Alanna Levenson, a certified Coach, NLP Practitioner and Hypnotherapist talks with LAsThePlace.com about how she became a coach, and how Coaching has had an impact her own life.  She also sheds some light on who would benefit from having a Coach, as well as how using additional modalities, such as NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and Hypnotherapy have enhanced her ability to help her clients.

LATP:  What attracted you to coaching as a profession?

Alanna Levenson:  It was more that the coaching profession in a sense found me.  When I was younger I was the one my friends turned to for help. In fact it was an old friend who had suggested that I look into coaching as a new career and expressed that she has always found me to be an objective listener who seems to say exactly what she needed to hear.  I like helping other people and enjoy watching people shift from a negative state of being to a positive state after just one conversation. What I love most about the coaching process is the fact that I get to be present to a client getting lit up again about life, when they were at a point when it seems all is lost, or they are one step away from giving up.

LATP:  How has coaching been a benefit to you in your life?

Alanna Levenson:  In all the training programs I’ve taken, we as participants personally go through all the exercises, learning how to do it hands on and so we know what the experience will be like for our clients.  In the coaching program with iPEC we also establish pier coaching relationships.  It’s been wonderful having that same kind of objective, empowering support from a coach that I offer to my clients.  I’m human too and am always striving to become a better person.  Through the coaching and working with my piers I’ve been able to get complete and really let go of my old ways of being that had been holding me back.  Overall it has helped me become a more effective coach, being the example and one who truly walks the talk.

LATP:  How did you choose your coaching niche?

Alanna Levenson:  In the beginning I was confused about what niche to start out with.  It was suggested that if I’m not sure, that’s perfectly normal since technically I’ve been trained to coach in many areas and to see what comes to me in terms of type of client and what they need coaching on.  It also had a lot to do with what has shown up in my life.   I’ve been through a lot of job and career changes as well as many other intense life experiences that could easily make one crumble.  I have recognized for myself how I can choose to respond to what’s happening to me, seeing the challenges as opportunities, and how I can be at cause rather than letting these events stop me.

LATP:  What are some of the topics you coach your clients on?

Alanna Levenson:  Although my niche may focus on one or two areas, a lot of different circumstances and topics can surface during a session.  How we spend our time together is really guided by what the client wants to work on or talk about.  My areas of focus are on Career Transition and Development, as well as Personal Relationships and Communication. I’ve worked with single men and women who want to find a mate and improve their dating experience, as well as those in relationships who are trying to figure out if they want to stay in the relationship, enhance the relationship and improve their communication overall.  I’ve worked with clients who want change careers, or establish themselves by pursuing their dream. I help them come up with clear, easy to accomplish steps that move them in that direction, allowing their dreams to become an achievable reality.

LATP:  Tell me about the Coaching Certification Program you were trained by. Why did you take a program and choose the one that you did?

Alanna Levenson:  The Coach training program I took is through iPEC, The Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching. A few years before registering with iPEC and was ready to embrace my inner coach, I had looked into programs since I value education and was looking for structure in starting a practice.  In my second round of researching schools a few years later when I knew I was ready, I found iPEC and really liked their approach and format.  After completing the program it became even clearer to me how I couldn’t have found a better program for me;  the Founder of iPEC has incorporated some powerful principles of hypnotic language NLP techniques. I have also been educating myself about how quantum energy has an impact on us as humans and how we relate to one another; iPEC has increased my knowledge in that area.

LATP:  What made you also want to become a Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner?

Alanna Levenson:  I’ve been learning about NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and Hypnotherapy for a few years, the timing just felt right in adding this now as another modality to help my clients.  During the training, as I talked about before, I had my own breakthroughs when I was guided through the exercises myself.  I’m fascinated by how our thinking process and how our brain works. They in turn have an impact on our behavior and our interpretation of events and the world around us. 
Very specific tools are used depending on what comes up for the client. For example if a client is conflicted in trying to make a decision about anything, I can use a technique called Parts Integration that takes about 15 minutes.  This tool gives them the ability to not only make a clear decision but also makes it clear as to how the two conflicted parts themselves got created in the first place.

LATP:  When you first got started, what was your biggest challenge?

Alanna Levenson: My biggest challenge was one that I think is pretty common for a lot of new coaches; getting clients.  After getting clear about what my niche is, with networking, marketing and meeting people, my schedule seemed to fill itself up.  Staying open and thinking positively that the clients will come seemed to help too. You never know where they will come from; whether they were a participant in a workshop, someone you met at the dog park, at the local supermarket or a referral from a friend or past client.

LATP:  How has your professional and personal life experiences so far been a contribution to your success as a coach?

Alanna Levenson:  When I look at the path I’ve been on, both personal and professional, it has all been a contribution and has lead me to where I am today.  It is also interesting to see how I got where I am, I’m not so sure that there are any coincidences. Although I’ve had painful experiences and have made some bad choices like everyone else, I have no regrets. I believe that every experience I’ve ever had has been part of my training and preparation to make me stronger and to help my clients as well. It is detrimental to our well being to understand that we should enjoy the journey we’re on, that it’s not all about getting to the end result or goal. I am always reminding myself to focus on that which I am grateful for and what I can learn from my experiences; I encourage my clients to do the same.

Alanna Levenson conducts workshops, and does one on one coaching, both over the phone, and in person.  Depending on the needs and requests of her clients, she tailors her sessions to use Core Energy Coaching techniques as well as NLP tools and Hypnotherapy.  Alanna offers a 20 minute complimentary session and consultation to talk with you about where you are now, where you’d like to be and to see if Coaching, Hypnotherapy or NLP is right for you. You can learn more about Alanna Levenson, her rates, and coaching techniques by contacting her through her website at www.i-love-my-life.com. 

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