Roy Ockey

I've been involved in counseling for several years now, both professionally and in an ecclesiastical role. After much encouragement from friends and my wife, I decided to take the necessary training to become a certified Life Coach and Cognitive Behavior Therapy Practitioner. Because I have spent so many years working with children, youth and their parents, I enjoy spending a lot of my extra time learning about child psychology, and family relations. I find it fascinating and very rewarding. 

I also spent 15 years assisting families relocate to new cities and countries. While my primary responsibility was to arrange the necessary services, most of my time was spent counselling people through this major change in their lives. 

I was taught from childhood that I am responsible for my thoughts, actions and feelings. This base made Life Coaching a natural choice for me. I have been married for over 36 years to the love of my life, and we have 3 sons who are grown and on their own.

I have always believed that there is real value in life experience. Those who have traveled the path we are on, can often offer far more value that many "experts" could ever hope to. 

Telling a person what to do in a situation isn't nearly as useful or empowering as helping them discover it for themselves. Offering the support and encouragement we need to learn and grow, is what Coaching is all about. 

Growing up on a ranch in the foothills of Southern Alberta; the mountains were always my calm place (see the home page). I loved to sit on the top of the ridge near my home overlooking the Rockies and enjoy some quiet time. Having experienced anxiety and depression, and having learned to control it, I understand how debilitating, frustrating, and even humiliating it can be. 

During my many years  working with children and their parents, I would often tell my youth, "You get one shot at being young, so don't waste it!" Sometimes that meant helping their parents more than the kids.

We need to realize that children experience anxiety the same as adults do. What they generally lack is the ability and understanding to manage it. If you or your children suffer from anxiety or anxiety related depression, I would love to offer my assistance.

Overcoming anxiety and depression is hard work, and no one can do it for you. What is needed is guidance and support. Feelings are not a disease, and you are not broken.

I look forward to working with you on your life journey, as you discover growth, fulfilment, and empowerment.

Please feel free to reach out to me by clicking here, or the button below and we will set up a free consultation to decide if is Life Coaching is the right path for you.

Monique Shields

Hello!

For whatever reason , you've found yourself here on this page, wondering if we'll be a good fit.

It's a good question! ( In fact, I'm a big fan of asking all the questions. )

Kind of like looking for the right pair of shoes... you want comfort, support, and most importantly something that helps you get you where you want to go . 

And it may help you to know a little of why I'm here, on this page.

My journey, you could say, started when I was 15... and found myself in a counsellor's office , trying to sort out the family dynamics that were affecting me at the time. My first taste of figuring out why things were the way they were, and what I could do about it. 

Fast forward another 15 years, and I was a mother of 2 babies, and finding myself - surprise!-  in the throes of divorce and having to forge a new life.

Fast forward another 15 years - I'd taken on the role of step-parent, navigated blending families,  now a mother of 4 unique and fascinating beings, complete with their own unique personalities , temperaments- and two with significant physical & mental health challenges. 

Heartbreak, anxiety, depression, and ADHD are no strangers here. 

But challenges only increased my hunger for knowledge and commitment to finding my way through the maze.

I've had to reinvent myself , find -build!- new inner compasses, learned to be a different parent with each of my kids, learned the difference between surviving and thriving ( also, it's ok to do both ). 

I sunk everything I had into arming myself with the skills,  knowledge, new insights...and a determination to help other parents find their way, when life throws those inevitable curveballs.  

So, I dove head first delved into developmental attachment theory and study (no, not the kind that looks like your 7 yr. old sleeping in your bed ), the kind that helps you uncover the obstacles that prevent you from having a rock-solid, deeply connected relationship with your kiddo, your spouse, and... yourself.  

 My hunger led me to all kinds of further training and study... attachment, trauma, high-conflict interventions ,parent coordination, mediation, co-parenting, psychology, family constellations, brain gym, parental alienation, ADHD, parental conflict, depression, anxiety, collaborative divorce, personality disorders, behaviorally challenged kids, therapeutic reunification, neuroscience, parenting plans, supervised visitation, communication, disrupted family relationships, etc. 

I have spent the last 10 years as a Parent Coordinator - for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a blend of parent coaching, mediation and arbitration for high-conflict divorced families. I've spent 22 years parenting and am not out of the woods just yet... so you can trust me when I say, I know what it's like to be in The Pit. I know what it's like to be at a crossroads, to be contemplating overwhelming big life changes, and life asking you to show up in a way that you're not sure you can. I'm here to tell you can. 

 Come to me with your puzzle, I'll help you sort the pieces. I'll walk with you, help you get your bearings, uncover the obstacles in your way, and help you find your light.

None of this is easy, ( if it was, you wouldn't be here, reading this, right?) but here's the thing - you get to pick your hard. 

Let's turn over those rocks, dig deep, find a new lens... I've witnessed transformation. It is thoroughly and absolutely possible.

We can start here. Ask me all the questions :-)