Holistic life coaching so you can thrive in all areas of life.

Expats & LGBTQIA+ warmly welcomed.

 

Holistic life coaching helps you when you’re ready

  • Ready for change.

  • Ready to pursue a life or career you love.

  • Ready to enjoy the life you have.

You’re considering life coaching and are looking to find the right coach for you. Someone who welcomes you for who you are. Who gets you. Who can help you with the things you want help with. Effectively. Enjoyably.

At Collaborative Motion, we welcome all and specialise in working with internationals and LGBTQIA+ people knowing that trust, safety and no judgment are critical no matter the topic you'd like to explore. Life coaching is available online and in person in Haarlem.

Meet your coach

Before we go further, let me introduce myself. My name is Skylar.

My practice is called Collaborative Motion because I view all my work with clients as a partnership which supports flow and movement. Whether physically, emotionally, mentally, in external circumstances or as is so often the case, all of the above.

I deeply enjoy getting to journey with others and support them in their journey through life. I love watching people be more true to themselves, progress towards the things that matter most to them, find ways to navigate difficulties and discover ways to thrive.

That’s why I do what I do. What’s probably most useful to know is that in my work with individuals, I focus mostly on a few key activities: somatic coaching, yoga therapy and mindfulness/compassion training. I have an international background, identify as queer and non-binary (pronouns they/them) and have 20+ yrs of professional experience in organisations and coaching. You can read more about me and my credentials here.

Do I need a coach?

Many people have different ideas about coaching and who needs a coach. What I see in so many clients is that they often enter coaching with a sense of not knowing exactly what to expect and leave coaching with deep gratitude. They often feel like they have become more authentically themselves, progressed on major goals and decisions and find themselves showing up differently in personal and professional situations.

I see clients walk away having started businesses, changed jobs, gotten the promotion they wanted and perhaps most importantly to many is they’ve often developed a deeper sense of ease and peace with the stresses, challenges and complexities they face.

Coaching might be for you if you want to:

  • develop a deeper understanding of who you are and what you want,

  • align with what really matters to you

  • progress towards your goals

  • shift behaviours and beliefs that keep getting in your way

  • learn to better manage stress, challenge and complexity

My approach to coaching

I call my approach to coaching Holistic Somatic Coaching. Below you can read more details about my approach, the topics I often work with, logistical details and of course find out what others have to say about me.

The short version is that when you work with me I promise:

✔️ To really listen. To give you space to think. No judgement.

✔️ To offer candid feedback and practical tools that you can use on your own.

✔️ To invite you into powerful explorations that work with both your body and mind so you can better understand yourself and find powerful ways to generate change internally and externally.

✔️ To teach you practices that you can use for many years to support you through your journey

Want to get to know me a bit more? Feel free to reach out with questions or schedule a free consultation.

 
 

Life coaching to help you get the results you want

 

Imagine living life authentically. Aligned with what matters most to you. Able to face pressure, stress, complexity and still find peace in yourself and act the way you intended.


Holistic somatic life coaching
is a whole-person whole-life approach to coaching which involves mind and body. Here are some common topics that I support clients all over the world with:

  • Moving from surviving to THRIVING

  • Creating desired changes in life

  • Starting a business or changing jobs

  • Navigating unexpected changes in life

  • Finding more joy, meaning and contentment in life

  • Living authentically and feeling more comfortable as themselves

  • Stress management, reducing stress and managing anxiety
    (see the stress coaching spotlight below)

  • Navigating the challenges and joys of the expat life

  • LGBTQIA+ topics including exploring gender / sexual identity / desires / coming out

  • Navigating the challenges and joys of the expat life

  • Discovering strengths and values (using CliftonStrengths)

  • Making decisions, identifying goals, strategies for achievement and making progress towards them

  • Changing unhelpful behaviour, beliefs or thoughts

  • Burnout recovery / burnout prevention

  • Learning & practicing mindfulness or self-compassion

  • Health coaching

  • Navigating career and leadership topics

  • Getting unstuck and restoring flow in life

I feel like I’m really thriving now. Life coaching gave me the tools I needed to be able to coach myself so I don’t need to get stuck again!
— A.M.

Stress Management Coaching Spotlight

 

From surviving

“I don’t know how long I can keep this up.” “I’m so tired.” “My mind is always on.” “I don’t feel like myself anymore” “It feels like there must be a better way.”

We hear this a lot.

Nobody enjoys living this way.

Stress management coaching can help you move from surviving towards THRIVING.

Towards Thriving

You can expect coaching that meets you where you are and supports you with mental, physical, and lifestyle strategies tailored to you. The coaching approach remains holistic drawing from somatic coaching and other therapeutic practices.

Together, we’ll identify the internal and external stressors and the resilience supports you need so you can start to feel like yourself again.

During the course of stress management coaching, you can expect to:

  • Discover the wisdom of your body and nervous system. Learn to recognise and trust the information it gives you.

  • Learn strategies for increasing resilience, decreasing stress and managing energy levels.

  • Discover movement and breathing techniques that help to regulate your stress levels

  • Identify what matters most to you and increase your capacity to stay aligned with it

What others are saying

“Life coaching accelerated my shift into a new career and towards a long-term dream. The warmth, compassion and lack of judgement helped me to face beliefs and behaviours that were in my way. The practical tools helped me change and feel more confident when I face challenges. I feel like I’m able to be my best self and clear about the path I’m on.”

— K.P.

“When I came to holistic life coaching, I knew I was facing some situations that were beyond my current leadership capability. I felt stuck and had tried everything I knew but wasn’t making progress. In fact, I was starting to wonder if maybe it was time to move on. After the first conversation, I no longer felt stuck! I walked away with so many fresh ideas to try. In the first month, I tried a few new ways of interacting with colleagues and as a result, I saw fresh progress and got recognition at work for the contribution I made. Thank you!”

— P.M.

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Ready to know more about how Holistic Life Coaching can help you thrive?

The easiest way is to schedule a free no-pressure online consultation.

You can also read the about us, check the frequently asked questions, read my writings, listen to my meditations or check out this talk on gender and sexual diversity or ask a question.

What the difference between Holistic life coaching & Somatic coaching?

Traditionally, coaching is divided into categories such as life coaching, career coaching or health coaching. It is focused on one distinct area of life - personal, professional, or health - ignoring the overlaps between these areas. As a result it may require you to ignore important parts of your life/self in the process. Its method of change often focuses on creating change through new ways of thinking, challenging beliefs and external accountability systems. There are many valuable tools in the life coaching toolbox but it’s often not enough to create deep lasting changes.

Somatic coaching / Embodiment coaching

Somatic coaching - sometimes called embodiment coaching - focuses more on the role of the body in our behaviour and thinking. It often asks the question: How do I align with what matters most to me even under pressure? It starts with what matters most to you instead of what’s wrong.

In somatic coaching, you learn powerful ways to access the wisdom of your body and learn new ways to resources yourself and partner with your body for deep lasting change.

What to expect from my approach to holistic life coaching?

  • Draws from and builds on the valuable tools and perspectives offered by multiple coaching approaches including life coaching and somatic coaching.

  • Works from the starting point that all the areas of life are interconnected:
    body, mind, spirit, personal, professional, and health.

  • Incorporates an awareness of the big picture of your life and what matters most to you and

  • Uses a range of tools including: strengths assessments, conversation, creativity, postural awareness, movement, mindfulness, positive psychology and nervous system self-regulation techniques including breath and guided practices.

This means you can bring your whole self to coaching as you work on whatever matters most to you. Collaborative Motion offers more than just conversations, todo lists, an accountability partner or good vibrations. Holistic life coaching offers tailored support and a powerful bodymind approach so you can live the life you want as your best self. Authentic. Balanced. At ease. Aligned with what matters most to you even under pressure.

Discover more about the approach by scheduling a free consultation, reading about coaching packages or keep reading to see what kinds of issues and topics coaching can support you with.

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from coaching or if online life coaching worked but it completely exceeded my expectations. I had given up on sleeping and was feeling so much stress and pressure at work. I woke up with my thoughts and heart racing for long periods at night. Through the somatic coaching approach, I learned practical skills that helped me to discover new ways of facing the constant change and pressure at work as well as to calm down and get back to sleep at night. Over time, my resilience increased, I started sleeping better and felt my energy increase. As a result, I’m a better partner at home and manager at work.
— B.T.

Your future self will thank you.

Change isn’t always easy. The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. All you have to do is take the first step and book your free consultation.

 

Life coaching is an investment that pays off

There’s a reason you’re reading this. Something is happening and you wonder if working with a professional life coach is worth the investment. There’s a good chance you’ve already been trying to do things on your own. You might have read some blogs or books, taken a course, talked with friends or loved ones but you haven’t yet gotten the results you want. So, now you’re at a crossroads. Try to get the results you want quickly and effectively with a professional partner or try to do it on your own?

If you choose to work with someone, who should you work with and how do you know it will be worth it?

The uncertainty is understandable. You may have been taught to figure things out on your own, to be independent, that investing in yourself is wasteful unless there’s something terribly wrong or that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Even if none of these are holding you back, it takes courage to contact someone you haven’t met.

Successful coaching is highly relational. The truth is it’s impossible to be 100% certain that it’s a good match until you’ve met and had a conversation. That’s why I always start with a free no-pressure online session to get to know each other, test the chemistry and see if we feel confident moving forward together.

Once we both feel good about moving forward, you have the option for online coaching or face to face at our Haarlem Zuid location or even in the Kennemerduinen.

Want to ask a question before scheduling a consultation?

Use the form below to send us a question or sign up for the mailing list to get tips, discounts and be the first to know about upcoming events.

“An amazing coach who really listened to what I had to say. I trusted that they genuinely were there so I could exceed my potential. They helped me create realistic short-term goals in order to achieve my long-term goals. I really appreciated the approach and the detailed session reviews and feedback which really helped me stay on track and be the best I could be. Thank you!”

— E.V.

Online life coaching & Life Coaching in Haarlem

  • Skylar offers face to face life coaching in Haarlem at Studio ZOED in Haarlem Zuid or walking in nature working with clients living in Amsterdam, Haarlem, Velserbroek, Santpoort and throughout the Netherlands.

  • Skylar also offers online life coaching in English or Dutch to clients and organisations from all over the world.