MENU Back to News Home BATTERMAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, CU HERE, FEATURED, NEWS, SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, SCHOOL OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS, STUDENTS Concordia now offers life coaching services to students at no charge BY: KALI THIEL, STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS October 14, 2021 Share: FACEBOOK TWITTER LINKEDIN EMAIL LOOKING FOR A DEGREE? We have dozens of flexible accelerated and graduate degrees available for adults — online, in-person or at one of our Wisconsin regional centers. Fill out this form to get more information. FIRST NAME LAST NAME EMAIL NEXT EMAIL US Do you have a story idea or media inquiry for Concordia’s Strategic Communications team? Send an email to news@cuw.edu. Concordia University Wisconsin continues to innovate and diversify its portfolio of mental and emotional health offerings for its students in an effort to meet the highest standard of practice in alignment with Concordia’s mission. This fall, the university launched a life coach pilot program for students that is being funded by Concordia’s Student Life Office. Currently enrolled students now have access to a slate of certified life coaches free of charge. Concordia is the only university in the state to include coaching among its repertoire of services for students. The coaching model is not specifically designed for individuals that need mental health counseling; students continue to have access to licensed counselors through CUW’s Counseling Center. Instead, life coaches are a type of wellness professional who helps individuals make progress in their lives through strategies such as goal setting, accountability, and confronting cognitive distortions. “We recognize that we have a broad spectrum of students that we serve at Concordia in terms of their cultural backgrounds, belief systems, and wellness needs,” says Professor Tracy Tuffey, psychology chair and one of Concordia’s life coaches. “The goal is to expand the options they have in front of them so that they can find encouragement, support, and help.” What to expect Students can request a life coach by contacting Concordia’s Student Wellness Intake/Triage Coordinator Rebecca Hasbani or by stopping by Albrecht 115. Appointments are recommended, but not required. A life coach will then reach out to set up an initial meeting with the student to discuss his or her emotional, intellectual, or vocational training goals. The coach and the student together will determine the frequency of their meetings but, in general, students could expect to check in about once every other week with a coach. There is no obligation to meet long-term with a life coach. Some students could benefit from a one-time connect, for example, says Concordia Social Work and Child Life Chair Dr. Charnetta Gadling-Cole, who also serves as a life coach. Meet Concordia’s life coaches All of the Concordia faculty and staff members below have completed life coach certificate training through Positivity, an app-based therapy, support, and coaching service that was founded by Dr. Daniel Upchurch, a professor and psychologist with more than 15 years of experience working in mental health. Concordia’s coaches include: Kari Metts, MSEd (Life Coach Coordinator) VETERAN OUTREACH COORDINATOR Tracy Tuffey, MSW PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT CHAIR Sarah Collins, DSW, MSW MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK DIRECTOR Kenneth Harris, PhD, MBA JUSTICE AND PUBLIC POLICY DEPARTMENT CHAIR/ASSISTANT DEAN Charnetta Gadling-Cole, PhD, MSW SOCIAL WORK AND CHILD LIFE DEPARTMENT CHAIR Eugene Pitchford, MSEd BLACK STUDENT UNION ADVISOR Learn more Visit cuw.edu/health-wellness to learn more about health and wellness opportunities for students. — This story is written by Kali Thiel, director of university communications for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at kali.thiel@cuw.edu or 262-243-2149. If this story has inspired you, why not explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving. CUW partners with Glendale-River Hills to improve reading fluency among elementary students PREVIOUS STORY Veterans Day: For those who are called to serve, service never stops NEXT STORY APPLY GET IN TOUCH CONNECT WITH US: FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE LINKEDIN Concordia Wisconsin Campus 12800 N Lake Shore Drive Mequon, WI 53097 262-243-5700 admissions@cuw.edu Employment © 2021 Concordia University Wisconsin ADMISSIONS High School Students Graduate Students Online Students Adult Accelerated Students Veterans Financial Aid CAMPUS Coronavirus Health Update ADA Compliance Athletics Fine Arts Christian Life Diversity and Belonging Map & Directions Title IX ACADEMICS Undergraduate Degrees Graduate Degrees Adult Accelerated Degrees Online Degrees Continuing Education Transcript Request Bookstore Concordia Central TO THE TOP RELATED INFORMATIONOutreachMeet your 2020-21 Haven musiciansConcordia, Business partners quintuple Covid...