Silverton-McLagan Identity Coaching

We do what we do because we believe in people -- we believe in their strength, resilience and ability to change. We believe in creating and living a life that truly resembles your dreams, goals, and aspirations. We’ve done it ourselves, over and over again, and expect to continue reinventing ourselves for many years to come. .

Chapter 1: The foundation We were born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia at the foot of Little Mountain (this is the locals name for Queen Elizabeth Park and has nothing to do with the real mountains that Vancouver is famous for). Born 2 years apart, little did we know that we lived just “down the block” from each other and our destinies were to cross. We met at dancing class at the ripe old age of 9. We didn’t see what everyone else saw, we looked like twins: same size, same build, and even the same flaming red hair! As dance partners we learned to think and act like one. We were of the firm belief that we dazzled everyone with our fancy footwork, but maybe they were just dizzy from thinking they were seeing double! For us, it was the beginning of learning what solidarity, friendship and teamwork was all about.

Chapter 2: Firsts Our era of firsts…first apartments, first cars, first trips to Europe and first jobs. We entered the world of business working as secretaries and progressed through the ranks. There were times of both total enjoyment and total boredom. It was an important phase of life. Little did we know that our future path was forming as we explored philosophies, taught yoga, and became vegetarians. After growing up in the 60s we found our values being further formed by the social change of the ‘70s.

Chapter 3: A leap of faith Life had taken many twists and turns and we were both approaching 30. We wanted to move forward in business so enrolled in business courses. First course was “business psychology”. What a fortunate first step as we figured out that our future lay in psychology. However, the next step was a huge one – quit work and go to university…so we did! Over the next decade, or so, we completed Bachelor degrees in psychology, Masters degrees in Counselling Psychology, and ultimately Doctoral degrees (PhDs) in Counselling psychology. We founded a non-profit organization that helped individuals with eating disorders and educated both the public and professionals about this area. We tackled the media, speaking on television, radio and in print, to bring more attention and understanding to these issues. After many years of being in university, working in hospitals, and running this organization, we decided it was time to strike out on our own.

Chapter 4: Reaching the first peak Our dream had been to share a private practice. We never lost sight of that goal even when all the “wiser” voices told us it was next to impossible to achieve. Private practice became our vehicle to share with many others what we believed in…with persistence, resilience, support and encouragement you can overcome obstacles and attain your goals. We were doing it our way. We stayed in practice from 1986 to 2003 and enjoyed the many clients who came through our doors. We considered our office a retreat where clients could relax, feel at home, and discover who they were…we even entertained many client dogs along the way! Our philosophy was, and still is, “change is inevitable, growth is optional…you make the difference” and we loved seeing our clients make that difference. We cried, we laughed, we laughed till we cried, and we all grew. To this day we still receive updates from clients, including wedding pictures, baby pictures, career successes, pet news, and certainly news of life highs and life lows. These relationships hold special places in our hearts.

However, it was also a chapter of our lives when we faced some extremely low points. A car accident turned our world on its ear. We both had to learn to overcome new physical limitations. We relied on our own resilience and the strength and support of our friendship to get through. We know what it means to try and juggle numerous challenges from full time work, educational demands, physical challenges, caring for aging parents and ultimately many losses. We know how hard it is to hold onto your professional vision while personally feeling stretched to the limit.

Chapter 5: The next horizon We again reached a fork in the road. After the last decade it was time for a new vision and a new strategy to match. We began to reinvent our work and our lives. We closed our office and began to work in a new and creative way. Working with clients via the telephone and online means that we work with and enjoy clients from around the world. Identity coaching takes full advantage of our education, clinical experience, business background as independent professionals, media and publishing experience not to forget our own life experience as we both passed 50!

We bring the strength we gain from our friendship and partnership to our coaching. Our clients get the support, encouragement and truth from us that only a best friend and partner will give you. We love being there for our clients. We are inspired by our clients willingness to grow past their own felt limitations in life and in work.

We never take for granted the shared wisdom we have developed over our lifetime and we never take for granted the power of having someone there to see you through. From the age of 9 we have been each others biggest fans and coaches! We have come to think of it as “the power of two”. In our coaching we share this power with you.

Chapter 6: The new adventure begins It is in its infancy stages so it doesn’t have a title yet, We are dreaming it as we begin to live it. Trust us, it is already looking new and exciting! We’ll keep you posted.