Advocacy is a new industry that works with people and organizations to promote, encourage and support necessary change.

Advocates do this by:

• Informing people/organizations of their rights.
• Reviewing all of their options.
• Referring to resources, guides, tools and specialized professionals to expand capabilities.
• Supporting the person/organization until they have the confidence to seek change on their own.

Advocates are the systems navigators – the ones who understand how parts and pieces of life are integrated.

Learn more about What is Advocacy?

Patient Advocates can assist in a number of different ways, however, most have specific areas of competency and specialization. For instance, I specialize in assisting women and children with healthcare navigation and general advocacy.

This includes: providing resources and guides to educate and inform; discussing a strategy to have health and financial needs met; answering insurance questions; researching care options; summarizing an action plan and formulating questions for healthcare providers, and many more.

Other advocates specialize in elder care or cancer diagnoses. Here is a listing of all of the competencies required by a Board Certified Patient Advocate.

I cannot give you a plan to follow as I do not make recommendations or give advice.

What I do is help you make your own plan.

As an Advocate, I can:

• Ask questions that bring clarity
• Provide information, tools, resources and guidance to answer your questions and build your capabilities
• Point out areas of concern that may not align with your values, priorities or goals
• Organize your thoughts and structure your plan so that it’s easier to follow and you have the confidence to take action
• Honor whatever decisions you make along the way

I fundamentally respect and value your autonomy – your right to live your life as you see fit and I provide you with the tools you need to live your best life, as you define it.

Generally coaches are seen as people who take your goal (get healthy, lose weight, increase performance, grow your money, etc.), develop a plan for you and hold you accountable while you implement it.

Coaches specialize in a particular area – health, financial, career, general life coaching.

Coaching can be an extremely effective tool at helping you meet your goals and overcome challenges.

What happens though when you don’t know what you need? When you don’t have a goal?

As an Advocate, I help you explore your whole situation and find the right next step for you.

That next step could be coaching, it may be an appointment with medical health professional, it could be some books or a course. It may just be a pep talk and validating that you got this!

Overall, I differ from a coach in that I serve as part Guide, part Librarian for your life – exploring all of your options, providing you with information and resources, discussing benefits and risks so that you can make an informed choice about your next step. 

As an Advocate, I see my role as a guide helping you find your way along your path.

I am here as your partner and teammate – we work together, offering each other feedback and collaboration to bring you clarity, increase your capabilities and grow your confidence so that you can continue down your path without me.

To do that, I offer direct questions that are designed to enlighten you to your own sense of direction.

This may include questions that you find are provoking, maybe even uncomfortable. 

Should that happen, I ask for honesty and feedback so that we may work through any tension and find a path forward.

In general, I’m a fairly direct person and like to “get down to business” quickly and make the most of our time together. 

I follow a strengths-based approach and am solutions-oriented.

I’m also very much a teacher at heart and love to educate and elevate the confidence of those around me.

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In short, I’m a former Big 4 Management Consultant turned Board Certified Patient Advocate whose mission is to co-create a world where women are thriving. Where they are not only thriving but they are wealthy, valued, and respected for all of who they are.

You can read more About Me and My Story.