About ME

---

• 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.
• Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation.
• Former Chapter President of the Organization Development Network of Oregon, a non-profit that  supports organization development specialists.

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. I am now an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation. 

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.