Coach Spotlight on… Roxanne Howe-Murphy, Ed.D. roxanne@lifewisecoaching.com LifeWise Learning Institute How did you discover coaching? I had been teaching at the university level for about 15 years in an interdisciplinary area that has come to known as positive psychology/wellness/applied philosophy and leadership. I decided to leave full-time teaching because I felt a constant pull to live my life "from the inside-out" and that meant that some life changes were needed. As an independent, I starting consulting and giving workshops on leadership, wellness, communications and relationships, but they didn't really feel on track. I was talking with a friend and colleague, and she said, "Roxanne, why don't you become a coach? That's what you do anyway!" I didn't know what coaching was, so I started exploring it, and discovered that she was right—my basic approach to life was very aligned with coaching philosophy and processes. I realized that I naturally incorporated a coaching process into my teaching, and I was already very familiar with life and leadership issues. What personal growth work did you do to help you become successful as a coach? I began consciously working on my self-growth long before I became a coach. In the mid-80's, I went through a difficult time, and that's when I started looking deeper inside. I worked with a wonderful Zen teacher for some time, who helped me begin to take responsibility for my path. I read constantly (some might say "ad nauseum"), took retreats and classes with authentic teachers like Stephen Levine, Ram Dass, Cheri Huber and others, and became involved in spirituality in the workplace activities. But it was through the exploration of the Enneagram that I experienced my greatest transformations. And that continues to this day. I have been fortunate to be involved in extensive study with two extraordinary teachers/authors/researchers in the field, Don Riso and Russ Hudson. What coach training have you had? Because of my extensive background in working with people one-on-one and in groups through my teaching (and previous experience working in rehabilitation), I decided I wanted to learn more business-oriented models,so I graduated from Corporate Coach U. I became certified as a Speaking Circle facilitator, and as a Riso-Hudson Enneagram teacher, both of which have greatly influenced my coaching. Who has coached you? I've enjoyed extended formal coaching relationships with two coaches: Jan Marie Dore coached me in building my business, and Joel Rothaizer was instrumental in coaching me on important personal dynamics. And, I'm fortunate to have a number of phenomenal coaches in my personal/professional circle. We often support one another through informal coaching. Do you have a coaching specialty/niche? I have 3 coaching niches: - Enneagram coaching
— I'm very fortunate to direct the Enneagram Institute of the San Francisco Bay Area, which is an affiliate of the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Institute - Coaching and transformational
retreats for midlife women - Executive coaching,
primarily with leaders in nonprofit, and other mission-oriented organizations - While I don't consider it
a formal niche, I frequently coach "coaches-in-training"
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