Being coached by Dr. D was incredibly insightful. She was able to see past my story I had created for myself and called me out on it. Dr. D brings all of her tools as coach and as a PhD Psychologist to my sessions. It's like personal training for the soul. It's not always easy, but it's incredibly rewarding. I would recommend Dr. D to be anyone's personal coach all day long.
U.M. FASHION INDUSTRY / ENTREPRENEUR
DR. D challenged me and I was baffled. After I took a long hard look and challenged her back, I had to get honest with myself. I was struck upside the head with a 2x4. There is no doubt that God has his hand in bringing Dr. D into my life as my coach.
G.M. Banking/Entrepreneur
I have the great fortune of calling Deanna vansickel my friend and my coach. Deanna possesses all the attributes one desires in a friend – warmth, caring, honesty, loyalty. Those same attributes were important when I asked Deanna if she would consider being my coach. I also needed something more – someone that would not let me get away with anything less than absolute honesty with me. Deanna helps me understand my values and how they impact my response to life situations. She is brutally honest and helps me be brutally honest with myself. She is encouraging, inspiring and makes me a better player in this game of life. I am grateful that Deanna agreed to be my coach. I am blessed that she is my friend.
JW. Sr. Exec
“Dr. D has taught me - there is no dress rehearsal to my beautiful life as it unfolds and evolves. Because of her ability to ‘meet me where I was at’, I trusted, gave her my truth to which she challenged me in a strong, but loving way. I now live open and ready for whatever the Universe sends me and am 100% responsible for what I put out to the Universe.”
S.R., Sr. Exec.
Dr. D you have taught me the difference between BEING and DOING, COPING and HEALING, and the POWER of HUMILITY.
KB. Higher Ed
“I became to see my worth through the eyes of my truest self and soul, versus through accomplishments, achievements and other people’s opinions (which is something I always craved).”
ED. business owner
“She is brutally honest and helps me be brutally honest with myself”
“I became to see my worth through the eyes of my truest self and soul, versus through accomplishments, achievements and other people’s opinions (which is something I always craved).”
LA. Author
“I am much better and more equipped to take on coaching others”
Dr. D is very knowledgeable and has a wealth of experience. Not only did she teach me/the students how to be a better Executive coach, she was also there to share in our passions and successes, but also in building back up from our setbacks and failures as we ventured out into the field. Yo Her experience and knowledge has been extremely valuable to my growth. I/we are much better and more equipped to take on coaching, with her guidance, feedback and insights she provided. With utmost respect and sincerity.
MBA studenT
“Encouraging, inspiring and makes me a better player in this game of life”
"I have the great fortune of calling Dr. D my coach. She possesses all of the attributes that I need in a coach, warmth, caring, honesty, and loyalty. On the other side of that, she is someone that does not let me get away with anything less than absolute honesty with myself. Dr. D helps me understand my values and thoughts and how they impact my response to life situations. She is brutally honest and helps me be a better player in this game of life.
LN. Medical
"When dealing with life and the unexpected bumps or even thrills, Dr. D has been the solid source through her coaching. There are times when I do not want to hear the truth, but she will subtly and kindly point out facets of my life I have easily overlooked. I have never once felt ridiculed or embarrassed. There is not a subject out of her realm. She consistently makes me feel at ease, and often times, eager for my next coaching session. In helping me looker deeper into myself, she also has the gift to make me feel special and she is truly elated when I do well. Dr. D is top-notch and consider yourself lucky if she has crossed your path on your life journey."
LT. Accountant
"When I was in a crisis time in my life, Dr. D was there to help me gather my strength, think about the future and how I wanted it to be - then develop with me a concrete plan to work toward that future. She helped me along the way and was there for support and encouragement when I needed it. Her professional skill and her warm, personal manner provided the environment I needed to begin to heal and move forward. I will always be grateful to God that Dr. D was there when I needed her most."
CF. Professor
“A better me over and over again”
"Dr. D supervised me during my mental health practicum while in graduate school. She amazed me with her knowledge and kindness. She guided her clients to success with respect and intellect. I was able to witness her ability to coach others to their own personal best and form relationships with people from all walks of life. I participated as an instructor in a strengthening families program. It was such an honor to again be present as Dr. D encouraged both clients and instructors to find their way to betterment with her special brand of consideration and enthusiasm. Everyone left each meeting feeling fulfilled and inspired. When my child was diagnosed with a chronic disease, Dr. D stood by me during my darkest hours and helped me find strength within to move forward. She has helped me to become a better me over and over again. The amount of respect, admiration and adoration I have for her can't be measured. She is truly one of a kind."
TP. Mental Health Practitioner and Teacher
“Someone I would let in”
"Going into my first meeting with Dr. D, I didn't have a very open mind. I usually don't let people in my life because that gives them the power to potentially hurt me. Dr. D was someone my mom knew, and so automatically I thought it was going to be horrible considering me and my mom are in conflict, alot. From the first day I met her though, I knew she was someone that I would want to keep in my life. I felt safe around her and comfortable telling her my secrets that no one else knew. Like I said I don't let people in my life very often because my fear of others hurting me overpowers any good that could potentially come from a relationship, but Dr. D was someone I let in. We don't see each other as often anymore, but she is someone I love and care deeply about, even if I am not so good at expressing it. I know she is always there for me whenever I need her and she is just a phone call away. Whenever we talk it is like we never stopped, she still remembers details from a long time ago and that helps a lot with everything. I hope to never lose her in my life because she has become a friend to me."
— academically gifted student who attempted suicide
"I really looked forward to those calls to help me move forward with my life"
I was referred to Dr. D by a good friend that used her coaching sessions to help him through some difficult times. I was going through some issues several years later and just wasn’t comfortable talking to someone about my life changes. One of the big reasons I didn’t want to work with Dr. D was she was not local to where I lived and I felt I needed someone I could sit across from to get the full experience of a coaching session. However, I finally got to a point in my life that I needed someone and someone good because I didn’t want to waste my time and I wasn’t inclined to talk easily about my feelings/situation so decided to give her a try based on my friend’s experience of her. I thought, “What the heck, the first call was free and I didn’t have anything to lose but an hour of my life! If we didn’t connect, then nothing lost.” We scheduled our initial call and wow, I really connected with her listening skills and professionalism. I really looked forward to those calls to help me move forward with my life. I received a lot of great coaching and yes she gave homework in between sessions that helped me get on track!
It’s now been over 8 years and I just referred my adult daughter to her who is having like issues (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree)! I know that Dr. D can get her to back on track.
J.Senior Executive - Financial Industry
“Uncover, Understand and Realize”
Initially I contacted Dr. D to be a keynote speaker, little did I know at that time what a blessing she would be beyond the keynote. Dr. D's energy is contagious and exhilarating. Her wisdom is far beyond her chronological years. She has a strong understanding of people and their emotions. I have seen her with clients in workshops, as well as have experienced her in my own life, her sharp perception of what is really happening in peoples' minds. Myself and others walked away from the workshop with a sense of calm confidence, as well as, a reassurance that I/we were indeed a strong person capable of making anything possible. Dr. D is assertive, positive, sensitive, nurturing, poised, confident, uplifting and energetic, which leaves one feeling eager to get on with their life, empowered, and strengthened by the way Dr. D helps to uncover, understand and realize their true potential.
Director of leadership and learning, Non-Profit
“After my coaching session with Deanna yesterday something shifted in me. During a hearty in depth discussion on the value of self she asked me to rate my health on a scale of 1 to 10. I have a lot of knowledge and wisdom about the mind, body, and soul and how important it is to be mindful and present in taking care to remain healthy. The some timers’ disease and the pressing disease were dragging me down mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I was out of balance. By that I mean “if” I had the time to be mindful and tend to my spiritual, emotional, and physical needs I then felt better. Usually it took not feeling well, a weight loss challenge, a family wedding or a trip to press the urgency in paying attention to myself. God calls us to be fruitful in our lives. He wants that balance for us. We are called to be the branches, he the vine dresser, and Jesus the vine. Looking back I felt at times the fruit I was producing was plastic fruit being duck taped to the branch. I believed on that scale of 1 to 10, I was a healthy 6. Deanna challenged me with her thought that I was at a number 2. I was baffled. After I took a long hard look and challenged her number, I had to get honest with myself. I was struck upside the head with a 2 x 4. There is no doubt that God had his hand in bringing Deanna into my life as my coach. Her unconditional love, heartfelt encouragement, truth, wisdom, and knowledge from her life have been fruitful in mine. Because my branch was lovingly cut back and made smaller in a raw and truthful way….I can now see just what kind of beautiful luscious fruit my life’s journey has the potential to produce. I am not perfect but I am becoming more mindful and aware of making authentic choices to care for myself. I can then love, lead, and be fruitful in my marriage, as a mother, friend, sister, coworker, and daughter. I am still on the journey. Deanna has given me the encouragement to nurture those seeds that God has planted in me. I am more aware of making intentional choices every minute.”
GM.banker/entrepreneur
“A couple of years ago I embarked on a life journey, not really realizing at the time where it would bring me. My investing in a leadership coach taught me that in order to lead others and to achieve my full potential in life, that I first needed to lead myself - and in order to do that, I needed to fully BE myself.
Dr. D helped me to navigate through some difficult work and personal circumstances, which gave me clarity and solace, when at times I questioned if my reactions/feelings were “normal” and to realize that I wasn’t going mad.
I think when you work with a coach like Dr. D, you become known and understood at a deeper level. She will probe you, push the limits with you, expose your blind spots, challenge you and channel your focus so you can see the wood from the trees and appreciate them both.
The work has enabled me to take some bold steps, to work on a life by design, rather than default, to challenge the status quo, to question how I was showing up and to be responsible for the qualities of me that I was bringing to every situation; I now speak up for myself.
SR.CEO
I understand through coaching with Dr. D what my top 3 core values are and how to act from that place, especially through navigation of trying challenge. I feel strong and present, which comes off as confident in my leadership of others.
Coaching has enabled me to have the ability to learn that we are only human and that those trying times when you are at the edge of your comfort zones, are the times in which you grow the most - if you stand up, show up and play full out.
I now realize that my life is a journey, not a destination. That growth, development, learning, exposure, vulnerability can be utilized through an appropriate coach like Dr. D.
I am grateful and thankful for the discipline it has shown me, for challenging me to be accountable to myself as the pilot and driver on my journey of life, rather than a passenger.