About Christopher Freeman

marginalized, and just didn’t feel they had anywhere to fit in. And whichever church employed me, the music boomed.

It was through leaning into this strength – and leaning into my own spiritual curiosity by getting a degree in Religion & Philosophy –  that I began to pursue a coaching track focusing on Spiritual Development and Community Groups. Everywhere I go, I meet people searching for a healthy, personal form of spirituality and craving the kind community that is difficult to build outside of religious organizations.

As someone who has endured religious trauma and spiritual harm, and is married to a therapist, I’ve come to realize the importance of the intersection between spirituality and psychology. Holding traditional religion accountable to the world of psychological/emotional health is a powerful shift for so many.  My role as a coach is to provide space to explore this kind of ethos.  While it is very important for me remain in my lane as a coach (aka, I am not a therapist) it is also important to know that I am passionate about (and educating myself on) the value of anything religious or spiritual serving healing and growth of an individual and not the other way around.

My Coaching Philosophy

Exploration Over Advice

Being ICF (International Coaching Federation) trained, my approach to coaching gives considerable emphasis on the client exploring and discovering their truths versus me offering insight or advice too quickly. This way, you are inspired to joyfully own your personal growth journey and foster trust in your own knowing and judgment. In so doing, you get to experience a kind of self-awareness that supports your personal and professional development.

Through a supportive environment and carefully crafted, open-ended questions, I encourage deep reflection and help clients uncover insights they may not have consciously recognized. When these moments occur, it’s a joy for all! By truly hearing not just the words, but the underlying emotions and unspoken messages, I help clients gain clarity on their own situations.

When appropriate, I may offer insights or suggestions, but only after thorough exploration of your own thoughts and ideas as I don’t want to dissuade independence and critical thinking skills and create a reliance on external advice.

You have the answers. I’m just helping you to access them.

Everything Is Accountable to Psychology and Neurobiology

As an ICF trained coach and the spouse of a therapist, I am incredibly passionate about coaching being held accountable to psychology and neurobiology – even when it comes to the spiritual development track I offer. All too often, I have observed people using religion/spirituality or other beliefs/biases to bypass difficult feelings and situations. But when we try to skip over the hard stuff and not give it the necessary attention, we sidestep the opportunity for growth and can even risk exacerbating underlying issues. 

In my work with my clients, I work intentionally to observe when this is happening and bring it to attention in nonthreatening ways, so we don’t miss major opportunities for positive change. Saying that, if it’s an area that feels too much for you to address (aka sets your nervous system on fire) or is more appropriate for a clinical therapist, we will change course (for the former) or I will refer you to the appropriate support (for the later).

Follow the Flow, and the Value of a Vulnerable Coach

It may seem like what I am about to say contradicts ‘Exploration Over Advice’ but hang in there with me. Traditional coaching values dictate a coach remove their personality and experience from the mix, suggesting this may place too much emphasis on the coach and not the client and actually disadvantage the client. While this premise is a baseline for me, my experience and education has also shown how transformative the client-coach relationship can be. And while it is true that there is incredible power in clients discovering a particular truth for themselves, humans crave a kind of constructively vulnerable dialogue that can, at times, be eclipsed by a strict coaching agreement.

Therefore, I will not try to be someone I am not (a blank canvas or plain mirror for a client’s internal world). Often, this leads clients to believe their coach has no personal stake in, or care for, their ultimate well-being. Also, sometimes clients find it helpful to hear personal stories or insights that could help them understand themselves and their own situations from a different vantage point.

But this, too, is client led. I may not offer my stories and insights without prompting, yet should we both understand how meaningful it might be for you, it is definitely up for exploration.

What Makes Me and My Coaching Unique

Peer Support

As someone who has undergone faith deconstruction and several major life changes, I have personal experience in much of what my clients bring to the table. While I don’t necessarily believe this HAS to be the case to be an effective coach, I have observed that it instills a more immediate sense of safety and connection with my clients.

I’m human, just like you. And I’ve had to engage my own healing, growth, and development journey. I can’t say it’s always been easy, but having constructive and caring supports around me during those times was invaluable.

Intersectionality

I am an individual of many interests, and these show up in my coaching. Beyond the basic skills as a coach, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience founded in the areas of Religion & Philosophy, Leadership, Psychology, and Meditation/Mindfulness (shout out to my amazing, therapist wife!). My commitment in these areas is essential to providing well-rounded, well-educated coaching.

Whole Person Coaching

Sometimes, we humans can have the tendency to want to treat a singular issue in a vacuum – as if it is not impacted by other factors in our internal and external environment and vice versa. But generally, this is not the case. We are complex beings whose various life aspects are intricately interconnected. Invariably, changes in one area will impact another and we will always keep this in mind when discussing your life/faith changes.

This means that during our time together, we will:

• Create a Comprehensive Life Map: We explore all areas of the your life to identify patterns, challenges, and opportunities. 
• Set Holistic Goals: Objectives are established that consider the interplay between different life aspects.
• Develop Integrated Strategies: Action plans are designed to create positive changes that resonate across various life domains.
• Monitor Ripple Effects: We carefully observe how changes in one area impact others, adjusting our approach as needed.

By embracing Whole Person Coaching, we move beyond quick fixes and surface-level solutions. Instead, we embark on a journey of profound self-discovery and holistic transformation, leading to more meaningful and sustainable life changes.

This approach acknowledges the beautiful complexity of human existence and honors the interconnected nature of our lives, fostering growth that is as multifaceted as the individuals I have the privilege to coach.

Spare time? What’s that? Oh Right, What I Do When I’m Not Working

I know we can be unfailing curious about those who help us professionally, so here’s a bit to wet your whistle.

Like I said, I have many interests. And my first love was, of course, music! I am a prolific musician who has played with touring bands and continues to ensure it remains an integral part of my life. My main instruments are the guitar and the Indian sitar. While I’m pretty proficient at the guitar, sitar is my elusive mistress (or rather mistresses…I have a lot of sitars) – always challenging my sense of self and leaving me wanting more! We spend time together in meditation every morning as she is my inspiration and my grounding place.

Health and learning are two other very important parts of my life. At the mid-life stage, I’ve spent many years trying to treat my body well so I can continue living this adventure alongside my beloved wife (who happens to be 14 years my junior). I have nothing to complain about. She keeps me young. And she makes me do yoga! Which, of course, I love now and can’t imagine my life without. My love for learning leads me to helpful podcasts, meditation and mindfulness practices, and psychology resources to deepen my own self-awareness and growth.

My wife has also gotten me into traveling! Who would have guessed I’d be willing to sell my stuff (my precious, precious stuff) and live nomadically? Not me! But now I love it and how it expands my mind and spirit and encourages me to live more imaginatively.

I must also mention my love for all things vintage NES, vinyl, and cocktails – without which, my spark of life would be dimmer. These are my giddy, child-like pleasures that keep me connected to the playful side of life.

 And LASTLY, I cannot leave you without mentioning the most important thing – my family. While I love my friends, my kids and my wife are everything to me. You know that wife I maybe mentioned once or four times already? She was the gift I never expected, never thought I deserved, and with her love, I now believe that nothing has ever been wrong with me. I just wasn’t understood. I didn’t understand myself, even. She has helped me heal from so many wounds, grow beyond what I ever thought possible, and she has loved me the whole way through. Thanks, babe