Corinna Bowers, Life Coach

I currently live in beautiful rural middle Tennessee with my husband, two young children, our three dogs, and two cats.

We live on my grandfather's almost 200-year-old family homestead and are busy year-round with its upkeep. We've actually made a lot of progress since we moved in!

We enjoy working in our garden in the summer and taking long walks on our hilly and wooded property in the fall, winter, and spring. (The summertime bugs down here are predatory - I've had more chigger and miscellaneous bites than I can count!)

I love to read a variety of books and really enjoy relaxing on our front porch swings all year long.

While we live pretty far out, we often have out of town family and friends come to stay with us. I think they really like the quiet peaceful life we lead.

I grew up on a farm outside the Chicago suburbs and attended college at Drake University in Des Moines and Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

I was so uncertain of what direction I was headed in that I didn't declare my major until I only had 3 semesters left! Amazingly, I was able to graduate on time with my BA in Interpersonal Communications.

I then got a job working as a researcher at an ad placement agency. My days were filled with data entry, filing, and making spreadsheets. Boy, did I soon realize this job wasn't for me!

I eventually realized that the tasks I did enjoy (training new employees, conferring with colleagues, providing necessary information to other departments), indicated where my true desires lay. I wanted to connect with people, help others achieve their goals, and be a part of others' progress.

So I went back to Northern Illinois University and earned my Masters in Counseling.

I first worked at a non-profit as a therapist counseling families, adults, and children. I ran counseling groups, educational groups, and individual sessions. These clients were typically referred by outside agencies.

I also ran a weekly support group at Northern Illinois University for those suffering with eating disorders.

When we moved to Tennessee, I began working for a non-profit agency in Nashville as a school-based student support specialist. I was honored to work with a wide range of public school students on typical issues young people face and encouraged them to make healthy choices.

While I found those counseling jobs to be very rewarding, I discovered that I really wanted to work with clients who were motivated. Clients who want to share their stories and then do something different!

It took me quite a while to figure out what exactly it was I wanted to do with my own life.

After working as a telephone relationship coach for an online relationship site, I knew coaching was it for me!

* I leave each session feeling exhilarated and happy.

* I exude more positivity in my interactions with people, I am a cheerleader and a success shouter.

* I continually focus on the present and the future, the directions of which we have control over.

* I work with successful people who are ready and want to work on themselves.

What life coaching skills do I bring to the table?

So now I'm an independent Life Coach!

Sometimes they are simple life tales, sometimes dramatic thrillers. But I've found that we often get stuck believing that our stories define us.

What does that mean? Well for example, I let my parents' divorce and its ugly aftermath define me for many years. It subconsciously surfaced in my dating relationships, in my friendships, and in my self-concept.

It wasn't until I was able to come to some important realizations that I could put that experience where it belonged: in my mental "Life Experience" file box.

If only I had had a life coach earlier on, I think I could have avoided many years of anger, fear, guilt, and resentfulness.

A coach could have helped me see my situation through less defensive eyes, clearly identify my main concerns, set some realistic goals for myself, and acknowledge my progress.

I obviously didn't need a coach as I eventually figured things out on my own. But, I believe my process would have been much smoother, much shorter, and much less painful had I had an unbiased coach in my corner supporting and rooting me on.

No one needs a coach, but for many people, having an unbiased support and accountability partner is wonderful!

Life has not always been easy for me, but I feel firmly in control of my direction now. I know that I'm making informed choices and am reasonably prepared for the outcomes, which feels pretty darn good!

I am happy, centered, and fulfilled. I'd love to share that energy with you!

Learn more about my life coaching methods here!