As a therapeutic life & leadership coach, I facilitate self-discovery in my clients, who then experience greater confidence, clarity, direction and purpose in work and life.

I do this through deep listening, provocative questions, insightful observations, and an invitation to action. Sometimes my coaching includes “parts work” or body-focused stress management.

Are you a unicorn, oddball, or “only”? 👽🦄 You’re my people!

The unicorns, oddballs, and “onlys” I work with are:

  • The only BIPOC, woman, LGBTQI, or young person on their team
  • Gifted, high-IQ, 2e, or neurodivergent
  • Highly creative (in non-creative environments)
  • First generation professional, immigrant, or “class migrant”
  • Personality outlier (in their team, organization, or profession)
  • Someone who senses there’s something very wrong with humanity or this world
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I’ve helped them:

  • Find a more fulfilling role, career, or identity
  • Reduce stress, overwhelm, and emotional volatility
  • Communicate better with a difficult boss, peer, report, or other human
  • Gain trust in their decisions and intuitions
  • Exude confidence, authenticity, or leadership presence
  • Balance personal needs with team goals (or boss demands)
  • Speak up more assertively or exert influence
  • Heal outdated relational patterns and “bad” habits

I coach individuals, leaders, and individual contributors.

Leadership & Workplace Coaching

After coaching, my clients report improved team relationships and productivity, greater clarity and confidence, more effective decision making and “leading the way [they] always imagined.”

Life Coaching

Craving more confidence and clarity, struggling with a tough decision or anxious about an important conversation?

Trauma-Informed Coaching

Trauma informed coaching is better coaching, especially now. I teach, train, and develop coaches to be trauma informed, and more effective with all clients.

Mentor Coaching (For Coaches)

Mentor coaching combines my love of coaching with my love of teaching, so my mentees benefit from two of my superpowers!

What makes me different from other coaches?

  • Certified Professional Coach (CPC) since 2014, with 125+ hours of coach training.
  • Credentialed by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) since 2016.
  • Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with 1000+ hours of coaching experience working with 300+ clients in multiple industries and roles.
  • Trauma-informed somatic practitioner
  • 80 hours of training in Parts Work (based on Internal Family Systems), including 48 CCEs.
  • Multi-identitied
  • Neurodivergent, wholebrained, gifted, sensitive
  • Intellectual, emotional, intuitive and somatic (body).
  • Diverse, unusual work history, as well as leadership experience (read more about me.)
  • 30 years of experience in diversity, equity, inclusion, race and identity, as well as a long commitment to social justice. LGBTQIA+-informed.
  • Comfortable discussing and working with spirituality and religion.

What people are saying about my coaching

I’m now leading the way I always envisioned, because of the tools I learned from working with you. My team has gelled and I’m confident in their ability to handle our high-stakes projects while I’m out on leave. I even look forward to our staff meetings! I now own more of the conversation with my boss and take the initiative with my peers in my areas of expertise – even though I’m the youngest leader. Your coaching me has benefitted them in ways they’ll never know!

Cathryn O’Malley, MBAAdministrative Director, Organizational Effectiveness and Transformation - Akron Children’s Hospital

The best part of working with Susana was she provided me with a focused and strategic approach to coaching, building leadership, restructuring business operations for an effective result, navigating conversations and work initiatives to make considerations for diversity, equity and inclusion. Susana was my "thought partner" and worked with me on SMARTIE Goals, and provided much needed direction/coaching in a hostile work environment. She deserves much more praise and thank than I can ever give her!! Susana is what the world needs and I was truly blessed that my employer found her and I was able to have time to learn from her. She is invaluable.

Arleicka ConleySection Director, Finance and Accounting - Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)

Coaching built my confidence that people do want to hear from me and value my opinion, and that doing so makes the company better. You brought insights that hit home in a way that became a permanent part of me, and I have already shared these perspectives with others. This allows me to coach others more effectively! You’re the perfect balance of guiding self-examination, providing direct insights and holding me accountable on actions.

Matt TurnsManager; Planning, Programs & Analytics - Chevron, Global Diversity

I was fortunate to have Susana as my coach for 3 years, and my life transformed during that time. She never tried to be my therapist or the ‘expert’, she only served as my guide as I explored very tender parts of myself. However, I got more out of our first year of coaching than I did from years of therapy. Her commitment to allowing me to have my own journey while gently calling things to my attention was a gift. She worked to understand me and what I needed and was so supportive without being intrusive. Now my life is the best it’s ever been … and I could never done it without Susana as my guide.

Holly Chartrand

Susana is an excellent coach and an incredible listener. She never led me to the answers and was always very thoughtful in her approach. She would always ask, "May I offer something?" when I couldn't quite verbalize something myself, and I always accepted because I trusted her analysis of the situation. I had a variety of breakthroughs working with her. She showed empathy, offered a range of modalities to work through, and used visuals to communicate ideas. Susana, keep listening as you do - it really is a strength that not everyone possesses. Keep sharing your energy as it definitely rubs off!

Maria Antonia HernandezProduct Operations - Automattic

I think you are an incredible human and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with you. I gained the confidence in myself to know that I can trust my gut, I'm not completely incompetent, and I generally know what I'm doing. You have had such a profound impact on my life in so many ways - not just with my leadership.

Kristin Halverson, NBCTLead Curriculum Designer, Education to the Core

Susana helped me work through larger things: Did I need to fundamentally change myself and my leadership? Or did I need to accept and celebrate who I am, and my natural leadership style? She also helped me come up with sustainable solutions and strategies for day-to-day issues. Being from a country where people are reserved with positive feedback, Susana's enthusiastic praise was refreshingly welcome and reinforced the progress we made together.

Tamsin Bicknell-MorelConsultant Midwife - Homerton Healthcare, UK

Susana is very forthcoming with praise, which works very well for me. Because she's a truly skilled listener, she's a driving force behind my recent personal and professional growth after a period of acute mental illness. There were some aspects of my personality that I was afraid to show in coaching, but letting them out proved to be deeply beneficial. She helped me feel safe doing that.

Emmett ButlerDirector of Engineering - Automattic

Before our sessions, I would have been quick to acquiesce. I do speak up more now -- I know my opinion and my plan. I'm standing and answering. I'm allowing myself to stand naked, and not back away.

white male, design engineer & team lead - tech company

Susana’s experience enables her to get to the root of the matter quickly without you feeling shoved or pushed. She demonstrates superb listening and empathy skills to support your work. And she is clear that it is the client’s work. I was so happy that she followed up in a timely manner — that helped me keep myself accountable as well.

Jillian GonzalesManager, Workforce Education and Development - TriCore Reference Laboratories

The best part about working with Susana was being able to talk openly and honestly and work through my crazy brain! She was a great sounding board for things and helped me really work through them with work and personal subjects. I also really liked her style and when she would put on her mentor hat for me - it was helpful to hear from someone so experienced of how to handle situations and learn from that.

Krista O'MalleyAssociate Director, Office Development & Management - Freshly

My problems are still there, but I learned how to handle them better. In coaching, I was able to say things out loud and get the perfect questions to get a different way of thinking! In just 10 sessions, I'm a better version of me.

European male, software engineer - tech company

Susana’s coaching has hugely impacted me in my own experience of clarity and authenticity, and amplified my ability to make the impact and create the results I want. She is highly intuitive, graceful in her skills and has a depth of experience, perspective and context to bring to the coaching situation. I highly recommend her as your coach to be better positioned to get the results you care about and are committed to.

Primitivo Rojas-Cheatham, MPHTraining Manager, Business Operations - BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

I had no one else to talk to. It was nice having a third party with no stake that actually listened. Letting things out is such a relief of pressure in my head, and my body feels it too. It’s new to sit down and talk about stuff. I used to always keep it in.

white male manager, finance - manufacturing company

Your keen and supportive conversation has shifted mountains for me! I moved from feeling alone and sorry for myself to ignited and inspired – you are incredible at doing this! Your ability to see what’s needed to be said in the moment not only provided deep insight but I am now in action and miles away from the struggles I felt. Instead of pity for myself and ‘being stuck’ I’m determined to fail quickly and not make it mean anything about who I am or my abilities.

Chris MontoyaSelf-Discovery, Change & Adult Education Consultant - Catalyst Workshops

Ready to explore working together?

Contact me now to schedule a complimentary “Chemistry Call.”

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