About ME
My Qualifications
- More than 30 years working in the legal field as a legal assistant and office manager.
- Created a training position in a large law firm from the ground up where I onboarded legal assistants and attorneys and trained them on litigation rules and procedures.
- Master of Science degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. I focused my attention on research conducted on burnout in demanding work cultures.
- Certified Whole Person Coach. My training was conducted through Coach Training World, a school accredited with the International Coaching Federation.
- Chapter President of the Organization Development Network of Oregon, a non-profit that supports organization development specialists.
My Story
I started my career in the legal industry in 1987 in Los Angeles as a temp receptionist, quickly moving into a legal assistant position. I found that I had a knack for the field. I was able to type fast of course but also worked under pressure with multiple court and work deadlines, managing multiple bosses who had deadlines due at the same time. I was able to work long-term with difficult attorneys who had trouble retaining an assistant for more than a few months.
I moved to Portland, Oregon in 1995 and was promoted in a large law firm to support and train incoming legal assistants who had little to no experience. I was able to share my knowledge of legal procedure and deadlines, but also how to remain calm under pressure and work with people who were also stressed. I became an office administrator in a small law firm and managed employees and the day-to-day procedures to keep a law firm running.
When my children started high school, I went back to school online and obtained my Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. I had a previous BA in Psychology, but now with my experience in the real world of work, I wanted to learn more about the psychology of people in their work environments and the blueprint of the organizations that thrived. I looked at extensive research regarding the dynamics of an organization and how culture might affect the employees who work there. I focused my attention on research conducted with law firms. My passion for organization development led me to join the Oregon chapter of the Organization Development Network where I eventually became its President.
But how could I really help the people who worked in these difficult work environments? I had the academic knowledge, but wanted to assist on a more personal level. I knew what it was like to work in these difficult environments: the deadlines, pressures, and resulting stress. I felt like I had survived and thrived in this environment for many years and wanted to share my knowledge.
The answer was to become a life coach. I explored the options and studied at Coach Training World, where I was certified as a Whole Person Life Coach. I learned strategies and techniques to help my clients learn more about their own strengths and values, as well as clues offered somatically by their own bodies and emotions. I learned how to help a person learn about their true self to gain clarity and thrive in any environment. I personally studied techniques of mindfulness and practiced meditation to access calmness and focus, and share these methods in my coaching practice.
If you find that you are struggling with stress and overwhelm in your workplace, let me help you. I know what you are going through and can share evidence-based techniques to not only help in the moment but also build long-term resilience.