About Amy
A Few Things About Me
I’m known for cutting straight to the heart of the issues that hold you back, and for being a safe haven to address fears, reframe thinking, and make tough decisions with confidence.
I ask powerful questions that open up possibilities, allowing you to solve your stickiest problems.
I’ve got a gift for recognizing blind spots and clarifying internal conflicts, and for knowing which tools will best support personal and professional achievement.
Clients appreciate the way I balance precision with compassion, sophistication with approachability, and practicality with imagination. I focus on keeping our sessions engaging, productive, and enjoyable with grace, humor, and a touch of whimsy.
These are the qualities my clients have relied on to help them take on new roles, let go of old beliefs, and find ease in their lives.
This Is Why I’m Here
I created Ovation Coaching based on the understanding that throughout our lives we become conditioned against ourselves in various, specific ways.
We’ve all experienced difficult relationships. We carry emotional memories with us, like the disappointment or disapproval we’ve seen on a parent’s face. We remember the sting of our failed efforts to please teachers, win over difficult bosses, placate judgmental friends or appease controlling partners.
Over time, in an effort to get it right for them, we’ve unconsciously adopted beliefs that affect our behavior, especially our ability to communicate clearly, set solid boundaries, and be truthful about what we really feel and who we truly are.
We bring these beliefs about getting it right, and the emotional triggers tied to these beliefs, to every circumstance in our lives. At work and at home—every situation, every day.
Whatever we don’t work through keeps us stuck and confused.
I’m here to help you find clarity, change your perspective, and take inspired action.
You’ll restore yourself to wholeness, lead with confidence, and feel prepared for the pivotal moments life throws your way.
These are my official qualifications.
Certified MBI (Martha Beck Institute) life coach, since 2011
Certified ACC Coach–ICF (International Coach Federation), since 2020
Certified Emotional Intelligence coach practitioner (EQ-i2.0Assessments for Leadership, 360, Groups, and Individuals)
Certified Life and Engagement Coach (Anne Arundel Community College, ICF accredited program)
Adjunct Faculty at the College of William and Mary
Adjunct Faculty at Anne Arundel Community College
Anne Arundel Medical Center LEAD program faculty
BA in Theatre and Speech, The College of William and Mary

These are my unofficial qualifications
I’ve worked with over 200 individual and corporate clients. They got great results because we had solid relationships, and the process works.
I’ve lived through my share of trauma, disappointment, and failure. I know what it’s like to feel scared, stuck, judged, and ashamed. The last thing anyone needs while they’re feeling off-balance is to feel unsafe, so I became a stickler for safe space.
I’ve pitched my share of hissy fits and spent enough time in the Drama Triangle (victim, villain, hero) to know that I have better places to be. And so do you.
I spent 30 years in corporate environments and learned as much from my mistakes, and those of others, as I did from the triumphs. Probably more.
I experienced corporate trainings that were a massive waste of resources, and promise never to come in unprepared, uninspired or irrelevant. I will, however, come in like a breath of fresh air direct from the Tetons, where I learned to snowboard in powder way too deep for a beginner.
And while snowboarding in no way qualifies me as a coach, learning to persist when the learning curve is as steep and treacherous as a double-black run made me a better one.
I’ve got a thing for metaphors, and for the neuroscience that supports using them as a coaching tool. I read everything I can get my hands on related both of those, as well as the best in personal and professional development, so there’s always something new in my toolbox.
Recent Writings
The things we try to carry on our own
I had a dream last night in which a woman I didn't know was collapsing in grief on the sidewalk in front of a brightly lit theater marquee. As I went to lift her up, she said, "You always know what to do." I said to her, "Let me hold some of this pain for you, so you...
What We Most Need to Hear
I was messaging another coach today, someone who once came to me as a client for a reality check. As I sent a few words of encouragement, I noticed a familiar and common phenomenon: the words I said to him were completely applicable to my own mindset in the moment. I...
When Part of You Wants Something Else: The Origin of Inner Conflict
When we’re of more than one mind, the inner conflicts can be painful and frustrating. Getting to know which parts of you want something different is the key to resolving those conflicts.