly negative situation into a positive learning experience. I also became a member of the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission. My work at that time, (a consultant and facilitator), provided networking opportunities to learn more about older adults and issues they faced. I took advantage of every occasion. It was then I pivoted to a new career as a professional credentialed coach. Course List:
Training:
Society of Certified Senior Advisors, 2008
Working With Older Adults
Broad-based knowledge of the health, social, financial issues important to seniors and their families, and the dynamics of how these factors work together in seniors’ lives.
Salisbury University, 2021
Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Care
Pathophysiology, risk factors, stages, symptoms, diagnosis, including medications used to enhance cognitive function.
Georgetown University, 2021
The Business of Aging in the Longevity Economy
Interdisciplinary field of aging, social and policy issues and senior living administration.
CRR Global, 2019
Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching
Relationship Systems Intelligence: integrated and robust model encompassing Emotional Intelligence (relationship with self), and Social Intelligence (relationship with others) to focus on relationship with the group, team, couple, family or system.
Education:
Alaska Pacific University, BA
Liberal Studies, Nonprofit Management
University of Alaska, Anchorage
Interior Design
Part 3 -Merge Your Moments
Lean into your interests and talents. Invest in yourself. I've always been involved in the visual and performing arts. Work as a film set decorator, home stager and interior designer gave me the experiential knowledge to create spaces using pattern, texture, color, light, or architectural details. I learned how those features affect mood. Exploring what already came naturally to me--designing spaces and helping others--I expanded my business to include healthy lifestyle and design coaching.
Why These Specialties?
Cardiovascular conditions are prevalent in my family, and have cared for three family members who suffered from heart and vascular crises. Participating in numerous healthcare visits, my empathy for cardiac rehabilitation, secondary trauma endured by family, and the unprecedented nature of coronary artery disease, I understand the recovery process. That's why I support a whole-person approach to health and wellness. Enjoying a life of well-being includes engaging in behaviors that have been proven to improve health and prevent disease decline requires positive psychology and increased capacity for lifestyle change. Triggers and emotional waves occur both mentally and physically. My coaching practice includes a comprehensive cardiac rehab support team.
Long COVID affects one in five American adults who have had COVID-19. These are health problems lasting four or more weeks after first diagnosed with the virus, and are impacted by symptoms affecting the lungs, memory or concentration issues, depression or anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, dizziness or joint pain. A wide range of social and psychological factors impair daily life, and unrelieved, the psychological and cognitive symptoms may erode patients' sense of hope, optimism and overall equilibrium. My coaching tools can offer effective relaxation and stress management techniques, in addition to attention and information processing exercises to improve both focus and memory.
I have blended my soft skills, work experience, life choices and education into a fulfilling career as a coach. Healthy living can be discovered. Let me guide you into the possibilities.
Credentials:
International Coaching Federation, 2020
Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
Completed 125+ hours of coach-specific training, a minimum of 500 hours of client coaching experience, 10 hours of mentor coaching, and passing of the Coach Knowledge Assessment.
Coaches Training Institute, 2018
Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)
Most rigorous and respected coach training and certification in the industry. One of 65,000 people credentialed in CTI’s coaching program that is congruent with a vast body of research in positive psychology and that validates professional coaching.
Living in Place Institute, 2022
Certified Living in Place Professional (CLIPP)
Awarded to interprofessional specialists working to make spaces healthy, safe and comfortable. Provides property evaluation to enhance independence and well-being for everyone. First Alaskan to complete course and be honored with this credential.
Affiliations:
Institute of Coaching, 2016 to present
Fellow at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School Affiliate
Advancing the scientific discipline of research and education to accelerate the consciousness in the field of coaching.
American Society of Interior Designers, 2022 to present
Industry Partner
Advances interior design profession and communicates the impact of design on the human experience.
American Sociological Association, 2020 to present
Member
Advancing sociology as a science, profession, and promoting contributions of sociology to society.
Author:
Karen's articles and opinions on neuroscience, aging, stress, depression, caregiving, trust, and the television industry have been published in numerous media outlets including LinkedIn, Alaska Dispatch News, The Peninsula Clarion, The Fairbanks Daily News Miner, The Juneau Empire, Alaska Magazine, The Alaska Journal of Commerce, The Anchorage Daily News, The Washington Monthly, The Arctic Council, The Northern Forum, The Senior Voice, United States Army Alaska's Stationing & Training of Increased Aviation Assets, Center for Disease Control (National Institute of Safety and Health) Survey and Analysis of Aviation Safety, Aero News, Reel Alaska and other national, federal and state outlet sources.
Upcoming Presentations:
Institute of Coaching, West Coast Chapter Roundtable
Panelist, December 2022
“Retro/Prospective of the West Coast Roundtables:
Conversation with Host Committee Alumni"
Five years of a co-created community allowing for shared learning, teaching, group and individual thinking, networking with colleagues and subject matter experts.
Recent Presentations:
Institute of Coaching, West Coast Chapter Roundtable
Panelist, 2021
“Effects of Neuro-diverse & Neuro-normal in Coaching”
How to be more flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse workplace. Understanding the growing awareness for adaptability to different ways of thinking.
Organization & Relationship Systems Coaching, Denver Cohort
Co-Presenter, 2021
"Coaching Leaders in the Disrupted Workplace"
Navigating crisis, disruption and change. The system coaching tools and skills used to expand executive leadership coaching.
Organization & Relationship Systems Coaching, Denver Cohort
Presenter, 2021
"How Coaching ADHD Individuals Affects Interactions"
The behavioral, physical and emotional drivers of executive functioning, and suggestions for developing coaching design, awareness, goal-setting and accountability.
Institute of Coaching, International Roundtable
Panelist, 2020
“The Art of Ballet & Coaching”
How ballet shapes and influences coaching. Dancers relate to somatic energy because of a connection to music, the choreography, and telling a story. Dance encompasses every part of the body; learn how to dance with your whole self.
Organization & Relationship Systems Coaching, Denver Cohort
Co-Presenter, 2020
"Your Inside Team and Secret Selves"
Discover what your inner voices are really saying, how to get that "inside team" to work collaboratively, and use of meta-skills to cross edges and explore different parts of ourselves.
Let's discover ways to enhance your life.
Energy. Resilience. Joy. Happiness. Whatever you need.
We can create small changes to your well-being or make big disruptive changes. You decide.
