Coaching can be many things, but at its best, it highlights what’s possible—possible in writing, relations, and life. Coaching involves channeling curiosity and commitment into meaningful conversation and into the transformations that flow from that conversation. It can answer questions, while bringing others to light. And it can be tailored for any sort of project, at any stage of learning or writing.
I bring to coaching more than two decades of mentoring writers, researchers, educators, organizers, and healers—in and out of higher education, through one-with-one conversations, including in writing centers and community spaces. Learn more about how I approach coaching here.
Coaching can address a wide range of questions, including:
How do I navigate tricky interactions and show up for racial justice?
Coaching is a great way to process what comes up through everyday living (feeling, thinking, and doing) for justice. Together, we can think BIG (e.g., about how you’re acting on commitments and understanding personal and collective responsibilities), and we can get into the details (e.g., processing difficult conversations, unlearning whiteness, and changing habits).
How can my commitments guide my career?
Career coaching provides support for navigating workplace conditions, responding to burnout, making long-term plans, and acting on immediate next steps. These sessions can address questions about conducting job searches, interviewing, serving on hiring committees, acting on commitments, mentoring, and much more.
How do I bring this writing into the world?
Writing feedback is tailored for writers with any sort of project and at any stage of the writing process. Sessions can address a range of writing: from academic articles, books, and blog posts to emails, editorials, and résumés. Writing conversations can move a project forward, increase rhetorical awareness, and help with gaining clarity about goals and next steps.
How do I sit with discomfort?
Energy coaching is intuitive, embodied, and co-creative. Reiki opens space for shifting emotional patterns and addressing what feels especially urgent at this time—this time in your life personally and this time in a collective sense (for people in your community and for all of us inhabiting the earth).
Build-your-own coaching plan
The examples listed here are starting places. Coaching can support processes of taking accountability, making life decisions, and articulating and acting on commitments.
We need such different things—at different life stages, with different projects, and for different reasons. There’s no one-size-fits-all coaching. I’m open to requests for what you want and need. And I’m happy to answer questions.
All coaching sessions are confidential and tailored to you. Sessions can also be recorded using Zoom for slowing down and playing back the conversation.
Reach out if you’d like to know more or to schedule a no-cost 30-minute consultation to see if coaching feels right for you.
What is the cost?
Like other offerings, I offer coaching on a sliding-scale basis. Payment plans and multiple billing options are available.
The following prices are for one-hour sessions:
- For individuals for whom the full-price rate isn’t accessible, the price is $175 and can be bundled with workshops or writing retreats.
- For individuals whose careers are financially sustaining, the price is $225.
- For individuals with institutional support, the price is $300.
- For universities and organizational consultation, the price is $375.
There are also options to subscribe for coaching on a bi-annual or monthly basis. Check out Patreon subscription options, and let me now if you have questions.
Would you like to support a colleague or loved one?
Gift cards for coaching are available here.
What do others say about working with Beth?
I always come away from coaching feeling prepared and empowered. Beth takes the time to really listen, understand, and validate, resulting in her noticing my strengths and encouraging me to build them. Beth also provided tools, resources, and plans that I can use beyond our conversation. I strongly appreciate and recommend Beth’s guidance.” —Molly in Virginia
Beth’s coaching helped me stay true to my commitments. Thanks to Beth, I survived my academic job search and, most importantly, maintained integrity and a sense of self through the stress of it all. I learned how to be transparent about my investment in racial justice—and how to do this while also speaking the language of the academy and advocating for myself in my application materials, interviews, campus visits, and salary negotiations. I made it through the hiring process (and got my dream job).” —Anonymous
Beth has been of tremendous help to my academic writing activities. I still remember the many hours we spent together fifteen years ago when Beth was a writing center consultant and I was an international student eagerly seeking help with English writing. Now I’m a professor and continuing to seek help from Beth because she offers warmth, empathy, constructive feedback, and space for sharing. I’m so lucky to have gotten to know Beth!” —Awa Zhu, University of Tennessee
Beth’s work with Heart-Head-Hands has completely transformed my relationship to writing. I met Beth at the point where I was experiencing paralyzing writer’s block. Beth’s guidance, support, and caring helped ease my way back into writing. I’ve begun to love writing again.” —Kylie in New York
I met Dr. Beth Godbee during a time of profound career uncertainty. I was beyond burnt out and struggling to find clarity and direction for my career. In what felt like a never-ending fog, Beth has truly been a godsend. Her beautifully inquisitive questions have opened up new ideas and possibilities for me and my career that I couldn’t have imagined on my own. She has an incredible gift for asking just the right questions, at the right moments.” —Dr. Terrance L. Green
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How does coaching provide writing support?
One-with-one coaching is personalized, emergent, and responsive to each person and situation. Sometimes in coaching, we address blocks to writing and foster the longing to write. Sometimes we review drafts and talk about ideas, structure, form, genre, audience expectations—big picture stuff. Sometimes we’re strategizing about how writing fits into everyday life and how to move projects forward. Sometimes we’re cultivating reading practices or reviewing past feedback or healing the trauma of graduate education. There are many possibilities.
2. Are you available for editing?
As part of coaching, I regularly do what’s called developmental editing—offering reader feedback and revision suggestions. This involves getting into big-picture matters. It can bring attention to particular words, sentences, and paragraphs as well. Developmental editing is also different from copyediting and proofreading. I keep a list of editors I recommend, if that’s ever helpful.
3. Can I use professional development funds?
Yes, absolutely. I regularly create custom invoices and work with program administrators and financial officers. We can talk about what you need in order to use grants, professional development, or other institutional funding. And if you haven’t already asked your organization for funding, the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) offers this guide for “making the ask.”
4. Do you offer payment plans?
Yes, absolutely. My commitment to striving toward justice includes working to make offerings widely accessible, being creative with money, and recognizing that a range of approaches is needed.
There are also options to join writing groups and writing retreats for low-cost and discounted rates. If coaching is out of range, consider a writing retreat, which includes time for one-with-one coaching check-ins.
And if you’d like to contribute toward keeping sliding-scale options available, consider subscribing via Patreon.