FAQs
WHAT WILL COACHING DO FOR ME?
Do you ever wish you had someone to listen - really listen - to you? Do you ever wish there was someone you could talk to who wouldn't judge or gossip behind your back? Do you wish you had someone who wouldn't jump in on your story and tell you what they would do if they were you? Do you want space to explore your own desires and plans? Do you need help setting goals or finding paths through tangled branches to reach goals you put on hold? Do you need an accountability partner who will gently hold your hand while keeping your feet to the fire as she helps you set and accomplish your desires?
Coaching gives you that!
WHAT IS MY ROLE IN COACHING?
Coaching is a beautiful partnership, like a dance, between client and coach. Sometimes we will up the tempo and move quickly with hearts beating in excitement. Other times we will sway gently and discover new, quieter rhythms.
In either case, your role is to be open and honest with your coach and trust the coaching process. Remember, coaching is confidential, and like any partnership, openness and honesty are vital to building our relationship and moving you ahead with a positive mindset. If you have questions or are experiencing obstacles or pressure points, you should let your coach know. When you have a win or a breakthrough (We call these "Ah-Ha!" Moments) sharing them with your coach is always fun too!
Coaching is a safe space where you don't have to conform or be anyone else. Unlike in so many other areas of your life, there is no pressure to perform in coaching. Even if you are not sure of who you are anymore, coaching is a place to let your hair down and learn about ourself in a fun, safe, and free environment! Coaching is exploratory. You are not expected to have all the answers. In fact, if you do, your coach needs to ask deeper questions! Instead of having all the answers, it is hoped that you will explore all possibilities.
WHAT IS MY COACH'S ROLE?
As a professional coach, my job is to be an open minded, curious listener. I am trained to pick up nuances in your voice and hear things you may gloss over without realizing it. I take what I hear and form powerful questions to help you see things you would otherwise miss. Sometimes questioning comes in the form of lighthearted, playful exploration. Other times it is serious, introspective, and challenging.
Our conversations are held with the intention of moving you ahead. Coaching does not meander aimlessly through your past or militantly dictate what you should do with your present. Coaching looks back occasionally, but it is primarily future oriented.
WHO IS LIFE COACHING FOR?
Life coaching is not for individuals in the midst of trauma. It is for basically healthy women who want to learn more about themselves or who want to move ahead in some area but are stuck.
Often coaching clients are either at a stand still and mired down by details or overwhelmed and running in so many directions they spin in endless circles. Either way, they aren't getting what they hope for out of life. They either have a goal but can't see a path to attain it or they get so bogged down in details of the journey they can't define a destination. Some have been serving others so long they forgot they too have a unique purpose. Some need permission and reassurance that it's okay to pursue God's plan for them. Every woman's situation, reasons, and goals is different. Coaching honors those differences while providing a path ahead.
As a life coach, I work with women who want more than the status quo. They are ready, willing, and able to look inside themselves and outside their comfort zones for answers. They are willing to be curiously introspective and open to new possibilities. Life coaching is not a substitute for counseling, and I am not here to “fix” your problems. We are here to work together to empower you to find the beauty of your situation and use it to achieve your goals – big difference!
WILL I BENEFIT FROM LIFE COACHING?
If you recognize the need for change, if you are looking for something, even if you aren’t sure what something is, if you are willing to look within yourself for answers rather than wait to be told what to do, how to act, or what to think, if you are ready to stop finger pointing, whining, and playing a victim, if you are open to change and willing to explore options, if you will be honest with yourself and your coach and are ready to make a commitment in time, finances, energy, and focus, then life coaching provides results faster than muddling through on your own. I also have 7-12 math teaching certification and can provide statistics if you're into the numbers side of this too! 🙂
WILL COACHING OVERWHELM MY BUSY SCHEDULE?
Coaching is a partnership centered around your desires and authentic self, things many women lose sight of after years of serving others. The client-coach partnership is based on mutual trust and respect. It builds on what is best for you by setting realistic goals in a plan to achieve your desires.
Complicating your life or adding to your busy-ness does not make for a good partnership. Coaches do not dictate assignments the way a high school teacher would. You set the pace and assign yourself homework that is attainable and relevant to your desires and your lifestyle.
I often recommend three session a month instead of four to give clients time to work on goals and breath. Coaching is fun, but meeting every week can be a lot. Having one week "off" where you still work on goals but do not meet with your coach, gives you time to catch up on tasks that may have been too ambitiously set or begin thinking about next steps. At the same time, one week off prevents you from losing momentum as some do when they take more time away from coaching.
Whether you decide to meet your coach every week or choose a more spaced out plan is up to you. You always set the pace so coaching so it does not become just one more thing to add to your to-do list. Coaching should never be overwhelming. It be something you look forward to!
READY TO BEGIN?
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WHAT IS THE EMBRACING VICTORY PROGRAM?
Struggle cannot be compartmentalized into neat little boxes. It pervades all areas of life. When we struggle with finances, it affects our marriages. When we struggle with self worth, it affects our parenting. When we struggle with time management, it affects our job performance. When we struggle with anything, we tend to struggle with everything. "Fixing" one issue won't deliver rainbows and roses for the rest of our days.
Strahlen Grace's Victory Program doesn't try to "fix" anything. Instead, it provides a plan proven to train and strengthen you to face any struggle with courage, beauty, and grace. While other coaching programs focus on one particular issue (Marriage coaching, parenting coaching, financial coaching, health coaching, and so on), Strahlen Grace coaching joins women in the recognition that our common bond is not the struggle but our strength and the value each struggle gives when we embrace it.
When you join, you have access to the nine modules of Embracing Victory, which is specifically designed to take you from struggle and setback to strength and serenity. Each module contains pdf's to complete, reading material, inspirational quotes, and links to powerful resources and stories of other inspirational overcomers. Each module also includes a video to walk you through the purpose of the module. Each module is designed to take about one week, but you walk through them at your pace. Some modules take more time for those in deep discovery mode. You may also find revisiting modules helpful as new, unplanned obstacles appear in your path.
One of the best aspects of this program is the amazing community of like-minded women building friendships and partnerships that encourage and support each other and individual goals. Should you become stuck or need encouragement, you can often find both in the community. In addition, live, group coaching sessions are held twice a month to help move you ahead! And of course, Coach Kerri frequently checks in with the community to help support, encourage, and hold you accountable between those coaching sessions.
Like anything, the more you put into your program, the more you get out of it! I hope you go all in!
If you are interested in this program, please let me know here.
WHO IS THE EMBRACING VICTORY COMMUNITY FOR?
We were not created to be alone, and women crave connection especially in these isolating times. Connection through the Strahlen Grace Coaching Community and a solid plan for strength and serenity are an integral part of your Embracing Victory program and are included at no additional charge when you register.
Whether you are a new mom or have never had children, whether you are struggling in a challenging Marriage or working through a difficult divorce, whether you are overwhelmed by your weight or feel buried under the load you carry at home, whether you struggle financially or are looking to advance your career, the women of Embracing Victory help you unpack the thoughts that got you where you are and gives you tools to get you out of your comfort zone.
If you are past trauma and ready to retrain mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, this program is for you. If you want to explore goals that aren't quite clear or that you may be afraid to voice, this program is for you! If you want a community of like-minded women who don't pretend to have it all together but who are embracing the opportunity to find genuine empowerment, this program is for you! If you want a plan to move you through your struggle and share your stumbles and successes with sisters who empathize but don't excuse, this is for you!
If you are interested in this program, please let me know here.
HOW DOES FINANCIAL COACHING WORK?
Money can be a tricky subject to talk about so many people avoid talking about it altogether, but that's not healthy. Through financial coaching, you learn to recognize damaging financial patterns that have been passed on to you. Maybe you spend too much. Maybe you are too tight with your money and can relax your grip on your finances a bit. Maybe you haven't set financial goals because you've been too afraid of what seeing the numbers in print will show about your future.
Financial coaching gives you a safe space to explore your goals and work your plan to make them come true no matter where you are financially. Through coaching, you learn to plan for the unexpected so setbacks don't derail your forward momentum. Most importantly, you discover firsthand how applying the principles of donating, saving, and spending bring peace of mind, security, and financial freedom.
While individual coaching is confidential and can be privately booked with Kerri below, group coaching is a fun experience where you join other women on a mission to develop a fully funded emergency fund, pay off debt, and go full steam ahead into some really cool projects. You'll see that once you get started, you pick up steam and are encouraged by the team of other women also hitting goals and overcoming financial hurdles. Learning you can quickly tame your finances and make your money do what you want it to do is where great fun begins!
HOW DOES INDIVIDUAL LIFE COACHING WORK?
Individual coaching is for women who want to move ahead rapidly or who need a particular boost in an area of struggle and are ready, willing, and able to make a significant investment of time, finances, and energy into their goals. Generally sessions run the first three weeks of each month and last about 45 minutes.
During your session, you have my full attention and you set the agenda. Through powerful, targeted questioning we explore what is most important to you. I help you see the path and all its beautiful twists and turns. I work with you to confidentially explore your goals and celebrate your achievements. We become partners as you overcome obstacles and lay steps to attain your desires. Together we design assignments and accountability measures so you are never overwhelmed or asked to reach too far out of your comfort zone.
Every woman is unique, and I tailor individual coaching to meet your special needs. Because of this extra attention to detail, I limit the number of clients I accept for one-on-one coaching. If you are interested in individual coaching, please let me know here.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE RESULTS?
Coaching and the Embracing Victory program both move ahead at your pace with the understanding that real change takes time. Progress depends on you, your particular struggles and goals, and how comfortable you are pushing past them. Most women begin to see results quickly, but it took a lifetime to get to where you are. Coaching is not intended to cure that in a few short sessions or at all. It is intended to help you see life and yourself differently and to make real lasting changes that stick no matter what struggle arises in the future.
Individual coaching typically follows a pattern where we learn to dance together and develop a relationship of trust and confidence in the first few sessions. These are followed by break throughs and progress. It's normal to see periods of steady growth followed by giant leaps in understanding or action. Sometimes, clients hit a lull a few sessions in. Breaking through that lull often opens up great progress! Many of my clients enjoy coaching so much they sign up to work on new dreams after original goals have been reached!
My group coaching programs, such as Embracing Victory, come from years of research and experience working with women to overcome hardship and live life better. Because the programs are self-paced, results are highly dependent on how you invest in yourself and how you approach each module. Rushing through modules quickly may check boxes off lists, but moving slowly and thoughtfully through modules often provides more in depth and lasting results. Twice monthly coaching sessions are available to help you if you feel you have been "stuck" on one particular module for too long.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE COACHING AND OTHER HELPING PROFESSIONS?
Life coaching is very similar to and very different from other helping professions.
In brief, counseling, explores your past. It is backward looking and problem focused while coaching is forward seeking and progress focused. Consulting involves a professional who is trained in one area of expertise who tells you how to run your business or, in this case, your life. Coaching believes no one has more hidden expertise on how to live your life than you. I do not tell you what to do with your life. Instead, I help you explore possibilities, try new things, learn from your success and failures (don't be afraid of them!), and train to become an expert in your own life. Mentoring allows you to learn by following someone you hope to become like. In coaching, I do not want you to learn to be like me. You have to be you! In coaching, you learn from you. You learn to be a leader in your own life and to become your most beautiful, authentic self!
DO I HAVE TO BE A CHRISTIAN TO PARTICIPATE IN STRAHLEN GRACE COACHING?
Nope! I work with Christians and non-Christians alike and am continuously delighted by successes across the board!
I recognize that each of us has to come to the Lord in our own time and in our own way. I am a Catholic who found great value in non-denominational and other Christian churches, but it took me almost 40 years to achieve the faith I have now and I would not want to push my faith on anyone. Forced faith is false faith, and that’s never what I want.
Coaching is about making you feel comfortable while pushing you to discover you and attain your goals! That can only be done if you are at ease. I hope you always feel safe and secure in our relationship and share how you feel about our sessions. We are all learning every day and I want to learn and do better too!
WHAT ARE YOUR CREDENTIALS FOR LIFE COACHING?
In addition to a whole heap of life experience, I’ve been working with women in difficult situations in person and through my blog, Single Mom Smiling, since 2009. You want to hire a coach who is caring, trustworthy, and well trained. Many will tell you I am all three, but the best way for you to discover this is to see for yourself!
As far as training…I have dual coach certification in both financial coaching and life coaching. I completed my Dave Ramsey Master Financial Coach certification coursework through his coaching program and completed my life coaching certification through the Professional Christian Coaching Institute. I attained ACC certification from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), which holds the highest standards of voluntary coaching certification in the world. I also use Masters in Education/Curriculum Development and my experience teaching kindergarten through community college to devlop course materials.
HOW CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?
I am so glad you asked! You can register for coaching using the button below or inquire here.