I earned an undergraduate degree in Business and Marketing from the University of Georgia, and a Master’s degree in Clinical Social work from Indiana University. This combination has afforded me a pragmatic therapeutic approach as well as an authentic understanding of the dynamics of business and organizations.
In addition to my degrees, I am trained as a personal and professional coach through MentorCoach. Developed specifically for licensed and experienced therapists, MentorCoach is a unique Coach-training program designed toward “helping accomplished clinicians become extraordinary Coaches.”
I am also a certified Resilient Leadership Coach. Resilient Leadership is a new way of seeing, thinking, and leading within an organization. It is characterized by a calm, clear, and connected manner of interacting with your team in the midst of anxiety provoked by increasing complexity and accelerating change that typifies present day work environments. Resilient Leaders can lead with a maturity that acts to bring out the highest level of trust, cohesiveness, and performance in their teams. Resilient Leaders lead from strength, are able to care for themselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally, and can maintain their leadership efforts over time. I’m excited to be certified to provide this powerful model to the organizations I serve.
With twenty-five years of clinical experience – that’s about 36,000 direct client contact hours – I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and nationally certified by the NASW’s Academy of Certified Social Workers. I am also an affiliate member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
Why is that clinical training relevant in business? People are complex and their professional demands can be intense. Further, organizations can be as much like families sometimes as families are like families - I get those often complicated dynamics at a deeper level than the typical leadership coach.
People do what they do because of who they are, and I am skilled in helping my clients, and therefore their organizations, make the most of savvy self awareness. That serves as an imperative foundation for powerful interpersonal navigation. When it comes down to it, your technical skills will serve you well, but your self awareness and interpersonal skill will accelerate your career.
My clinical experience serves you and your organization because by specializing in clinical psychological assessment, organizational development, critical incident theory, family systems theory, and further specialties in the transition management, I have the expertise and deep experience required to assist in successfully altering human behavior. Adding hands on experience in the corporate world, I have a compelling blend of skills to develop professionals’ leadership and change management competencies.
I’m passionate about working collaboratively to put leaders in the best position to succeed. I do this by guiding a process of honest self-discovery, listening and learning about my client, prioritizing powerful developmental goals, and helping clients more successfully communicate their leadership in a compelling way to others. I’m driven by my own curiosity, ingenuity, and a genuine belief in the capacity for people to grow into their best selves.
A Brief Bio
I am an Atlanta, Georgia native transplanted a decade ago to the Midwest. I received my Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Georgia in 1987. Following a four year stint in the business world as a Marketing Representative with two Fortune 50 corporations, I returned to school to receive my Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Indiana University.
Since 1991, I have received extensive training and experience. My work has culminated in a rewarding and challenging dual career – providing individual and family therapy to a wide range of clients in my Grand Haven, Michigan-based therapy practice, and partnering with clients and organizations toward powerful personal and professional development in my executive coaching practice.
My wife Amy and our two terrific kids live and sail in Grand Haven, Michigan on the beautiful West Michigan lakeshore.