Empowered Minds: Coaching for Brain Health & Memory

Coaching for brain health involves personalized guidance to support cognitive and emotional well-being through sustainable, modifiable lifestyle and mindset changes. This includes strategies around nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, and mental stimulation, all aimed at enhancing brain function and resilience. A key focus is helping individuals concentrate on what is within their control while accepting what is not, and building on their existing strengths to foster motivation and emotional wellness. It also involves cultivating mindset shifts, such as embracing adaptability, practicing self-compassion, and reframing challenges, to support sustained engagement and positive change. For those facing cognitive challenges or risk of decline and/or executive functioning struggles (including ADHD), coaching offers education and support to maintain quality of life and promote long-term brain vitality.

I offer individual and group Brain Health Coaching for individuals experiencing memory decline or other cognitive challenges. In individual work, we focus on your unique goals, identify strengths, and develop personalized strategies to support daily functioning and long-term brain health. Group sessions provide a supportive community focused on learning practical strategies, enhancing cognitive resilience, and building confidence in daily life.

Motivational Enhancement

As we age, life continues to shift in ways that can feel both freeing and disorienting. Coaching can help you stay grounded, motivated, and aligned with what matters most, especially during the following transitions:

• Retirement or Career Changes

• Downsizing or Relocation

• Shifting Roles in Family or Relationships

• Health or Cognitive Changes

• Social Changes and Grief/Loss

• Reimagining Purpose

• Perimenopause or Menopause

Coaching in later life isn’t about “fixing” anything- it’s about honoring what you’ve lived through, helping you adapt to what’s next, and staying connected to what makes life worth living.

As a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), I bring deep expertise in helping people explore their values, build confidence, and move toward meaningful change. I’ve led Motivational Interviewing (MI) trainings locally, nationally, and internationally, and I’m available for workshops, lectures, and consultation with individuals, groups, or organizations.

For individuals, motivational approaches like MI can support readiness and momentum through life’s transitions. Together, we focus on what matters most to you, clarifying goals, resolving ambivalence, and building on your strengths to live with more intention and ease.

For couples and families, motivational strategies help improve communication and align around shared values, particularly when supporting a loved one through medical, cognitive, or aging-related challenges. By fostering motivation within the family system, we can create more supportive environments and better long-term outcomes.

Behavior Management

Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) may include apathy, rumination, perseveration, wandering, paranoia, agitation, sleep disturbances, impulsivity, repetitive questioning, confusion about time, and resistance to medication or self-care.

These behaviors often stem from limited insight, as individuals with memory loss and/or dementia may not recognize their actions or understand their impact. As language and memory decline, behaviors may also become a form of communication, serving as an attempt to express unmet needs or distress.

I partner with loved ones to take a compassionate and problem-solving approach, much like a scientist observing patterns. My goal is to empower families while preserving the dignity of the person with memory changes. Together, we develop strategies to reduce distress, promote comfort and familiarity, and engage the person’s remaining cognitive strengths.

These behavior management approaches can be effective in private homes, assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, and memory care settings.

Caregiver Coaching

Caring for someone with a progressive cognitive disease can be incredibly challenging, whether you’re a partner, child, sibling, or close friend. The emotional and physical toll often falls heavily on the loved one- someone who likely did not expect or choose this role. For those in the sandwich generation, this can mean juggling caregiving responsibilities for aging parents while also raising children or managing a busy household and career. The strain can be overwhelming and isolating.

Coaching can provide meaningful support by offering tools to reduce stress, build resilience, and foster a greater sense of empowerment throughout the caregiving journey. I bring years of evidence-based training and experience supporting caregivers in both individual and group settings- helping them navigate these complex demands with more clarity, confidence, and compassion for themselves.