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| Ann McIntosh, Life Coach |
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The First Step
When you realize it's time to deal with nagging thoughts that feel at odds with
what you want to achieve in life you've taken the first step
in making a permanent lifestyle change. The second step is your
willingness to enter into and continue with a therapeutic life coaching
relationship.
Perhaps you had planned to achieve a milestone before your
fortieth birthday, but didn’t, and now feel like you've missed out. Maybe you've
lost your job and want to start a new business. Perhaps you want to find a lasting relationship, make more friends, deal with others more effectively, overcome your fears and insecurities, or work on the mental aspects of competitive sports like golf, tennis or running, that have prevented you from reaching your goals.
Perhaps you don't know what you want to achieve. All
you know is you're not happy with life as it is and you'd like to talk with someone about your feelings and find out how to gain more positive options and possibilities.
Life Coaching
The concept of coaching individuals to improve performance and increase productivity is a relatively new concept. As such, "life coaching" is an unregulated industry, where someone can say they are a "life coach" simply by getting a Web site.
Whether your goal is to increase productivity, meet personal goals, improve professional or social relationships, the wisest choice for a life coach is a state-licensed, mental-health or behavioral-health professional. In this way, you know your life coach has received extensive under-
and post-graduate training, has attained their degrees and has received in-person supervisory observation. Most importantly, she or he is licensed by the state, so you can be assured there is a state-sponsored entity that attests to
the character and ethics of your “coach” and offers legal remedy to you if you are not treated ethically
Gain a New Perspective
Most opportunities for
personal growth do not involve your having to overcome mental health
disease. Improvement in human functioning involves curiosity about
one’s behavior, intentionality (being about something) and
being attuned to one's motivations, objectives and goals -- in other
words making the right choices each time you’re afforded the
opportunity.
Through our life coaching sessions, you will learn to see life's
possibilities, as well as life's obstacles, in a new light and gain new
perspectives on how to achieve your goals. You'll also learn ways to
identify negative thoughts that may have caused you past difficulties.
As a result of our sessions, you will understand how to re-frame
negative or destructive thoughts and make needed changes to define how
you want
your life to be. Life coaching can help you adopt -- with greater
confidence and renewed spirit -- appropriate thinking and resulting
behaviors that are consistent with your intentions. In the process, you
can gain a better understanding of yourself, greater self-confidence
and a more hopeful appreciation of life's possibilities.
For an excellent article about life changes, please click here. In addition, you may view a brief video featuring Ann McIntosh, where you can find out more about her therapeutic style.
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Calming Stress
Stress, a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances, inevitably exists at the wellspring of problems we often find so difficult to deal with in our daily lives. Situations beyond our control nurture it: the threat of terrorism; controversial, endless war; political stalemate that leaves us feeling helpless and unheard, and worldwide fiscal difficulties that strike at the very foundations of our financial security and leave us vulnerable to frightening, unavoidable consequences.
To ignore the effects of these stressors is to embrace enormous risk. But we have within ourselves the power to fight back with active steps and give our minds the opportunity to experience tranquility for at least a few minutes a day. While that may not seem like much, the result is to function better when confronted with situations we can effect.
Exercise and good nutrition, conflict-free interactions with friends and loved ones, practices such as prayer, yoga and meditation in a disciplined, structured form, or simply by listening to a soothing media rendition can provide an internal defense against external pressures.
Most aspects of life exist on a continuum with polar-opposite extremes: all or nothing, black and white, good and bad, happy and sad, love and indifference, like and hate. When we are stressed, feeling anxious, or struggling with a depressive mood, our thinking tends to focus on these absolutes. The result is that we concentrate on why our behavior creates a trying situation rather than how the behavior works for us. With very few exceptions, we only do what we choose to do. The key is to give ourselves the time and space to choose healthy alternatives, and on the middle ground we can find a myriad of options.
Emotions are usually either absent from our consideration or too present in the equation. Feelings never have an IQ. They are neither good nor bad, but they must be honored lest we spend negative energy struggling to keep them at bay. They float in and out of our consciousness and can wreak havoc on our lives if, when confronted with a stressful situation, we permit emotions to dominate our behavior.
Fortunately, our bodies gift us with warning signs, such as an upset stomach, a lump in the throat, a tight chest and racing heart. These internal reactions to stress occur long before the brain catches up. And when they do, we can learn to function out of thought and respond with four questions: What just happened? Who said what? What am I feeling? What am I thinking? The reward is greater inner peace and expanded confidence in negotiating our complex world.
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Contact us for more information
Please note: This form is for new and prospective clients only. Existing clients or vendors: Please call (512) 306-9992 and leave a confidential voice mail. This form is not appropriate for cancellations, changes or solicitations. Thanks very much for your cooperation.
New or prospective clients: You may call (512) 306-9992, or send this quick form. Please be assured that all
information will be held in strictest confidence.
During a business week, we will contact you within 24 hours
after receiving your inquiry. We respond to weekend inquiries during
the following business week. Due to the nature of the Internet, we do not counsel clients by e-mail. Working with you in person is the best way to help you achieve your goals.
Space is somewhat limited on the form to the right. It's best to summarize, using brief sentences or phrases. We can communicate more fully when we return your inquiry by telephone.
Thank you for your interest in our services. We look forward to receiving your inquiry.
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