Coach in your corner: Brooke Loening helps out

SHARON — How is a life coach similar to a football coach? A football coach helps the players on his team get around and surpass the obstacles of the other players, to reach the goal.

A life coach helps a person surpass obstacles to reach that person’s goals.  

Or that’s how life coach Brooke Loening looks at it.

“I have always enjoyed helping people through their issues and road blocks,†Loening said. â€œLife coaching is a proactive approach that focuses on changing the future rather than looking back at what did not work in the past. I like facilitating people’s progress and seeing results.â€

Loening grew up with his family in New York City, but spent summers with them here in Sharon. “My heart has always been in Sharon,†he said. “I couldn’t wait to get out of the city.â€

After Loening graduated from Connecticut College with a bachelor’s degree in economics and art history, he earned a graduate degree in natural health from Clayton College. He has also been certified as a life coach from the Empowerment Institute in Woodstock, N.Y.

“I think it was natural for me to go into life coaching,†he said. “I help people make changes according to their vision of how they want things to be in their life.â€

He offers individual coaching, coaching for young adults and groups. In the groups, “we meet once a week, which gives people the accountability of having to report back,†he said. “I like the positive nature of people reporting back their successes. It’s not about dwelling on what has not been working. It’s about making changes that are positive and healthy for them.â€

Loening said one reason people feel “stuck†in their lives is because they are afraid of making changes.

“Change can feel very overwhelming,†he said. “But if you can break your next step down it into smaller components, it is very doable. My job is to give people  achievable goals and remove the subconscious obstacles, so they can get that feeling of being unstuck and moving forward. That feels great.â€

Coaching sessions can be held in person or over the phone. For more information, call 860-364-1175 or visit theloeningplan.com. He also writes a column for The Lakeville Journal health page. For past columns, visit tcetxra.com.