Investing in your personal or professional goals can be intimidating, especially if you don’t have all the information you need.
Many people I speak to have a general sense of which areas of themselves or their lives they want to improve, whether it’s their mental health, emotional intelligence, workplace culture, communication or leadership skills, or something else.
However, I often find that many of those who are curious about working with a coach, leadership mentor, or advocate are also uncertain about exactly what that means, how it all works, and how to get the most out of the experience.
Training and coaching services can be one of the best investments you ever make in yourself, but it’s important to know the basics before you dive in. So, I’ve created this list of 8 Frequently Asked Questions to help you understand the kind of work I do with my clients, and why my services might be a good fit for you.
What are professional coaching services?
A professional coach is an experienced or skilled individual who works with clients, entrepreneurs, and teams across industries in pursuit of personal and professional development. A coach’s role is to help clients broaden perspectives, stretch comfort zones, and reach their full potential.
Who is Dr. Karen?
I am a trained physician (MD) with a master’s degree in public health (MPH) and business administration (MBA). While working as a Consultant to Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH), a private not-for-profit health organization located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, I cultivated my interest in building person-centered cultures, helping managers become better leaders, and improving the lives of vulnerable people.
After developing a series of training workshops and assessments which had a major impact on Aramco employees, their dependents, and the entire region, I relocated to Baltimore, Maryland to focus my passion on the professional co-active executive, relationship, and medical coaching, research on caregiver burden, and consultation for Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHMI), where I am working on developing a safety culture project to help high-risk areas of harm such as ICUs, ORs, and Emergency Rooms to ensure psychological safety.
I have three adult children, one of whom has significant disabilities. I’ve spent over 30 years working with and advocating for children with special needs and their families in healthcare, the schools, and in the community, and I am also the proud grandmother of two young, creative, and spirited grandchildren.
Why is Dr. Karen’s approach unique?
I base my approach to coaching around a framework of improving organizational culture. I believe that personal or professional development doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and if you approach coaching or mentorship in isolation, you are only addressing one piece of the puzzle.
I work to enhance communities and well-being via cultural bridges where all individuals are valued, respected and appreciated for their unique qualities. This philosophy impacts my approach to all aspects of my services.
What do Dr. Karen’s services include?
There are three primary pillars to my service areas:
- Leadership development, including mentoring, training workshops, and assessments that will help you build a healthier culture within your workplace and foster communication, compassion, and diversity.
- Coaching, including Co-Active (personal, executive), Organizational Relationship System (partners, teams, groups), Mental and Internal Fitness (positive intelligence), and Medical (illness acceptance, caregivers, disability) coaching to help you uncover your true potential.
- Advocacy, including Individual Education and Life Plans, special needs services, testimony, and creating awareness, acceptance, and integration to ensure that needs are met, voices are heard, outstanding details are given context and clarity, and members of the community can lead meaningful lives free from stigma and misunderstanding.
How do I know if working with Dr. Karen will be a good fit for me?
Services like mine can benefit people from all walks of life, but they tend to be most impactful for people with a strong focus on driving personal and professional growth and success, self-improvement, and concrete, bottom-line transformative results.
Are sessions confidential?
Always. I take client trust seriously and govern every client relationship I enter by my strict ethical code. What happens in our sessions stays in our sessions.
How can I make sure the coaching works?
It all comes down to how much you’re willing to bring into the room, and how diligently you apply what you learn. My clients who get the most benefit tend to be ones who take the work seriously, approach it with an open mind, and continue to make a consistent effort throughout the process to take action in their daily lives. Remember, this is an investment in yourself. To make sure it works, hold yourself accountable, be kind to yourself, and be patient. After all, most things worth doing take time.
What’s the first step?
I encourage you to learn more about what I do by browsing the rest of my website. If you think my services might be a good fit for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out, set up a meeting, or request more information.