Question 1

What is the difference between a life coach and a therapist?

Accepted Answer

LIFE COACHING
A certified life coach helps their clients to see beyond worry, distraction, fear, anxiety, and confusion. Alchemizing timeless wisdom into a practical individualized plan of action for a life well-lived – moment-to-moment – and empower others to do the same.
Coaching outcomes may include:
Developing and accomplishing meaningful goals 
Increasing emotional (EQ) and social intelligence (SI)
Working through day-to-day challenges at home and work
Doing hard things with purpose and presence
Disentangling from outmoded belief systems
Internalizing a growth mindset over a fixed mindset
Softening the impact of transitions and unknowns 
Leading with one’s unique value and verve
Navigating a messy world with skillful means
Retraining the brain for resilience, agency, and awe

THERAPY
Therapy plays a vital role in promoting wellbeing as well. Focusing more on: 
Addressing emotional distress, internal trauma, and mental health issues
Processing emotions, trials, tribulations, and unmet needs
Developing healthy coping mechanisms for positive change
In summary, coaching is about brain training, setting and achieving internal and external goals, while therapy is about delving into and healing emotional/psychological challenges.  
Soul Essent Life Coaching with Laurie Clemans provides leadership and life coaching sessions and tools to help you manage life’s everchanging landscape with more vitality, wisdom, confidence, and equanimity – in the face of all. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, ease, and peace of mind.

Question 2

My mind ’ s all over the place. How do I get grounded?

Accepted Answer

We are celebrated for multitasking and setting extreme goals. Once achieved, we set more. We’ve forgot tenor never learned how to bring ourselves into the present moment and experience mindful awareness.There are a wealth of grounding protocols, including meditation, breath and body work, sound healing, gratitude practice, music, movement ,art, and more.Belly Breathing is a simple practice for grounding into the present moment. When we are in a balanced state of being, our natural breath engages the diaphragm. The stomach rises and falls with ease, initiating a sense of calm and wellbeing.Resourced forlife

Question 3

Belly Breathing Practice

Accepted Answer

Rest on your back in a comfortable lying down position. Gently place your right hand on your lower belly and your left hand over your heart. Close your eyes.
Take a few normal breaths, observing the belly as it rises and falls.
Imagine softening the belly. Deepen your breathing. Notice how your body feels in this moment.
Breath in through your nose to a count of five. Hold your breath to a count of five. Release your breath through your mouth to a count of five. Repeat the series three times.
Rest in the lying down position. Notice sensations, shifts in your energy, the state of your mind and body after completing this practice. Are you more aware of the world around you? What sounds do you hear? Is your mind still? Is your body at ease?
Over time and with consistent practice, it becomes easier and easier to return to the world grounded and refreshed for whatever’s up.
Practice belly breathing when you first wake up, on the way to work, while preparing for a presentation, chopping vegetables, heading into a difficult conversation, etc.

Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans, as well as her Channeling and Meditation Practice, help you traverse life’s everchanging landscape equipped with wise, compassionate support, accountability, and your deepest knowing. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, discernment, courage, and a plan.

Question 4

How do I listen in ways that deepen connection, understanding, and trust?

Accepted Answer

We can choose to go deeper or stay in the shallow end. It all depends.
Level One Listening (first vault): Listening to speak. Not really listening to the content but rather waiting for the speaker and thinking about the next thing we want to say.
Level Two Listening (second vault): Listening to hear. Actively engaging with the speaker, intently listening to their stories, emotions, experience, and perspectives. 
Level Three Listening: (third vault): Listening to understand. Expressing curiosity and empathy. Asking questions that allow the speaker’s lived experience, feelings, and aliveness to come forth. This level is also referred to as “Embodied Listening”, interior listening, and whole body listening.

Michael, a colleague, leader, and worldclass human once asked me to take a walk on the beach and tell him all about myself. From the beginning! I was blown away and grateful to take part in a conversation that included more than my name, title, and college education. Then I asked him the same question, and we walked some more. Saw a whale or two. It was a great day.
It’s transformational and deeply satisfying to be witnessed and cared about. 
Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans, as well as her Channeling and Meditation Practice, provide authentic conversation, transformative tools, insights, and guidance that empower, calm, and heal. Allowing more ease navigating life’s everchanging landscape with equanimity, clarity, courage, and flow.

Question 5

How do I bring compassion and care to an uncertain world?

Accepted Answer

As we traverse rapid change and increasing polarization, we can draw on timeless wisdom from Jack Kornfield to steady our hearts and respond with conviction, compassion, and dignity:
Quiet your mind and tend to your heart when the world feels chaotic 
Transform anxiety and fear into imagination and hope
Remember your fundamental dignity and nobility in difficult moments 
Stand up for your values with courage and compassion 
Make yourself a light in the world, no matter what

Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans, as well as her Channeling and Meditation Practice, help you traverse life’s everchanging landscape with wisdom, grace, equanimity, and flow. Even in the darkest times, we can become beacons of light and loving awareness.

Question 6

How do I get out of my own way?

Accepted Answer

Ask questions with higher altitude:

What matters most right now?
How can I make each moment count?
Am I living a loving life?
Am I grateful for what I already have? 
What brings meaning and purpose?

Secret: Daily life is more workable when we come from the fullness of our being.
Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans, as well as her Channeling and Meditation Practice, help you traverse life’s everchanging landscape with wisdom, confidence, accountability, and equanimity. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, vitality, courage, and flow.

Question 7

Transitions are painful. How do we handle them with more grace and ease?

Accepted Answer

Transitions and life quakes can be painful, gooey, and dark. We are in shock when life falls apart, then we whine, worry, cry, avoid, throw fits, complain, grieve, and ball up in the corner. Understandable. And, normal. Transformation begins to occur when we take a beat and begin to uncover the upsides of the transition and ways to proceed. We can choose to cultivate generativity over stagnation. We reduce the transition’s impact by affirming new aspirations and intent, and creating a plan of action. Change is a given. We can loosen our grip and ride the wave to what’s unfolding now.

The Anatomy of a Transition
Long goodbye
Shock and lethargy
Riding all the emotions
Writing about our feelings 
Observing our minds
Nipping negative self-talk
Creating self-empowering rituals
Understanding that transitions take time 
Messy middle
Shedding habits that aren’t working
Singing, dancing, and playing while we figure things out
Embracing the unexpected
Wait for inspiration. Watch for it.
Fresh start
Imagine your life without limitations
Write three things you want to accomplish and explain why they are important to you
Convert your story into a redemptive journey toward a new path
Stay the course
Acknowledge yourself for your courage and resilience

Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans, as well as her Channeling and Meditation Practices, help you traverse life’s everchanging landscape with wisdom, confidence, and equanimity – equipped with wise, compassionate support, accountability, and your deepest knowing. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, vitality, courage, productivity, and a plan.

Question 8

How do I maintain a growth mindset over a fixed mindset when facing failure?

Accepted Answer

“Failure” can be reframed as an opportunity. In the moment, this concept is hard to swallow. But. hear me out.

Once we’ve kicked and screamed, we begin. To postmortem the situation by reassessing our goals, asking for help, creating a plan, and taking the first step. We are on our hero’s journey. Breathe. Be willing to open your heart and mind to the potential for internal and external growth. A growth mindset challenges us to point our minds in a new direction. Rather than steeping in blame, regret, fear, what if’s, or shame. It’s about spinning straw into gold. Use disappointment as a springboard to clarity, self-compassion, creativity, and agency.

Change comes with the human territory. It’s a given so we might as well get a few tools under our belt! The first step is to acknowledge what’s not working. Look for lessons learned. Determine areas for improvement. Try things a different way. Discover what others have done to right their ships. Focus on your daily, weekly, and monthly agendas – with a lighter touch and affirming actions. Celebrate small milestones to boost morale and honor the gifts you are here to share. 
To Create a Growth Mindset:
Acknowledge the situation
Be gentle with yourself
Articulate why it matters
Embrace learning and beginner’s mind
Refine goals
Seek feedback
Stay positive
Build resilience
Reflect and reset – regularly

Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans helps you traverse life’s everchanging landscape with wisdom, connection, and equanimity – equipped with wise, compassionate, productive support and your deepest knowing. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, vitality, accountability, courage, and flow.

Question 9

I’m resistant to change. How can life coaching help me?

Accepted Answer

A high stakes professional poker player, writer, and cat owner hired me to coach him on finishing his book and taking a leap of faith. Then he filled three sessions with naysaying, obfuscations, and humbuggery. I asked if he'd rather focus on negative self-talk or his desire to complete his first novel and pursue an acting career. He chose the latter. From then on, chapter by chapter, he began to develop his plot and characters, embellish their stories, and complete a first draft. He also connected with a local theater company and joined the cast of Pride and Prejudice. Life got richer. And, he still plays poker to fund his lifestyle, cat toys, and aspirations.

For each client, the path to change and transformation has its own hue. Yet, we the same in that we long for less strife and stress, more joy, love, and satisfaction.

Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans provides authentic conversations, transformative and productive tools, insight, and guidance that empower and heal. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, ease, vitality, courage, and flow.

Question 10

I’m an overachiever, juggling projects, tasks, people, and dinner. How do I decide what to focus on and when?

Accepted Answer

First get all the stuff out of your brain and onto a spreadsheet. Organize columns by personal and professional deadlines, tasks, goals, actions, and completion dates (stretch, short-term, long-term…), impact, and responsibilities. Indicate front burner items first. 
It’s a lot. But you already knew that.

Well-meaning, high-achieving people are edging toward exhaustion and losing focus around mental, physical, and relationship well-being. To rebalance and make better decisions, step back for a minute. What can you nix? Where does your true passion lie? What do you need to keep afloat and thrive? What's the cost if you continue as is? Ask for coaching support. Create a plan that incorporates realistic, kinder goals. Lean into balance for a healthier way of life.
Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans provides authentic conversation, transformative and productive tools, insight, and guidance that empower and heal. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, ease, vitality, accountability, courage, and flow.

Question 11

As a senior executive, I am not doing a great job at delegation. How can I lead more effectively with life coaching?

Accepted Answer

My coaching clients in leadership positions are highly capable, but sometimes don’t see their higher potential. Therefore, we deconstruct the essence behind inspiring leaders like Nelson Mandela, Thich Nhat Hahn, Mother Theresa, Malala Yousef, and Indira Ghandi. Through inquiry, we begin to understand and embody the heart of principled leadership. Then, we get down to the business identifying what’s working, what’s not, defining goals, setting expectations, clarifying objectives, articulating purpose, envisioning and leading outcomes. Welcoming in fresh and opposing perspectives along the way.

Survey the current situation.
Identify barriers. 
Set goals.
Create a plan. 
Communicate expectations.
Delegate strategically.
Empower the team. 
Provide actionable feedback.
Adjust accordingly.

Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans provides authentic conversation, transformative and productive tools, insight, accountability, and guidance that empower and heal. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, ease, vitality, courage, and flow.

Question 12

How do I recharge and disconnect from work during personal time?

Accepted Answer

The choice is yours. Run on empty, pick up the slack at any cost, vegetate in front of the TV, feed addictions like scrolling and foraging in the fridge, and roll up in a ball. Or, set realistic boundaries, take time to breathe, walk barefoot in the park, meditate, rest, speak to a professional coach or therapist, enjoy moments of solitude. Unplug from the tension, stress, phantom deadlines, miscommunication, over-giving, carrot on the stick, and endless shenanigans. Shift your attention to immersive and fun hobbies, quality time with friends and family, outdoor activities. Calendar mini me-breaks to release what's got your shoulders bunched up around your ears and return refreshed. Watch a YouTube video on tapping (EFT) to reduce anxiety.

Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans helps you manage life’s everchanging landscape with more wisdom, confidence, and equanimity – in the face of it all. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, ease, productivity, accountability, courage, and flow.

Question 13

I hate my job. How can I get unstuck and move forward with purpose, rather than fear or worry?

Accepted Answer

This is a precious opportunity for curiosity, growth, and curated intention. Start by taking a deep breath. Acknowledge the fear and worry. Know that it’s normal; most of us have felt like this at one time or another. Congratulate yourself for wanting clarity rather than confusion. Ok, maybe take one more deep breath! To gain more clarity, make a list of what you like about your job and benefits received. Second, note what isn’t working. Is there anything you can do to improve the situation? Again, come back to your breath. From here, ask yourself what next step you are willing to take. Begin to initiate change and act, all things considered. Speak with your manager? Create a new job description and update your LinkedIn? Speak to a trusted colleague? Find a resume writer? Hire a life coach? The most important thing is to start where you are with small, sweet steps, then take the next, and the next, and the next. 
Soul Essent Life & Leadership Coaching with Laurie Clemans helps you manage life’s everchanging landscape with more wisdom, confidence, and equanimity – in the face of all. Leap ahead with focus, clarity, ease, productivity, accountability, courage, and flow.

Question 14

What is channeling?

Accepted Answer

Channeling offers a gateway to illuminated wisdom, divine guidance, and spiritual evolution – enhancing our sacred human journey – in partnership with ascended masters, spirit guides, and higher realms of consciousness.

While in a grounded meditative or trance-like state, a gifted channeler intuitively connects with the spirit world, delivering tailored messages, insights, and teachings for the client’s specific needs and benefit.

Experience Channeling with Laurie Clemans of Soul Essent. She creates a safe, openhearted container where indestructible truths  and fresh insight energetically emerge. For your best interest and greatest growth. Sessions are 55 minutes; include guided meditations, channeled messages, processing, and integration.

Question 15

For a boost of energy and wise thought...

Accepted Answer

...explore our collection of guided meditations designed to bring calm, focus, and balance to your day.

Question 16

What can I do in the moment when I feel anxious?

Accepted Answer

Here are a few prompts to reduce anxiety in the moment:
Tell yourself, "All is well".
Gently close your eyes and breathe in for a count of five. Hold for five. Release for five. Try three reps.
Write five things you are grateful for.
Take a walk in nature and rest your eyes on the scenery.

Question 17

How do I stop procrastinating?

Accepted Answer

Please give yourself a little kindness and grace
Take on tasks and create new habits in bite-sized steps, rather than all or nothing
Create a priority list in categories such as personal/business/today/this week…
Put action items on your calendar so they don’t get forgotten
Identify reasons completing specific things have positive benefits
Find an accountability buddy to help you stay on track
Recognize that it takes time to change patterns and keep going!
You’ve got this

Question 18

I am in transition. Now what?

Accepted Answer

Begin by asking yourself these questions, “How can I be curious in this moment? Where am I in my transition? Where do I feel stuck? What are the positives and negatives? What’s the hardest part? Where might I focus right now that will bring me joy?” 
Transitions take time. Smaller ones can take a few of years to resolve. Big transitions or “lifequakes” can take as long as five years. According to Bruce Feiler’s research and book “Life is in the Transitions”, we experience disruptions about every 12-18 months. So we might as well settle in, find ways to accept, learn from, and make meaning through it all. 
The Anatomy of a Transition (per Feiler): Accept It, Mark It, Shed It, Create It, Share It, Launch It, Tell It.

Reach out for coaching support and develop your transition superpower (TQ).

Question 19

How do I forgive bad behavior?

Accepted Answer

Identify your feelings, positive and negative.
On paper draw an oval that fills the sheet. Next, put the person’s name at the top of the oval. 
Fill the oval with your thoughts, feelings, judgments, and attitudes about them. Write small if you must, but add everything. For example, were they thoughtless, dishonest, hypocritical, rude, dismissive, mean…?
As you envision this person, feel the heat from your written characterizations.
Answer these three questions “Yes” or “No.” Forgiveness occurs when you can say “Yes” to the following questions. 
Are you willing to forgive this person totally?
Are you willing to forgive this person absolutely?
Are you willing to forgive this person unconditionally?
Repeat the questions and answers.
Visualize welcoming, hugging, or shaking their hand.
If you aren’t ready to forgive quite yet, all is well. It can take time. 
Congratulate yourself for your courage and fortitude.

FAQ