Client Reflections
These reflections come from people I’ve worked with across different seasons of life and health. These words are shared with permission and offered here to give you a sense of what it can feel like to work together.
“Abby- my ‘chemo doula’- walked with me and my family through a very challenging time and I am deeply grateful for her care, support, encouragement, and generosity. Abby’s presence and guidance helped me plan and structure what I needed to do through my treatment. Abby’s disposition and engagement helping me navigate my situation was empowering and healing. This was a time where I knew I needed help but didn’t know exactly what to ask for, and I really needed people to show up for me. Abby showed up again and again and it was super helpful!”
-Cancer coaching client, treatment phase
“Working with Abby over the past few months has been an amazing experience. I came into coaching open but unsure if I “really needed it,” and was honestly shocked by how much came up once I truly dug in. The work went much deeper than I expected, and I found myself progressing through things I hadn’t realized were roadblocks for me.
I felt comfortable and safe in our weekly conversations, which allowed me to grow through grief and do some of the hardest work. I didn’t realize just how much I needed this support, and I would absolutely recommend working with Abby to my family and friends.”
-Cancer coaching client, post treatment
"I reached out to Abby a couple weeks before an anxiety causing event. I am a cancer survivor and, even though it has been several years since treatment, I knew I needed help to prepare for my semi-annual scan. My conversations with Abby were really amazing. She listened to me rehash the worst parts of my experience and provided validation for my deep, physical reactions. She suggested techniques for before, during, and after that could help me through the upcoming scan. In the follow up, we were able to talk about the future and her questions challenged me to make some honest observations about myself, my strengths, and my weaknesses. Above all, Abby cared about me in THIS moment. Her background in oncology care allowed us to speak the same language, but what was really impressive was her ability to see the cancer history (and anxiety) within the context of my family life. It's all interconnected. Abby is knowledgeable, compassionate and authentic. I would highly recommend working with Abby."
-Cancer coaching client, post treatment
It has been so helpful for me to work with Abby as I'm going through this cancer journey. I've especially appreciated her insight and support. Once we got started, I was surprised at how deep and wide the work is.
As someone with experience as an oncology nurse, Abby is able to explain results and to help me know when and how to communicate with my cancer team. As a compassionate coach, Abby is able to provide me with a safe space to explore my emotions, set goals and process all of the things that come up during this journey.
Cancer coaching client, continuous treatment phase
When I started working with Abby, I was struggling with burnout and feelings of lack of capacity in my dental practice. I was already seeing a therapist at the time but I was seeking more specific unity between me as a healthcare provider and me as a human being. My work with Abby has helped me de-compartmentalize my work life and my home life while also helping me place specific aspects of each of those lives in their proper circles of my concern, my influence, and my control. Abby introduced me to the concept of moral distress in our first session- Simply naming something I'd been feeling for years felt like a blast of fresh air into an extremely smoggy room and helped open up the possibility for growth and healing. Abby is also incredible at honing in on "what's going well" in the midst of the feeling that "so much is going wrong." I love how Abby helps me celebrate the positive changes that are occurring over time, regardless of their size or perceived significance. Coaching has been immensely helpful in ways that typical talk therapy usually doesn't address. I walk away from a coaching session with Abby with an adjusted mindset about what has happened in the past, increased capacity for the next task at hand, and joy in my heart. I love working with Abby Keller!
-Life coaching client
"I can't express how helpful it was to work with Abby before and after my surgery. I had so many questions and a lot of anxiety surrounding my first-ever surgery. She had amazing expertise, from exactly which questions I should ask my doctors about the procedure to help me understand the process to what foods I should eat after the surgery to help recover with less pain; since my bladder and bowel were involved in the surgery. My doctors were even impressed by my understanding of the procedures and asked me how I knew to ask the questions that I asked! Knowing exactly what was going to happen helped decrease my anxiety and feel empowered. Abby was thoughtful and understanding, a guiding beacon through the medical process which can be so confusing! She took great care to also create a list of all the supplies I would want to have for my time just before and after the surgery at a hotel. She knew all the tips and tricks to help me feel comfortable while I prepped and healed. I would recommend Abby's support for anyone navigating a health challenge."
-Health coaching client
"When Abby and I first started health coaching sessions, I was both very excited and very nervous. Since being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in November of 2017, I’ve often rejected support and opportunities to connect over my experience. To articulate my new life with diabetes felt like an impossible task, and I thought that if I could ever commit to improving it, I would have to be really “ready” to take it on. However, upon our first meeting, Abby took away this pressure. Unlike other coaching models I’ve seen, Abby didn’t want to “whip me into shape.” Her support came from a place of love, and the foundation that, all on my own, I was already enough. It was our regular meetings, though, that showed me what it could be like to live openly with it, free from guilt and fear. We would look at my blood sugar charts and brainstorm ways to keep track of my diabetes equipment, how to write notes to my doctor advocating for what I need, or just rant about how annoying it is to have to feed yourself 4+ times a day. Abby listens to you with the type of neutrality and compassion that grants this vulnerability, and then comes back with wisdom and insight to come up with real tangible plans. Through Abby’s thoughtful listening and encouragement, we explored many different areas of my life- some clearly relating to diabetes and others seemingly random- to gain a realistic perspective on what life looks like now with a chronic illness. I’ve done so many incredible things since our sessions, like walking El Camino de Santiago with my mom and learning to be easier on myself, and the confidence that Abby instilled in me has helped me get there."
-Health coaching client