Curiosity is essential when it comes to coaching, so I’m glad you’ve brought yours here. I think one thing that stands out about me to most folks is the sheer amount of change I’ve been through in a single lifetime.
My Story
Over the past 30+ years, I’ve worked in recreational boating tours, international exchange coordination, corporate law, financial services, wholesale coffee production, a running specialty goods shop, coaching Division 3 track and field, massage and bodywork, and philanthropic research.
I know what it’s like to feel like an impostor as a result of living for years in identities that didn’t fit. I know what it’s like to chafe against your own skin and recoil at the sight of your own reflection. I know what it takes to swim your way back up to the surface after you’ve sunk deep into the mucky bottom. And I know what it feels like to break through that surface and gulp the fresh air of self-alignment.
One of the best parts of coming into alignment with self is that it frees up resources that we can direct to things that fill us with joy. Things that do this for me include exploring the many marvels of the natural world, playing with astrology, celebrating the arts, and coming together in community to build a kinder future.
I’ve experienced long-term recovery from multiple addictions including alcoholism (sober since 2006), exercise addiction, workaholism, and codependency. I’ve lived identities on both sides of the gender binary (and a few places in between), birthed a child and survived the heartbreak of relational ruptures like divorce, co-parenting, family estrangement, deaths, and a gaggle of other ambiguous loss. I’ve also come to find belonging in my identities as an introverted empath and highly sensitive person.
Along the way, I’ve confronted trauma, chronic pain, burnout, abject loneliness, and a slew of other demons.
All these things are important parts of my coaching origin story and who I am as a human. But what’s prepared me to serve my clients more than anything is my experience, at depth, of both self-abandonment and self-reclamation.
Why do I coach?
Lots of reasons, but the primary one is freedom. I choose to coach because I believe that by helping you find your freedom, mine grows stronger. And so does the world, which is sorely in need of more freedom.
If you’ve read this far, I think there’s a good chance something in this little snippet about me that resonates for some part of you. If my hunch is right, that means there’s also a good chance that you’re in the right place. And that there’s a reason you arrived here.
If you’d like to continue following that pull and investigate the ways in which I might help, I invite you to schedule a free call with me. It would be my pleasure to explore possibilities for transformation with you.
Testimonials
Clients share their experience
“My sessions with Keith are the first time I have ever truly experienced being seen and validated in the grief I have held for many years as a neurodivergent and highly sensitive person. His gentle curiosity, genuine caring, and deep listening create a shimmering, spacious container where I feel incredibly safe and able to access parts of myself long buried out of shame, fear, or some “unallowed” emotion. I leave our sessions feeling less alone, more aligned, and with a totally different way of relating to myself. The insights from our time together then percolate for days, weeks, and months in a way where real change — and magic — continue to happen. Keith is an extraordinary guide for anyone navigating life’s complexities. If you’re ready to be truly seen and transformed, give yourself the invaluable gift of working with him.”
Maia, Pain Recovery Coach & Consultant, Australia
“I wanted to thank you so much for the Astrology Reading* you gave me last week. I'm still completely blown away by all of the attention and time and care you poured into my reading. I've been swimming around in it and I'm appreciating all of the soul-level validations and insights so much. Learning about the juxtapositions in my chart have been especially helpful and have reduced some of the shamey feelings of "what's wrong with me" and "how come this stuff seems easy for other people and not me?" Being able to look at my chart, listen to your wisdom about it, and have space to reflect in your loving and safe container felt so supportive for me.”
Stacy Raye Kellogg, Leadership Coach & Facilitator
*If you're a new client interested in exploring an astrology reading with Keith, please schedule a free exploration call to discuss this service.
“I have worked with Keith for two years. I'm so very grateful. My relationship to my body has transformed in ways that I never could have imagined. Knowing my needs and taking care of myself is no longer a task or chore, it's a deep joy and an endless curiosity. Words cannot convey his positive impact on me. Keith's capacity and skillfulness truly blow my mind. Because my mind and body feel at ease and free in his presence, I am able to put together so much for myself. I can include with equal value my joy and woe. He employs equally well structure-holding questions and non-interventive spacious presence. I feel so very fortunate."
Mattie Clark, Writer & Systemic Constellations Facilitator
✺ Frequently asked questions ✺
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There are some distinct differences between the two and some overlap. For instance, coaches and therapists may ask similar questions -- based on what you share -- to help evoke deeper awareness. Generally, though, therapy tends to focus on making connections between your past and present, and coaching tends to be present and future oriented. Many types of therapy (especially when covered by insurance) are based on a medicalized, diagnostic model that aims to reduce and treat symptoms. Coaching is typically more holistic and geared towards enhancing your quality of life and helping you move in the direction of stated goals. I’m not a therapist, so I can’t diagnose mental health conditions, nor prescribe pharmaceutical or therapeutic interventions.
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If you’re aware that you need help processing past trauma, are experiencing crisis, or are seeking a mental health diagnosis, you should seek therapy prior to (or in conjunction with) coaching. That said, sometimes it isn’t always immediately clear how deep certain issues may run, and there can be some productive overlap between therapy and coaching. If, during our work together, it becomes clear that a topic you’re grappling with exceeds my scope of practice, we’ll talk about referrals to other professionals.
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Whereas friendship typically has an expectation of reciprocity and emotional intimacy, our relationship will be friendly, but not reciprocal. Additionally, I’m committed to maintaining boundaries that enable me to hold a sturdy, shame-free space for you. The questions I ask will sometimes challenge you but will originate from a place of nonjudgmental curiosity designed to help us both understand you better. These are the kind of questions that a friend may not feel able to ask if they’re invested in a particular outcome or response from you. My quality of presence will also likely be different, because my focus is entirely on you. I’ll often reflect what I hear in your words, your facial expressions, your body language, and your energy. Sometimes I’ll also tell you what I notice you’re NOT saying.
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If you ask different coaches this question, you’re apt to get just as many different answers. From my perspective, transformational coaching is for clients who are interested in a deep dive rather than a quick fix. Transformational coaching helps clients deconstruct limiting beliefs and locate their own values so that their way of being in the world aligns with their deepest, most authentic, core self. Going through this process is powerful, almost like a rebirth. People often become interested in this level of work when they confront a life-or-identity changing event or situation. Such pivotal times reveal that something fundamental needs to shift, but it's not always clear what that “something” is, nor how to approach it. Other types of coaching (career, leadership, or creativity coaching, for example) tend to be narrower in scope and pegged to a very specific goal(s).
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Yes. Everything you share in our sessions will remain completely confidential, unless it poses a danger to yourself or another, or unless you explicitly consent in writing to my sharing with another professional.
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I offer sliding scale rates for everyone, regardless of means. For more information on pricing, please visit my offerings page
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In short, it depends. It depends on what you’re looking to accomplish, how much effort you’re willing to put in, and how frequently you book sessions. Many clients begin to see tangible results in the 1-3 months range. Others, who are going through a major life transition or working on multiple goals, tend to work with me over a longer arc of time. Some people work on something, take a break, then return to continue with fine-tuning.
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We’ll chat about what you’re looking to accomplish, what you’ve already tried, and what you’re willing to try. I’ll give you my honest assessment of whether I think I can help you with your goals, and I’ll tell you a little bit more about my approach. You’ll get to ask me whatever you’re still curious about. I’ll end our conversation by encouraging us both to really feel into whether we sense good chemistry between us before we commit to the work.
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We spend a few minutes checking in, then agree on what we hope to accomplish during the session and how we want to begin. From there, it is truly a co-creative, collaborative process that organically unfolds based on what comes up in each moment. When we’re getting toward the end of the session, we tie it all together and look at what we accomplished. We also talk about what, if anything, you want to do with what we’ve unearthed. By the time we wrap up, clients often report having new insights, deeper clarity, and feeling more firmly “in” themselves.
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I believe that YOU are the expert on yourself and your life. I don’t claim to know the right solutions for you, but I can help you find them in yourself (that’s where they are always hiding out). I see my role as helping you to access your own wisdom, see yourself more clearly, and curate your life in the way that works best for you. I also believe strongly in the body as a source of tremendous wisdom, so much of my coaching centers around increasing embodied awareness and using biofeedback as a central source of guidance.
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The official-sounding ones are that I’m an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation and a Wayfinder Certified Life Coach. Perhaps even more importantly though, I’ve done my own deep transformational work through a variety of means and methods as I’ve traversed many different “lives” in this lifetime. You can learn more about my personal story and experiences on my About page.
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Click here to schedule a free introductory call which will give you a good feel for the energy I offer my clients and the kind of space I hold as a coach.