Meet Caitlyn Proco | Certified Life Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caitlyn Proco and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitlyn, how do you think about risk?
To me, the first step of taking a risk is allowing yourself to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable. Processing a potential risk is going to bring up every doubt in your mind – as your brain is trained to give you evidence for whatever it is you’re looking for. If you allow yourself to feel discomfort, you are then one step closer to discovering what is waiting for you outside of your comfort zone. This mindset is what drove my life the last five years. After graduating with my BA in Psychology in 2015, I moved to Aspen, CO to New Zealand to Spain. Was I nervous before each move? Absolutely. Did I calculate potential risks? Of course. Would I change a thing? Not one. You see, risks come in all shapes and sizes and mine came in the act of moving my entire life to new places with no familiar faces. I was choosing to be uncomfortable because I knew growth would happen there. I had been living inside of my comfort zone for so long that I decided I was going to stop Googling the life I wanted and start living it. What I love about taking risks is that they quickly turn into opportunities. Fast forward 5 years and 7 places I’ve called home later, I found my “why?” behind it all and went back to school to get certified as a Life Coach. The years I spent chasing stories suddenly all made sense – as the stories were never about me, but about the people I met along the way. Now, I get to use perspective, possibility, and strategy to show others how powerful their minds are and that their entire life can change by a single thought.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I was 26 when I hired my life coach. At the time, I was navigating change and uncertainty and I knew I could benefit from talking to someone neutral that had no expectations or judgment of my life. And it changed everything. I thought I was already happy, so I was blown away when I began to experience how much happier I was capable of being. After only a few sessions, I told her “I want to be on the other side of this screen, I think this is what I was meant to do.” Within the next couple months, I applied to The Life Coach School where I was able to put my Psychology degree, my life experiences, my passion of being in the service of others all in one place and now, I am a Certified Life Coach at Elevate Counseling + Coaching, a private practice that provides both therapy and coaching. We incorporate a holistic approach to address mental and physical health, wellness, and personal development. I am incredibly proud to be using my coaching certification beside a Licensed Therapist, and being apart of bridging the gap between two facets of mental health that can fully coincide. Creating a career in life coaching comes with a lot of challenges, as it is an industry where you have to really set yourself apart from others. I use causal coaching where I am focused on finding the root cause of each symptom, understanding it, then helping my clients make room for new success and fulfillment. I am motivated by any opportunity to show a client how their lives will change from hiring me as their coach. Remember that comfort zone I mentioned earlier? Well, being a Life Coach inspires me to leave it everyday – sending the email, making the call, offering free consultations, all while being okay with potentially being rejected. We all experience rejection – personally and professionally, and allowing it to simply be what it is really shows you how powerful your mind is. You see – your thoughts create your feelings, so instead of choosing to sit in rejection, I intentionally form the thought “I will find better ways to reach my clients ” and then a feeling of motivation is created and much greater action comes from that place for me. What I want everyone to know about Life Coaching is that you do not have to be going through something hard to benefit from hiring a coach. People seek out life coaches for a multitude of reasons – it could be a significant life change, high levels of stress or anxiety, lack of fulfillment, inability to break unwanted habits, or simply for help in creating a happier, more meaningful life. I pride myself in being a kind coach who will also challenge you to be the person you are wanting to be, accomplishing the goals you’re avoiding, committing to yourself and your future, all while laughing with you along the way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I moved to Atlanta three months ago and am quickly learning what all there is to love about this city. I live at the battery and love the walking accessibility of this area. When a friend comes to visit, we would spend the afternoon hiking to the bamboo forest at the end of the East Palisades trail then head down to PH’EAST for live music and Asian street food. When the Braves are playing, we grab our chairs and take them down in front of the big screen to watch the game. I am still actively Googling “things to do in Atlanta” so the rest is to be determined.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It is a privilege to dedicate this to my parents, Rene’ and Gary. They have showed me how powerful love is from the beginning. Every accomplishment has meant more and every disappointment has hurt less because of them, as I know, everything I am is everything they are. Thank you, mom and dad, for creating a life that inspires me everyday. And I am sorry for all the sleepless nights you have had because of me over the years, I promise I won’t skydive again.

Website: www.elevatecounselingco.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitlynprocoaching/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlynproco/