Question 1

Who is Catherine?

Accepted Answer

I believe my calling is exactly what I’ve doing for 35 years. To each conversation, each coaching session, training, and facilitation, I bring my compassion, lived-in experience, respect, and common sense to help you uncover what you most need to make your life and your work better.  My goal is to help you uncover what supports you on your life and career path, building a relationship based on trust, vulnerability and self-agency to best respond to your own  work and life circumstances. I believe that you have self-leadership, that you know what’s best for you, and as your biggest fan, I'll support your journey as you continue to build it with competency, confidence and authenticity to yourself.

Who am I when I am not coaching?

I am a lover of the raw beauty of nature, an avid hiker, swimmer, and everything that connects me with wilderness, its immensity and wonder.

I am also a life-long learner and it's taken me to where I am today. I explored different kinds of careers and side interests for years - construction entrepreneur; college executive; Spanish & French language teacher; yoga, specialty fitness & water therapy international trainer; medical exercise specialist; non-profit national coordinator; orphanage director... and a few more.

All this experience and meandering opened vastly different outlooks on life, and guided me to what I do now. I eventually got a degree in psychology, then discovered coaching at a time when it was still new.  I felt the need for a more specific focus to best support my clients: working and living from a perspective of self-leadership and resilience, helping executives and professional build a life and career that supports them.

I've had a lot of experience, a full life, and been involved in  many different things. I've had some hard knocks and hardships and learned a lot from that, too. And I am also a loving mom, watching my three adult kids and five grandkids build their own life, and my life wouldn't be the same without my wonderful partner.

I believe that my life and work experience coalesced into becoming who I am now, more compassionate for what you might be going through - whether need for change and growth, career transitions, setbacks, retirement, or life & career changes or uncertainty.

In the past 25 years, my clients have been mostly in federal government, and I provide all-staffs, executive retreats, topic-specific workshops, trainings, and one-on-one executive coaching. Let's talk, shall we?

Question 2

What are your credentials?

Accepted Answer

• Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) - an international designation
 • Board Certified Coach (BCC) with the Centre for Credentialing and Education (CCE) - a international designation
 • Certified Resilience Coach (CRC) and Coach Trainer on faculty with the Institute for Life Coach Training (ILCT) 
 • Degree in Psychology from the University of Ottawa

Question 3

What is your coaching experience?

Accepted Answer

Here are a few highlights, starting with the most recent. My full CV is available upon request.
 • Executive coach with: Global Affairs Canada (2010-present), Transport Canada (2020-present), ESDC (2016-present), CRTC (2025-present), LAC-BAC (2008-2013).
 • Leadership facilitator and trainer: Health Canada (2008-ongoing), ESDC & Service Canada (2010-ongoing), Global Affairs Canada (2010-ongoing), LAC-BAC (2008-2013), CRA (2013-2016), CBSA, PHAC, ECCC, RCMP.
 • Employee training and Employee Assistance Programs: Health Canada SOS Specialized Organizational Services (2008-present)
 • Facilitator and executive coach on faculty: Canada School of Public Service CSPS (2004-2012) in all senior leadership programs 
 • Course designer and teacher for faculty with ILCT (2014-present)
 • ILCT Resilience Coaching Certification Curriculum (five courses) delivered twice a year internationally (2014-present)

Question 4

Who are the typical clients you work with?

Accepted Answer

My focus is to support individuals and teams, focusing on self-leadership, resilience, and mental/physical capacity.

Federal government executives and employees are my specialty, but I also provide services to non-profit organizations, professionals associations, municipalities, police departments and 9-1-1 centres, as well as to individual professionals and entrepreneurs.

Typically, my clients are busy people navigating the daily challenges of life, family and career. They want more time in their days, more capacity, less fatigue. They might feel stretched too thin between work and family demands and challenges; or they may need to enhance their skillset and practices to get to the next step in their career.

They face challenging circumstances and coaching provides much-needed space to think, reflect, learn and reset how they work and live, for better outcomes and quality of life. They need effective, lasting solutions and identify new possibilities with the help of an experienced coach.

I help them identify reasonable, realistic strategies,  with small progressive steps and practices they can implement and maintain for the long term. Exactly the opposite of a makeover approach, small steps work because they are easier, because they are cumulative and focus on progress - not perfection.

And even a small adjustment, like a little shift on your steering wheel, will lead you to a new destination.  I look forward to meeting you, so we can start the conversation.

Question 5

Where are you located and where do you offer your services?

Accepted Answer

I am based in the Ottawa-Gatineau area in Canada. 
I provide in-person services in the National Capital Region, as well as throughout Canada and internationally. 
I also offer virtual sessions anywhere in the world on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or other platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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