You’ve Lost the Inspiration and Meaning in Your Work
You’re feeling adrift. It’s as if someone has turned off the lights inside of you, and you can’t find the light switch to turn them back on. You’ve been operating at the edge of your capacity for so long that burn out, if it hasn’t already happened, is a real possibility. You may be experiencing deterioration with your physical health, emotional isolation, and disarray in your relationships.
And the hardest part for you? You’re doubting yourself, and seriously questioning your capacity and desire to continue doing international aid and development work.
Aid Worker Wellness is a six-month individual coaching program to guide you forward to wellness, balance, and full capacity functioning.
It’s time to stand strong in the world again. Imagine feeling:
Grounded enough to go after what you really want
Clear about what you need to do in order to support yourself
Balanced emotionally and physically
Connected to yourself, friends, family, and broader humanity
Excited about the future and what it holds for you
You’re Not Alone
My name is Kenden Alfond and I first conceived of this service when I was working in Afghanistan, where it dawned on me that there was little to no appropriate support for women working in aid.
I believe in the power of one-to-one support in certain moments during your life. To me, being a psychotherapist is my life’s primary vocation.
With Aid Worker Wellness, I provide the container for you to explore the challenges you’re currently facing and uncover insights that allow you to regain your physical, mental, and emotional health.
“I realized that I didn’t have the skills I need to continue to cope on my own. I also knew that I hoped to stay in my post for a number of years, so I decided to get some support in order to make that happen in a healthy way. Working with Kenden, I immediately felt clearer on where I was presently and where I was headed in the future. I now have a newfound ability to support myself in keeping a balanced life in the field! Kenden is ideally placed to work with expat aid workers, and the format and style of support is well attuned to the needs of this population. I’ve already recommended her to several friends in the field!”
How It Works
Aid Worker Wellness includes ten 60-minute coaching sessions conducted via Skype or phone.
During the first month, we’ll meet every week. The first 60-minute session is for assessment, and the next three 60-minute weekly sessions are to build momentum and progress.
After that, within the next five months we’ll meet for six additional 60-minute sessions (typically every other week).
Every session includes a pre-session focus form for you to fill out and a session record sent by me afterwards that includes key takeaways and homework assignments. These forms will be provided to you via Google Documents.
The cost: $1,800. (Payment plans are available.)
BONUS: If we determine that you would benefit from professional development as well, you can choose to use any of your 60-minute sessions after the first month with Charles. It’s like having two expert coaches for the price of one.
Good to Know
You can continue to work with me after the initial six-month period; most clients choose to work with me for a year or longer.
Depending on your needs, I draw upon a coaching and therapist toolbox that includes:
Somatic Experiencing
Humanistic Psychology
Co-active coaching
Self-care practices
Plant-based nutrition and plant-based eating
Referrals to trusted medical professionals
“I was a bit adrift when I found you! Burnt out, broken, and questioning my capacity and desire to continue doing the kind of work I was doing. You were compassionate, caring, and understood where I was coming from. I was able to shift my thinking around my work and expand my vision of what I could do. Working with you, I got my confidence back!”
“After my first session with Kenden, I thought to myself: ‘I should have started this kind of support a long time ago. You helped me figure out what had led me to burnout, and offered simple steps I could take to ameliorate this. I felt more confident just knowing there was a solution to what I had been feeling! With you, I managed to find clarity about what I truly needed in order to do a good job.”
FAQs
What’s the difference between coaching and therapy?
Coaching brings awareness and curiosity to your current challenges so that you can make better choices and move into action. Therapy deals with the psychological antecedent to the emotions you’re experiencing. I’m a psychotherapist who also happens to be a coach, so you’ll get the best of both worlds with this service! In addition, if during the course of our work together, we determine that you’re dealing with issues I cannot help with, I can refer you to trusted providers.
Which coaching ethics do you abide by?
I abide by the International Coaching Federation’s ethics, which you can find here if you’re curious to know more.
I’m trying to decide between personal support or professional development. Which one is right for me?
Most of our clients actually work with both of us at different moments of their coaching experience. We all have two parts to our lives--our personal life and our professional life. You may what to ask yourself: “What is most urgent?” and “Which part of my life needs my attention now?
I’m in-between assignments—is this service for me?
In between assignments is an opportune time to use this service. Aid Worker Wellness will help center you to be able to start your next assignment at full capacity and wellness!
I’m in the middle of a challenging post—is this service for me?
Yes, particularly if you feel you need additional tools and skills to manage the issues you are confronting. Also, know many clients come to Aid Worker Wellness while experiencing mental, emotional, or physical stress due to their work.
I’m working at headquarters right now—is this service for me?
If your work at headquarters does not inspire or motivate you anymore, or you feel that you are in a “toxic” work environment, then this service is definitely for you.
I’m a man—is this service for me?
Yes! About 20% of our clients are men. If Aid Worker Wellness resonates with you, we’d love to work with you.
What’s your refund policy?
If after two coaching sessions, you find that this service is not the right fit for you, simply send me an email and you’ll be refunded any fees you’ve already paid minus the cost of the two sessions (a pro rata refund).
How soon can I get started?
It depends on your availability; typically clients can get started with their first session two to four weeks from the initial consultation call.
To recap: With Aid Worker Wellness, you receive ten 60-minute coaching sessions over a six-month period with guiding prompts and homework to get you back on track to health and aligned with yourself. The cost is $1,800 and payment plans are available.