About Coach Helene
Since 1999, I have been engaged in the practice of coaching. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to create a private practice that integrates my passions and skills with inspiring projects and clients. My experience also includes over 20 years of service on the Coach U Faculty, where I enjoyed teaching the competencies and skills that are essential for new coaches to attain certification. I have achieved the highest certification in the industry, the MCC certification, after ascending through various ranks of certifications. During this time, I have also mentored and supervised numerous aspiring coaches who have attained their ACC, PCC, and other certifications.
I also specialize in training people to lead retreats and I am the Founder and Director of RetreatCoaches.com.com
Helene’s practice is a tapestry of clients:
- Executives leading organizations, corporations and teams
- Business owners
- Green Women seeking leadership skills
I have been an active member of diverse professional communities in both non-profit and for-profit sectors. While my clients are global, many have chosen to work with me directly in Colorado. They have either booked direct coaching sessions or gone through a retreat process. The women I work with are leaders seeking to set strategic plans, vision new projects, or receive direct coaching on upcoming successes or challenges in their careers. They come to the beauty of the Western landscape for these transformative experiences.
Before coaching, I was a clinical music therapist working with psychiatric patients. Additionally, I performed internationally with my partner and husband, Dave Van Manen, as an environmental children’s storyteller and musician and recorded albums still used by educators and families. My work also included public speaking and workshop facilitation on the healing power of music.
The Van Manens delightful, catchy and award winning music for children and families can be found on our three albums, Barley Bread and Reindeer Milk, We Recycle and Other Songs for Earthkeepers and Healthy Planet Healthy People.
My husband Dave Van Manen is a Green Leader in the field of non-profits and Nature Education. He recently released the book Walking In Awe: Musings of a Nature-Loving Nonprofit Director. He was the founder of the Mountain Park Environmental Center, a not-for-profit environmental education and retreat center that created opportunities for adults and children to learn about and connect with the natural world. Along with creating and developing numerous award-winning Nature education programs, Dave is the co-founder of Earthkeeper Nature School, a Forest Preschool and Kindergarten where Nature is the classroom.
Together we grow four seasons of vegetables in our geodesic GrowingSpaces.com greenhouse.
Our GrowingSpaces.com greenhouse allows us to grow greens and tomatoes every day of the year, even in the deep cold of winter. This is what we call “The Good Life” and contributes to our commitment to creating a new way of accessing and eating healthy foods.
Some of my personal interests include walking mountain paths outside my house, building community through local service work, slow food cooking, collecting songs, writing poetry and more. I am a Birth Activist, Slow Food Activist and Climate Change Educator
I understand women, their complexities of balancing work and life, and the different seasons of life they go through. The women I work with know the value of having a long-term coach. I coach individuals who are ready to find their voice and make an impact through their work and lives.
