Biography of Coach Karen:

Personal growth has always fascinated me. Whether I am in my??kayak, working an emotional issue in my own life, or helping??someone with a life-altering situation, I want to give my BEST.

To help me do that in the psychological realm, I???ve explored a variety??of ???cutting- edge??? self improvement technologies, rather than follow??traditional academic training. The ones I have studied seriously are:

• The Mastery (Scotland)
• Empowerment Teacher???s Training (New York)
• Hoffman Quadrinity Process (Toronto)
• Process-Oriented Psychology (Switzerland)
• Reiki Training (Scotland)
• Yoga Teacher???s Training (Toronto)
• Mindfulness Meditation (France)
• Insight Training (Scotland)
• Focussing (In training now)

This intensive learning has given me lots of tools to coach with,??Providing significant resources for different people and situations.

Even though I graduated from York University with a Psychology??degree, I was far more interested in creating change. Vice President??of the student body for 2 years, I was instrumental in creating several??socio-political programs to make student life better.

After university, I continued my commitment to be a ???force for good???,??by working as a social worker. Its gift to me was a decade of??experience in coaching people on a wide variety of problems.

At that time, I explored my own psychotherapy and found myself??interested in techniques that were quick and easily self-administered.

In my early thirties, I moved to Scotland to live at Findhorn, an International organization dedicated to developing alternative environmental and healing technologies. While I was there, I??organized conferences which involved such notables as Sir??Laurens Van der Post and Caroline Myss.

Fascinated with people who made a difference in the world, I??returned to Canada and began writing articles and books with that??theme. As well as The Findhorn Book of Everyday Abundance, I have??written 3 novels:

The Wisdom of Water

Tree Fever

Flying Lessons

I also have a CD entitled Inner Peace. All my books and CD???s are listed on my website: www.personalbest.org

The Globe and Mail called my last novel ???a hymn to nature??? and I??was featured on the CBC, Canada???s renowned radio station. During??this time, I was nominated for a YWCA ???Woman of Distinction Award?????for being a ???Champion of the Environment???.

Meanwhile, I worked as a psychotherapist and offered workshops in??self-actualization. I believe my work has been successful because:

• I am courageous enough to dig for what truly matters. Who wants to create a life that doesn???t stir one???s soul?
• I work hard to build inner confidence so a person CAN go for what they want.
• I expand a person???s vision of what???s possible.
• I deeply respect how each person does their lives. It???s always ???your way???, but with more skills and confidence.
• I foster autonomy by teaching tools for self-regulation.

In brief, you might see me as self-taught, but really I???ve been taught by the greatest teacher of all???Life. Now, I can truly say, I am living the life that I love. You can do that too. If you want to find out how, contact me: caddy@muskoka.com Blessings to you all.