There is a wellspring of nourishment, inspiration, and resilience available to all of us, at all times.

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I offer a 20-minute Exploration Call so you can get to know me and how I work, and so I can learn more about what you’re looking for. This allows us both to decide if it’s a good fit.

When we’re ready to work together, you can schedule a one-hour Guidance and Encouragement session (see the section On Time and Money below; we may not need the full hour).

What is a Guidance and Encouragement Session
and how can it support you?

Guidance and Encouragement (G+E) sessions are a unique blend of mentoring, resource connections, and spiritual guidance (if you are open to it), customized to your needs. While I draw on some elements of traditional coaching, I generally don’t use that term here as I tend to center other approaches such as cultural frameworks, presence, and spiritual accompaniment. But when helpful, I will call on practices such as accountability and action steps to support your process.

Some examples of how G+E sessions can help you:

• Identify a contemplative practice that works for you, and learn how to overcome barriers to consistency in maintaining your practice
• Apply the insights coming up in practice to your career, relationships, creativity, finances, and more
• Get detailed guidance in creating right livelihood, including practical ideas on how to start or grow a business if that’s what you’re called to do

G+E sessions are especially useful when you’re in a transitional time (shifting careers, changes in relationships, moving to a new area, etc.) and are seeking support to navigate these changes in the most beneficial way.

G+E sessions are also about walking with you as you find your way through these transformational times, and as we collectively learn how to live through an environmental and economic collapse of epic proportions. Something more beautiful is waiting on the other side for all of us, I have faith in that. These sessions are a means of co-creating that future.

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My philosophy and approach

The core of my philosophy: we can access peace of mind and wise insights to help us live our lives with more freedom and kindness – no matter what our life circumstances. I believe this with all my heart because I’ve experienced it myself.

Drawing on my own life experience and background as a longtime meditator, anthropologist, and research maven, my intention is to support you to find a deeper connection with your Core Intention and to offer practical guidance in how to translate that into creative and joyful possibilities for your life.

Clients appreciate my down-to-earth way of helping them access inner wisdom to more effectively address questions and challenges. I also bring a systems perspective as well as cultural insights that give you a new way of looking at a situation. I’m a great listener and skilled at helping people cut through confusion to gain clarity on how to take next steps.

I love to work with people who:

• Understand the value of awareness practices (such as meditation) and are actively using these kinds of practices in their life – or aspire to do so.
• Want to explore how the insights that come up in these kinds of practices can be harvested and applied to daily life, in areas such as livelihood, creativity, and relationships.
• Are curious and open-minded.
• Have strong creative tendencies.
• Are community-oriented, have a desire to be engaged citizens, and long to contribute to the creation of a more just and peaceful world.

Training and Credentials

My professional journey started with a bachelor’s degree in music therapy, followed by a decade of working in the mental health field as a music therapist and outreach counselor with psychiatric patients. In 1996 I earned a master’s degree in cultural anthropology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. This was also when I started a meditation practice and study of Buddhism, which continues to this day.

In 2012, I was ordained as a Buddhist chaplain by Roshi Joan Halifax after graduating from the Upaya Zen Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Program. Currently I am preparing to receive entrustment as a lay Zen Buddhist teacher from Shosan Victoria Austin of San Francisco Zen Center.

I’m the author of Work That Matters: Create a Livelihood that Reflects Your Core Intention (Parallax Press, 2017). In addition to my own coaching/mentoring practice, I’ve served as an associate coach on Pamela Slim’s “Indispensable” program, based on her book Body of Work.

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HOW THE PROCESS WORKS

G+E sessions take place by Zoom video. We can work by phone if necessary, but my strong preference is to do sessions as video calls. 

• If we haven’t spoken before, you can schedule a 20-minute free Exploration Call so we can get to know each other and make sure it feels like a good fit to work together.
• When we’re ready to work together, you can schedule a one-hour session using this link to my calendar.

At the beginning of the call, it’s helpful if you can bring the questions or issues that are most important to you to work with and any initial reflections you have on them. Some examples might be…

• I’m looking for a new direction in my career, can you help me figure out what this might be?
• I’m in a big life transition right now and could use some support to navigate through it.

During the call, I will practice deep listening and draw on my diverse skillset to see if we can find a deeper layer or another angle on your questions.

When the call comes to a close, that’s actually not the end of the session! I’ve found that some of my best insights come after a call, once I’ve had time to digest our conversation. I will take another day or two at the most to reflect on our time and see what comes up. No more than two days after the call I’ll send you a brief email summary of our session as well as any additional insights or suggestions I’ve got for you. If it’s relevant, I may add some “homework” assignments. That email will include a payment link.

On Time and Money…

I am striving for a de-colonized relationship with time and money, and that’s informed how I’ve set up this offering. I’m trying to move away from a transactional and into a more relational way of dealing with time and money.

While sessions are scheduled in one-hour increments, I recognize that we may not need all that time for our process. There might be calls when it’s clear to both of us that we’re done at around the half-hour mark, and that’s okay.

It’s important to me to find a balance between having sustainable income and making these sessions accessible to those who would benefit from them. The model I’ve settled on is a sliding scale where you decide what you can offer as a form of reciprocity for my time and guidance.

I understand that it’s helpful to have some idea of a range of payment. The suggested lower end of the scale is $45 (for shorter calls and/or for those with fewer financial resources), the upper end is $160. You will choose what amount feels right for you. I request that payment be made within a day of your receiving the summary email and payment link. You may use a credit or debit card to make your payment.

As we work together, we can discern if it makes sense to work over multiple sessions to explore your questions more deeply and gain clarity (it usually does, at least initially).

Terms

Re-scheduling/Cancellation: If you need to cancel or re-schedule, please give me at least 24 hours notice (this is true for Exploration Calls too). If you cancel less than 24 hours prior to a scheduled session, you are racking up not-good karma (with the exception of medical and other legitimate emergencies) and I probably won’t want to continue working with you.

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What people say about working with Maia…

“Maia has helped me to clarify my Core Intention and my true goals by giving me the tools and encouragement to identify what they are. As I’ve begun to move towards these goals, with mindfulness and kindness she helps me to see the fears that arise for what they are, and to keep going. She’s practical, and she’s full of helpful ‘re-frames’. After each session with Maia, armed with my list of next steps, I feel inspired, reassured, and so happy to keep moving.”

~ Niamh Barrett, mindfulness teacher and film producer

“Maia has been mentor, spiritual friend, chief encouragement officer and, most of all, a steady clear voice, grounding me when things are in turmoil. Her guidance is subtle and insights naturally emerge in our conversations. She is a blessing.”

 ~ Dr. Lynette Monteiro, psychologist and educator

“Maia listened with care and thoughtful attention as I explored my future. Her insights are clear, direct and doable…Thanks, Maia, for making sure I prioritized my ‘to do’ list and for filling me with new energy.”

~ Rose Gordon, spiritual care and restorative justice trainer