Making clients laugh. Giving them space to cry. That’s when I love about coaching.
And when either happen, I know it is working (especially when both happen in the same session!)
Coaching is a deeply personal process. As a coach, I’m honored when clients share their fears, frustrations, and the thoughts that keep them stuck.
One of my colleagues calls it “head trash.” We all have it—especially the fear of failure or rejection. It’s not a flaw; it’s part of being human.
And lawyers tend to struggle more than most. As a group, we score lower on resilience and higher on skepticism and pessimism. Vulnerability can feel risky—like a sign of weakness.
Yet it’s exactly this vulnerability that leads to growth.
Many lawyers work in environments where praise is scarce and criticism is the norm. Supervisors may not be trained to give constructive feedback—or to inspire.
And for those attorneys who are in leadership roles, it can also feel unsafe to confide in anyone. When you are a leader, you are expected to have all the answers. That can feel isolating.
But when you’re at the top, you still have questions—sometimes ones you don’t want to ask the people who report to you.
That’s why coaching matters. I work not only with associates and partners navigating their career paths, trying to find comfortable ways to sell their legal services, but also with managing partners, general counsel, and senior leaders who need a place to think out loud.
Coaching provides a confidential space to ask the “stupid” questions, work through tough decisions, and process what’s really going on beneath the surface.
As another one of my coaching friends said, it’s not therapy, but it’s therapeutic.
I’m grateful to the clients who trust me to help them examine their assumptions, clarify what’s getting in their way, and take steps toward more meaningful and fulfilling careers.
When laughter or tears show up in a session, I know we’re tapping into something real.
To all the lawyers who have let me into that space: thank you. Your courage and honesty are the reason I love what I do.