Writing & Livelihood Coaching
We all have our callings: the work we’re meant to do. I help shine a light for you — on your writing, creativity, facilitation, or livelihood — to help you see your innate imagination and courage.
I offer one-on-one coaching to people beginning, developing, or finishing a book or other big project as well as facilitating workshops or meetings, and Right Livelihood (following your callings for livelihood, service, art, and purpose). Coaching sessions are individualized for your needs, goals, and timelines.
Creativity is often a winding path through tangles of trees and giant parking lots where you can’t find your car. Find more peace, gifts, and insights in the process
My Values and Approach
I bring my experience, presence, and questions to help you embrace the the journey, guided by these these values:
Listen To What Wants to Emerge
Start with an idea, then listen for what else is ready to emerge, deepening your capacity to listen to yourself and the art or livelihood possible.
Strengthen Creativity Resilience
Whether you’re writing a novel or planning a community workshop, cultivate resilience through accountability.
Set and Reach Goals
Clarify your intentions, set benchmarks, develop specific and do-able tasks, and make adjustments as needed. Plan and map out what works best for your process.
Create With Your Whole Self
Glean wisdom from all of you, body, heart, mind, and spirit as well as your unique perceptions, experiences, and understandings.
Redefine Blocks Into Opportunities
Reframe “writer’s block” and stuck stretches into opportunities to replenish your creative spirit.
Follow Signs and Wonders
At the same time, you show up for yourself and your work and writing, expand your awareness to seek out all that awakens your widest and wildest creativity.
How Coaching Works
Sessions: Sessions are 45 minutes, followed up by notes, resources, prompts and/or readings. Coaching may be done by phone or Zoom (in-person sessions available for locals). We work on Google Docs so that we're literally on the same page together.
Connecting: I offer a free 20-minute Discovery Call to talk about how coaching can best support you. For writers new to me, I request sample to ensure we're a good fit.
Your Investment: Once we determine we’re a good match, we can arrange payment through Venmo, Velle, or by check. I offer these packages, plus individualized ones:
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10 session package: $900
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6 session package: $570
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3 session package: $300
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Individual sessions: $110
What People Are Saying
"Want to know how I published two books (and a book chapter) in the last three years and am about to sign a contract for a third book? Her name is Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, and she is my writing coach. What’s a writing coach do? Here’s some of the things Caryn has done for me:
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Believed I could do it
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Organized the structure of a number of sentences, paragraphs, chapters and books
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Helped me select things to write about.
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Explored my rough drafts with me to find 'the story that wants to be told'
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Helped me write a book proposal. (I find out soon if book three is accepted!)
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Killed my darlings (those turns of phrase that I had written and loved but didn’t need)
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Laughed together and encouraged me when the going got tough
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Helped me find places to get things published
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Listened and had brilliant ideas
As awesome as all that is, she does even more things."
~ George Thompson, child psychiatrist and author of Polyvagal Theory and the Developing Child and Working with Relational Trauma in Children's Residential Care.
"Caryn has been a treasured editor for several of my best-selling books, and other writing projects. I can’t imagine the writing life without her.” ~ Harriet Lerner, bestselling author of The Dance of Anger and Why Won’t You Apologize?]
“Never the critic, Caryn’s always the consummate partner in the creative process. Her skill, talent, wit, and wisdom have shown me the way to begin writing again, which is a restorative healing process. Caryn has taught me to reach deep within and unabashedly, without apology or shame, to tell my own story. She also helped me complete, then publish my first collection of poetry.” ~ Julie Flora, artist and writer
“To my delight, I consult with Caryn on larger life issues and decision-making as she is a perceptive sounding-board and brings her years of experience to bear. Caryn is a great communicator and a straight shooter. She is organized, empathetic, and energetic. Caryn’s creativity and entrepreneurial spirit are a source of inspiration and encouragement.” ~ Erin McGrane, writer, musician, and entrepreneur
“Caryn is unfailingly fully present with her clients, gently offering wisdom or direction or knowledge or her trademark humor. When you meet Caryn, you realize you’ve encountered a truly unique human being, someone you’d fully trust learning from or being mentored by. I can’t recommend another person in my own line of work more highly than Caryn.” ~ Joy Roulier Sawyer, poet, educator, facilitator
“When I first started running writing workshops, Caryn gave me tremendous wisdom and guidance. I don’t know how I got so lucky! She was a powerful mentor and teacher at a moment when I was soaking up everything I could possibly learn. I have enormous trust in, and gratitude for, this powerhouse woman.” ~ Chris Fraser, owner and writing coach at Firefly Writing.
“I brought to Caryn a 30-year project, not sure whether I had a book, or series of articles, or both, or neither. Her questions and suggestions take root and live within me. Coaching with Caryn is fun, mind-blowing, and compassionate.” ~ Nomi Redding, retired clinical social worker and active researcher
