In the world of education, I quickly learned that many of my students' struggles were rooted in or exacerbated by challenges outside of the classroom content. This led me to mentor students in their homes, helping them develop structure, guidance, and confidence while collaborating with their parents to foster nurturing and productive engagement.

Medicine further reinforced the importance of understanding a person’s full life context when providing care—particularly in complex and intimate situations like end-of-life care. Often people are struggling with much more than the logistics of managing their chief complaint - they have worries, fears, and hopes about how what brought them into the office fits into the broader picture of their lives.

During my time in the corporate world, I experienced firsthand the pressures of managing multiple stressors—career progression, office politics, and constantly honing professional skills. It was a balancing act between doing well at your job and reflecting on bigger questions like how much of your life you want to dedicate to work, or whether you're truly happy in your role. These challenges can be overwhelming, and I often found myself mentoring colleagues on navigating these complexities, helping them find the right work-life balance, mentorship, and clarity about their professional paths.

What's connected all of these roles for me is the ability to combine empathy, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving in a holistic way. I'm currently bringing those skills to my work as a therapeutic coach helping clients understand the root causes of issues that might be holding someone back, whether they are academic, professional, or emotional in nature.