My career has evolved into Professional and Life Coaching through several major changes. After earning my Ph.D., I co-founded a not-for-profit community mental health center to treat severely mentally ill adults and seriously disturbed children living in the inner city. I found working with these clients, most of whom made substantive changes in their lives, very exciting and rewarding. However, after 21-plus years I felt the need to make a change in my profession. I had the opportunity to move and I began freelancing as a grant writer. But very soon, I missed helping people and enrolled in the MentorCoach training program after attending a seminar, The Clinician's Guide to Coaching.	All over the world, in many cultures, the butterfly has been a powerful symbol of change and spirit. Each stage of a butterfly's life requires a complete change of form (egg, larva, pupa, adult). Its delicate, colorful beauty is coupled with the strength to migrate thousands of miles and a vital role of pollinating many varieties of plants. The butterfly routinely changes its form, does productive work, and brings joy and delight to everyone around. What better symbol could there be for those whose lives require change in order to grow, produce, and bring joy to others?
In coaching, I will focus on your strengths. This focusing on strengths has many benefits, such as helping you reach your goals, to be more productive, achieve greater resilience, and happiness. As a coach, I will draw on my experiences and commitment to helping others, using my own and their signature strengths to promote change.                                                     Janice Van Buren,Life Coach  janicevanburenphd.com       609.915.4677	The butterfly's flight appears as dancing, and as a reminder not to take things so seriously. It has a sense of lightness and joy and is a reminder to get up and move, for if you can move you can dance, and dance brings joy. Therefore, when you are going through a change or transition in your life, remember the butterfly. All change can be good-even if it is difficult at times.                          © Copyright 2007. All rights Reserved