Working With Me

Unlike most coaches, I have bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology, and professionally supervised work experience delivering psychological services. Details can be found on the About page. Because coaching is unregulated, anyone can just call themselves a coach, and any company can say they are certifying coaches, without there being any research behind what they teach, no supervised experience, perhaps not even an exam, and no professional accountability. Most coaching is based on someone's unsystematic personal opinions.

Coaching is Focused on Today and Tomorrow

The past matters immensely, but not as much as how we respond to it in the present, how we respond to what is happening now, and how we influence and prepare for our own future.

• What do you need now?
• What do you need to do now?
• What actions taken now will bring you closer to the future you desire?

Zen-ish Coaching Can Help You Be You

I help people find perspective and practical next steps to deal with "that thing" that is hurting or getting in the way.

• Circumstances

  Life brings us many challenges, many of which repeat, some of which are profoundly disturbing. Finding your bearings in the context of turmoil is often hard, and increasing self-knowledge is always the best foundation for making things better.

  • You've lost a loved one through breakup, divorce, profound disability, or death, and you don't know how you will find your way through it.
  • Or perhaps you are sure you'll get through it, but you want a companion along the way.
  • You've gained a loved one through pregnancy, adoption, or other circumstances.
  • You've lost a job, or have recurring problems at work.
  • You've suffered a financial loss, moved into a new home, or undergone some other disorienting transition.
  • Something is wrong, or not going well, and you are feeling a bit lost, not confident, confused, bad.

• Relationship

  Relationships are not 50-50, and staying because the good outweighs the bad (51/49?) is bad policy. You don't need platitudes. You need: self-knowledge, other-person knowledge, clarity of mind, good communication, and the right combination of generosity and boundaries.

  • An important relationship is changing, and that is taking you off your center.
  • An important relationship is not changing, and that is no longer acceptable.
  • Why do I always …, Why don't I ever …, Why does my partner … ? Why doesn't my partner … ? Something has to change for you to navigate relationships more skillfully.

• Self

  It seems paradoxical that the person we know best and influence most – ourself – contains mysteries, and doesn't always act as we expect or desire. Paradoxical or not, self-knowledge and self-control are elusively incomplete, and this sometimes bites us.

  • You want to better understand your own beliefs, values, and actions.
  • You want to replace some habitual behavior with some better behavior.
  • You are trying to exercise more, or eat less, or be more trusting, or be less trusting, or … and you are not progressing at a satisfying pace.
  • In your own assessment, something about you is not right or at least not clear, and you need to figure it out.

Bennett has helped me with both personal and work issues. He has seen me through some pretty ugly times, and has also taught me how to handle things better on my own. I've learned a lot from working with him. E.V.

Let's talk

Let's talk – no commitment, no pitch. Since I am retired, there will be no sales pressure on my side. You can contact me here.