Coaching | Alderroot

Coaching

I support you in navigating life and career transition

with clarity, confidence, and earth-based connection

You may sense that change is on the horizon or that your life just doesn't fit you like it once did. You may feel stuck in routines and life-ways that feel familiar but uninspiring. You may be overwhelmed, on the edge of burnout, or just unsure about how to make a meaningful shift in your life or career. You want a life that is aligned and enlivened, rooted in spirit and earth-wisdom.

Transition and uncertainty are so challenging! And you can learn to connect to your inner knowing and to earth wisdom so that you can move through this time of transition with clarity confidence, and calm assurance.

I can show you how.

I have had a long career in higher education where I helped hundreds of graduate students find their true gifts and life-paths. I can teach you how to tune into your specific purpose and path, in a world full of possibilities.

I can help you get clear about what to do next, and how to listen to your heart's wisdom. I can help you feel much more clear and much less stuck. I'll walk you through my guided ecological design process: You'll deeply observe your beliefs, patterns, and what's holding you back; you'll radically imagine and dream up new life possibilities; and you'll shape your next steps based on what really matters to you so that you feel fully aligned.

Through the coaching process I'll support you with tools for nervous system regulation and for expanding your Self-leadership--which is the central part of you that is calm, clear courageous, connection, curious, and creative. And, I'll show you how to learn the skills of trusting yourself, meeting your parts with compassion, and developing confidence so that you can move into your next steps with so much more ease.

I’ll support you in learning to cultivate these new mindsets, practices, and ways of being that support wholeness and wisdom in your life and work. You will feel seen and nourished in this process.

Together we'll move you forward on a path that feels right, as the next phase of your life takes shape. With my support you will:

Learn to tap into your inner knowing and earth wisdom to find clarity to guide your next steps
Learn how to become really clear about your needs, values, and longings so that your next steps can feel truly aligned
Learn how to envision and imagine new possibilities, and to develop trust in yourself. You can claim a life that feels aligned, easeful, and abundant
Learn how to meet your fearful and uncertain parts with calm and compassion
Develop the confidence to take your next steps, to act in alignment with who you are and what you really need

Working with me may be a good fit if:

You sense dissatisfaction--you need a change in your life or career and aren't quite sure what to do next.

You feel burned out or depleted and need support finding your way beyond burnout.

You feel under-resourced or undervalued in your work or life and you are longing for more a more meaningful life that fills you up.

You feel consistently overwhelmed and under-inspired. You know you need a change and want more but aren't sure how to get there.

You feel unclear about what's next and how to move forward. You're stuck in your head going over all the possibilities. You're doing a lot of searching outside of yourself.

You know the direction you want to go, but you don't feel confident taking the next steps to get there. You may not even know what the next steps are.

You are in transition and are trying to figure it out yourself. You need a focused process and new skills to guide your next steps.

You want your life to feel purposeful, meaningful, and joyful.

You are ready to grow personally and spiritually.

You are finishing a degree or other milestone and need support as you navigate what's next for your life.

Book a 30 minute exploratory call with me

"This mentoring work helped to clarify my core needs and enliven my key values; I'm now designing my path forward with a greater sense of cohesion. Heather is a gifted facilitator and intuitive mentor—I throughly enjoyed engaging in this process with her."

Shevawn A.

I'm Dr. Heather Burns, an intuitive coach and expert facilitator. I guide you and hold space for you as you explore new possibilities through emergent life-design. I teach you how to connect to your deepest knowing, and how to anchor into the wisdom of the living earth so you can move through transition with more ease clarity, and confidence.

Learn more about me

I've been through two major career shifts in my life and I understand what it feels like to be on the precipice of change, or in the middle of transition. I understand how disorienting it can be to know you need a change, but to not know exactly what. I know how it feels to not know how to move into a life that feels more aligned and purposeful.

Early in my own career, I knew I was in the wrong work-space, even though I was good at my job. My heart yearned for something different and to use my gifts more meaningfully. I eventually figured out how to move into new work that felt more aligned, but it took a lot of agonizing.

Later in my career, I experienced burnout and spent deliberate time unpacking and healing from the patterns that got me there. I moved through a space of uncertainty and transition and again shifted into new work that felt more aligned with who I had become.

I can save you some of the angst that I experienced in my own career and life transitions. My experience can support you as you navigate your own transition.

In my long career in higher education I've guided hundreds of people in their journeys toward new career and life paths. As a professor, I created and taught a course focused on life-design rooted in the ideas from the Stanford Life Design Lab and the books, Designing your Life and Designing your Work Life. I also created and taught an Emergent Ecological Design process, rooted in the science of permaculture and deep ecology, that supports transition and life design.

My experience and tools can support you to move through career and life change with more ease, clarity, and confidence. I'll walk with you through the uncertainty and help you design your way into a life that is more aligned with what you need, who you are, and the medicine you are here to offer.

Book a 30 minute exploratory call with me

"This was a wonderful process. I am grateful for Heather's generosity in sharing knowledge, time, and wisdom. This experience has not only shaped and informed my professional path but also contributed significantly to my personal growth. This is a continued process of self-compassion and exploring possibilities. I am grateful to have the tools to continue on this journey."

Nabin D.

My approach to Coaching

My approach to coaching is relational, welcoming, gentle, curious, and compassionate. I lean into my intuition to understand you energetically and holistically. I listen closely and ask good questions. I hold space for your emotions and create a container for you to observe, imagine, process, explore, and learn new skills.

I will teach you skills for developing a deeper understanding of your own wisdom, and for anchoring into earth wisdom. I use an Emergent Ecological Design framework that can lead you naturally into practices and patterns of healing and renewal.

When you choose a coaching package with me with me you will:

Learn a process for observing your values, strengths, desires, and needs as the foundation for discerning what's next
Learn a process for getting clear about what you want and how your life can feel more meaningful and aligned
Learn a process for harnessing imagination and vision to move toward new possibilities
Create a vision for your life and work that feels right for who you are now, the impact you want to make, and the dreams that you have
Learn skills and practices for deepening your clarity, confidence, and courage to support transition
Learn skills for anchoring into earth's wisdom and willing partnership as a tool for discerning and moving into what’s next
Learn how to create daily and seasonal patterns of alignment to support a life that brings you meaning and joy
Learn how to do less and take aligned action with discernment and Self-leadership
Create a clear plan for transition and try out new directions. Be able to discern if these fit or need adjustments

Coaching package

Clarity & Confidence in Transition

Coaching sessions take place virtually at a time we both agree on and are 1 hour in length. Sessions are typically scheduled every other week so that we might have spacious time for designing and implementing change over time.

I'll guide you through an emergent ecological design process with intuitive support and care as we discover what's next for your life or career. Move through transition into full alignment with clarity and confidence. (approximately 16 weeks)

8 sessions: $1400 (or 350/month for 4 months)

Includes:

8 virtual 1-1 sessions with Heather (60 mins each-- usually every other week)
Reflection and practice prompts and invitations to work with between sessions
Notes with key elements of our sessions

Book a 30 minute exploratory call with me

"Heather is a wonderful mentor with a calm and soothing presence. She asks lots of thoughtful questions and has been incredibly supportive and patient through the twists and turns while she journeyed with me! I also really appreciated her thorough follow-up notes and suggested resources. I had a lovely experience working with her and would recommend her to others!"

Nichole C.

If coaching feels like a good fit, drop me an e-mail
or reach out to schedule a free zoom call to talk more.

Book a 30 minute call with me