About Sarah

I want to live in a world where deciding isn't overwhelming, everyone makes choices based on what brings themselves joy, and we don’t have any reason to second guess our decisions. I've been described as having strong heart, a clear vision and presence. My coaching has been characterized as being kind, supportive, bold, perceptive, and on point. I'm a certified Courageous Living Coach with a concentration in somatic coaching through the Courageous Living Coach Certification. This program is rooted in a holistic philosophy grounded in supporting clients where they’re at. When I'm not helping people navigate life’s choices, I'm working at a local environmental nonprofit here in Portland, Maine; walking with my pup; or enjoying Maine's coast.

I know choices are hard.

It took me a long time to figure out why.

If you are like me, you grew up hearing that you could do whatever you wanted. Well, as a kid that sounds awesome but, as an adult who is trying to make their next career or relationship choice, the options can be overwhelming.

Maybe, like me, you found from a young age that life can be easier if you put others first. Again, as an adult, this makes living your life and making choices based on what you want difficult.

Or, as a child, you found that doing the "right thing" got you lots of praise. So you started playing by the rules and living up to outer expectations, never listening to your gut. How are we supposed to make choices based on our own inner guidance when we lost touch with it years ago?

So now, as an adult, we realize that the patterns and things we learned as a child aren't serving us, but then what are we left with? A feeling of uncertainty, a lack of fulfillment, and no idea who we really are.

I know from personal experience that you can stop the second guessing. You can go from being stuck on where to start, to taking actions you are proud if. I help people use their intuition, that knowing in your gut, to make better decisions. If you’d like to work with me, schedule an exploratory call.

A note on intersectionality and coaching

Intersectionality has a huge impact on our personal growth, and I acknowledge that my own traits mean that I have limited experiences with this. I’m white, middle class, educated, able bodied, cisgender, heterosexual, and have typical brain function. This means that there may be clients I am not best suited to work with, and I am happy to support anyone in finding a coach that is a better fit. I am unlearning my own biases and continue to grow in this area. Part of this learning is with Stand In Your Bias.

Our Values and Statement of Solidarity

Sarah Lyman Coaching is meant to be an inviting space. This is a place of acceptance. Everyone brings wisdom that we can all learn from.

This statement serves to share our values and clearly state our solidarity with people, no matter their gender, sexuality, fertility, socioeconomic status, appearance, age, credentials, able bodiedness, skin color, religion, prefered language, education, marital status, mental health, brain function, or heritage.

We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and promoting justice.

Even though this business is currently just me, I say “we” and “our” with intention. The work of Sarah Lyman Coaching is for all people who feel drawn to it. Anyone who participates in our work, whether through following and engaging on social media, being a collaborative partner, or participating as a client, is seen as part of the community and is held to the same commitments while participating in this space.

Sarah Lyman Coaching was created to help deep thinkers at a crossroads know what direction to take, and move forward without fear of judgment or getting it wrong.

To achieve this mission, it is prudent that we uphold the following values:

We accept one another as we are. We help one another by being supportive, uplifting, and encouraging. We celebrate each other’s resiliency.
We honor our differences. We all bring a variety of experiences and we are better for it.
We treat one another with kindness and appreciation. We have mutually accepting, respectful, and dignified exchanges, even when we disagree. We choose the generous version of another’s words when possible.
We are very careful about how we use absolutes (all, none, every, only, never, always, not, none, must) and don’t use them when referring to other people.
We hope to foster personal growth and reflection that supports genuine growth. We are learning together.
Clear boundaries are indispensable in building a life you want. We are honest and direct.
All who participate need to bring love, openmindednes, presence, respect, and sensitivity to what others are experiencing.
We believe fairness means equity over equality. We aim to hold an attitude of abundance for all.
We give ourselves and others grace.
We work towards self love.
We encourage bravery in all its forms.
Integrity is essential to the success of this community.
Humility is required. We know there are things we do not know.
We know that we cannot always be empathetic, due to our diverse experiences, but we try to be when someone in our space is struggling.
- As Brené Brown says, “Empathy is the vulnerable choice, because we have to connect with something within ourselves that knows the painful feeling the other person is feeling.” “Rarely does a response make things better. What makes something better is connection.“
- As Brené suggests, we aim to avoid sympathetic silver linings or trying to make things better. It is okay to say, “I don’t know what to say, but I’m glad you told me,” instead.
We believe all people should be able to experience and enjoy abundance, belonging, clarity, contentment, health, both mental and physical, hope, joy, justice, mindfulness, playfulness, pleasure, prosperity, reflection, rest, security, support, trust, vitality, and wealth, though we know these things are not possible for all right now.
We believe clarity is essential to decision making and moving forward. We support one another as we find clarity within ourselves.
We value our intuitions. And we take the time to understand ourselves enough to know the difference between intuitiveness and biases. Awareness is key.

We create connections to support one another as we work towards these values. Everyone is asked to make a contribution towards them. We are grateful for this community and the shared connections.

We aim to be a space that is authentic, flexible, approachable, and provides encouragement for all. We know we will miss the mark sometimes. When we do, please let us know so we can learn from the mistake and improve, together.

We will be giving to The Loveland Foundation to help further those goals and stay true to our values and mission. The Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls.

We also want to acknowledge there are limits on how our services are offered, that may restrict some people for using them. First, they are offered online or over the phone in English.

In addition, for those with mental health issues, please know coaching is an unlicensed and unregulated industry. I, Sarah, am not a therapist, and do not diagnose or treat conditions. Coaching is to be used on an “at your own risk” basis and is not recommended as a substitute for therapy. If you have been diagnosed or in treatment for a mental health-related condition in the past, you are advised to continue with that treatment.

This sets the standard of engagement within Sarah Lyman Coaching. If someone in our audience or company violates that standard, we will respond by first providing an opportunity for learning. If it continues, they will not be allowed to continue engaging in our work.

This is our commitment to all of you.

Sarah Lyman Coaching