FAITH'S BIO & CREDENTIALS

Bio

My career has followed a trajectory that I could never have imagined. It began with more than twenty years working first as an attorney and later as a consultant and coach in the environmental field. After clerking for a federal District Court Judge, I joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as Special Assistant to the General Counsel. I then moved into regulatory development and defensive litigation, and finally served as a Branch Chief for enforcement litigation in EPA’s Office of Regional Counsel in New York City.

In my international career as an environmental consultant and coach, I collaborated with senior officials and their staffs in the public and private sectors of more than twenty countries worldwide, often working in French or Spanish. My special areas of expertise were in tackling complicated issues of organizational management and institutional growth, as well as policy, legal and program development. I frequently conducted training programs, facilitated meetings and conferences, and served as a speaker for institutionally and culturally diverse organizations. My clients included the World Bank and other international development banks, U.N. agencies, bilateral institutions, national governments, nonprofits, trade associations, universities and private companies.

During these years of international work, I became a devoted practitioner of yoga and meditation, partly to help cope with the challenges of my intense work and travel schedule. (Plus, it was fun to drop in on yoga classes in other countries, especially when taught in languages I don’t speak!)

After my formal shift into leadership coaching, I drew increasingly upon my knowledge of yoga and meditation -- including my experience as a teacher -- to help my clients. No matter what the problem, reducing stress levels was an important part of the solution. And as my clients learned how to manage stress better, their overall effectiveness and satisfaction improved both at work and in their personal lives.

My interest in the impacts of stress led to intensive study and certification in biodynamic craniosacral therapy, a specialized form of bodywork that can help address both physical and emotional conditions related to the nervous system. I had the extraordinary opportunity to apprentice privately with Dr. Michael Shea, a leading international practitioner and master teacher of this specialized form of craniosacral therapy. 

My fascination with ADD/ADHD (from the dual perspective of a coach and having ADHD myself) led me to study the specialized field of coaching individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), also known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). My combination of mind-centered and body-centered coaching skills is particularly well-suited to helping address the multiple opportunities and challenges of ADHD. Given the wide range of ways that ADHD can manifest, it is important to understand each client’s particular circumstances and tailor our work accordingly.

I have also pursued in-depth studies of Yoga Therapy, as another way to enhance my clients' individual journeys to more fulfilling lives. Yoga Therapy offers extraordinary possibilities for transformation on all levels and for virtually all conditions, starting with the physical and extending just as far as each client wants to go. (Yoga Therapy is not a substitute for appropriate medical treatment, but it can complement and enhance it.)

Laughter Yoga is another therapeutic way to experience yoga. I lead workshops in Laughter Yoga, which consists of breath, sound and movement exercises that mimic how we laugh. Simply doing the exercises provides many of the benefits of laughter, with the extra benefit that most people do end up genuinely laughing and have a wonderful time.

In addition to my mind-body-spirit coaching practice, I volunteer with the nonprofit organization One to One: Women Coaching Women. One to One offers free coaching to economically or socially disadvantaged women who are ready for major growth and change.

I am an accomplished public speaker. You can see a video of my talk to the New York Society for Ethical Culture about making conscious choices at: http://www.nysec.org/sundayvideo-1-27-2008.

Credentials

My major professional credentials include: