It is with great pleasure that I recommend Rita Thompson as a life coach. I have worked with Rita for about 18 months. Our work together has primarily focused on my completing my dissertation. Nevertheless, her support was holistic in assisting me in developing a compassionate and harmonious lifestyle. Rita's warm and patient coaching style is demonstrated through her ability to listen, express empathy and to be present which provided restorative benefits to my body, mind and spirit. There were times when I did not know where to begin when writing or thinking about my dissertation. Rita would ask the perfect question: What are your thoughts about that, what would be your next step, or how might you change that situation. Her questions always moved my process forward. Sometimes I would ramble, pause or cry. Rita offered a soft voice which acknowledged my pain and confusion, but constantly encouraged me to remember my strengths and assets.

Our sessions initially were one hour in length and later moved to a half hour. The decrease in time was due to financial and time constraints on my part. Although the time decreased, the quality of our sessions did not. Rita always made suggestions which continued to enhance the quality of our sessions. Rita always encourages contacting her on Sundays which is an open period of time for additional call-in support as needed. Rita also supported contacting her by email or by telephone during times of crisis and stressful times; she was always available for additional contact time. Rita demonstrated patience and compassion during those times when I was overwhelmed and did not meet a goal. She always helped me to identify what had gone well, and listened for clues which would help me to get-back-on-track.

Rita introduced a form called Focus Sheets at the very beginning of our work together. The format was very helpful. The form appealed to my logical way of thinking, as well as my intuitive way of problem solving and developing strategies. There were times when I was reluctant to use the form, but over time I realized that the format allowed me to summarize and monitor my progress and to identify patterns of behavior which were useful and those that were not. The Focus Sheet and Rita’s astute insights helped me to organize my writing behavior and writing strategies between sessions.

As a doctoral student I have referred her to other students. As a clinical assistant professor and faculty member of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, I have sung her praises to Sally P. Lundeen, Dean and Professor, College of Nursing at UWM as well as other faculty members.

I strongly recommend Rita Thompson for continued life coaching. Her contributions to my life have been phenomenal and terrific. Her integrity, critical decision making, her insight, compassion and gentle leadership makes her an asset to people who seek her assistance.

Respectfully Submitted,

SharonShakoor Lee