Invest in You

I invite you to give me a call if you're ever curious about my coaching! I NEVER pressure people. Being honest and straightforward are two of my key personal values, so if you call me and say, "I'm swimming in piles of lost papers," I won't try to convince you that you need coaching – I'll refer you to a personal organizer.

For a truly no-pressure, honest discussion of the kind of coaching I offer, I invite you to give me a call.

Melissa – 847•804•3200

Inner Work, Your Way.

Life coaching is about you. You becoming more clear about what is right for you, in every aspect of your life. That includes our work together. Within the limits of my availability, I offer as much freedom as I can, for you to design exactly how you want to work with me.

Want to meet every three weeks for 1.5 hours?  Want to talk on the phone some weeks, and use FaceTime other weeks? Want to schedule a half-hour phone call from time to time? Whatever suits your schedule, budget, and goals, I do my best to make it happen!

How are you able to schedule clients in this way?

I only offer around four client sessions a week. The maximum number of sessions I schedule per day is two.

Because my practice is so small, I am able to make a clear commitment in time and energy to each person who chooses to work with me. To the best of my ability, I allow time at the end of sessions, so that if extra time is needed, it’s available to make the discoveries your core Self is longing to unfold. Extra time is pro-rated at our usual rate.

About my practice

I am fiercely, single-mindedly committed to my own self-transformation. I’m on a quest to complete 10,000 hours of IFS on myself. After 22 years of practicing IFS, I’m completed a little over 7,000 hours of IFS work on myself.

If 52 hours represents an average rate of personal change per year (an hour of therapy a week), that means I’ve completed a little over 134 years’ worth of IFS on myself.

The more inner work I do on myself, the better I am at guiding my clients to do their own inner work.

Around 2020, my commitment to my personal IFS work increased dramatically. I now average about 15 hours of IFS work, on myself, per week. I do this inner work by myself (14+ hours a week), with my therapist Klaus Boettcher (1.5 hours bimonthly), and in my authentic movement group once a month. It averages out to over 780 hours of IFS on myself per year. Compared to someone going to therapy once a week (52 hours a year), this is like doing 15 years of therapy every year.

The intensity of my personal practice is the reason I maintain such a small coaching practice. I’ve found that on an energetic level, I have to remain at a weekly level of about 18-20 hours of IFS work total (my own work and my work with clients, combined).

Understandably, I need a LOT of time to recover from and integrate the work I do on myself. By honoring my energetic limits, I’m able to be fully present both to my own transformation, and to the transformation of my clients!

I only work with clients who specifically want to use IFS. If you’re not sure IFS is for you, but are interested, I still invite you to call.

Do you take insurance?

I do not take insurance. Coaches do not take insurance; therapists do. If you are looking for someone who takes insurance, you can find IFS practitioners who do here.

Workshops

I finally have some workshops and small groups— so I invite you to click this link and check them out! For updates, sign up for my newsletter below!

Low cost finger puppets workshop, Wednesday Oct. 23 11 am CST - 12:30 pm CST ($25)

Are you accepting new clients at this time?

As of April, 2024: I currently have one space available for ongoing weekly sessions at my executive coaching rate.

I have also preserved space for occasional sessions! If you are seeking someone who is HIGHLY trained and experienced in IFS, but you already have a weekly practitioner (or are not seeking weekly support), I invite you to call to see if I might be a good fit as a monthly or every-now-and-then IFS expert practitioner.

When my practice is full, I keep a wait list. Even if I’m not accepting new clients, I warmly invite you to call to learn more—I’m happy to help with referrals as well.

I also offer IFS coaching for IFS practitioners / coaches, and guidance on advanced topics in IFS.

Where does coaching take place?

  • Mostly on the phone or online, but in-person sessions in Chicago are also possible (near Lawrence/Kedzie)

  • Phone

  • FaceTime / Zoom / Skype

  • I’m in the Central Time Zone, in Chicago, and able to accommodate sessions anywhere!

What are your rates?

Because I have extremely limited availability, I have a tiered rate structure. As one tier fills, I open up the next tier.
Currently I have one or two ongoing IFS coaching spaces available in my executive coaching tier.

Small Groups

I have been guided to offer Deep Magic Groups — exquisitely small coaching support groups for a maximum of 3 people.