Higher Vibes Coaching Blog
10 Truths About Recovery Every Coach and Client Should Know
Coaching someone in recovery—or doing the work yourself These 10 truths go far beyond ICF certification checklists. They speak to the real terrain of addiction, healing, and identity. If you’re a life coach, leadership coach, wellness practitioner, or trauma survivor learning to coach yourself back to wholeness—this is essential. Understand how harm reduction saves lives, why relapse isn’t failure, and how trauma, systemic oppression, and identity shifts shape the recovery process. Whether you’re holding space for someone else or reclaiming your own—this is the groundwork for coaching with clarity, care, and courage.
Hot Seat Therapy and 360° Reviews Are the Same Bullsh*t
Too many internal coaches and managers still measure growth by how well you conform to other people’s expectations—especially if you’re neurodivergent, BIPOC, queer, or disabled. The result? More masking. More burnout. Less truth. This post offers a radical reframe of feedback. We’ll also dig into why the beloved 360° review process often mirrors a shady group therapy tactic called hot seat therapy—and how both can go off the rails without care, consent, and context.
BIPOC Managers: Lead Without Losing Yourself
Being a BIPOC manager means balancing leadership, mentorship, and unspoken expectations—often at the expense of your well-being. Here, we break down the unique challenges, burnout risks, and systemic barriers BIPOC leaders navigate, backed by data, with actionable insights on how to lead without sacrificing yourself.
Marisol’s Story: Choosing Herself in a World That Won’t Stop Questioning Her
Marisol, a recent college grad, struggles with modern dating pressures, cultural misunderstandings, and so-called progressive men who don’t respect her boundaries. They even went as far as to call her racist for wanting to date within her culture. Through coaching, she learns to trust herself, set firm limits, and embrace dating on her own terms. Read her story.
ICF Ethics & Identity in Coaching: Why “I Can Coach Anyone” Is a Red Flag
Some coaches dismiss identity in coaching, violating ICF ethics and DEIB principles while gaslighting clients and peers. Learn why erasing identity isn’t neutrality—it’s unethical coaching that fails to create truly inclusive spaces.
The Myth of “I Can Coach Anyone”: How Lily Zheng’s FAIR Framework Elevates Coaching
Discover why the belief that “I can coach anyone” can be harmful to clients and the coaching profession in this eye-opening case study. Learn how Lily Zheng’s FAIR Framework (Fairness, Access, Inclusion, and Representation) can help coaches develop cultural competence and create truly equitable, client-centered coaching experiences.
10 Tips to Help ADHD Students Stay on Track When Home Life is Chaotic
When there’s a lot going on at home—whether it’s loud siblings, family stress, or constant distractions—staying focused can feel impossible, especially for students with ADHD. But with the right strategies, you can create a sense of control and structure, even in a busy environment. Here are 10 practical tips to help ADHD students stay on track. Not every tip will be a perfect fit, so experiment and see what helps the most. ADHD brains thrive with structure, movement, and rewards, so keep things simple, flexible, and fun!
Coaches: Using the Narrative Coaching Model Through an Intersectional Lens
Traditional narrative coaching often focuses on individual mindset shifts without addressing systemic oppression. An intersectional approach helps clients reframe their stories while acknowledging external barriers, validating lived experiences, and fostering both personal and collective empowerment.
Coaches: Make the Be-Do-Have Model More Intersectional
The Be-Do-Have Model is often framed in a way that assumes everyone has equal access to the same opportunities, but that’s not the reality for people navigating systemic barriers due to race, gender, disability, class, or other intersectional factors. If coaches want to make it more intersectionality-friendly, we need to acknowledge privilege and structural challenges and redefine success beyond dominant narratives.
Three Easy Ways for Teens with ADHD to Stay Organized
If you identify with ADHD, staying on top of school projects and goals can feel impossible. Long to-do lists get overwhelming, deadlines sneak up, and sometimes, your brain just doesn’t want to start. But don’t worry—you don’t need a complicated planner or strict schedule. You just need a system that works for your brain. Here are three simple and ADHD-friendly ways to stay organized for short-term, mid-term, and long-term projects.
How Coaching Helped Arjun Break Free from Family Expectations
Arjun, a high-earning Indian tech executive, spent years seeking his parents’ approval—until coaching helped him break the cycle. At a high-stakes family dinner, he finally asserts his independence, proving success isn’t just about legacy—it’s about choice.
The Dark Side of Coaching: Women Gatekeeping Women
Coaching promotes growth and inclusion, but behind the scenes, competition and quiet gatekeeping often tell a different story—especially for women of color. This is how a seasoned executive-turned-coach navigated subtle but persistent challenges from a fellow coach determined to keep control of the conversation.
Caregiving: The Unpaid Labor That Women Shoulder (And How to Set Boundaries and Reclaim Your Time)
Caregiving is unpaid, exhausting work that disproportionately impacts women, especially women of color, often forcing them to sacrifice their time, money, and well-being while society takes it for granted. Learn practical strategies to challenge this expectation, including how to set boundaries, push back against guilt, redistribute responsibilities, and reclaim your time—because caregivers deserve support, too.
Performance Coaching: A Perspective for Coaches & Clients
Performance coaching helps high-functioning professionals uncover their core motivations, break limiting patterns, and achieve sustainable success. The best coaching goes beyond surface-level strategies—it embraces identity-affirming, trauma-informed practices that align with a client’s whole self, creating deeper, lasting transformation.
ADHD Coaching for Teens: A Transformative Guide to Finding the Right Fit
ADHD coaching isn’t just another resource—it’s a game-changer that helps teens embrace their strengths, develop essential life skills, and build confidence. Whether you’re exploring coaching for the first time or seeking a better fit after outgrowing a previous coach, this guide will help you and your family find the right support and start the journey strong.