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Let Life Coach Neil Shevlin Help You Achieve Your Goals

16th February 2024 BWM Staff

With everything going on in the world today it is easy to get sidetracked from your goals. We have so much to do and so many obligations to fulfill that we can sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. But there’s no reason to be discouraged. While life certainly will not slow down for us, there is help available out there in the form of a life coach.

A life coach is someone who can help you focus on your aspirations. They do this by taking an inventory of your current situation and then working with you to make positive changes in your life that will serve in the pursuit of your goals. As gay men and bears, our circumstances are somewhat unique, and therefore we are likely to have an even greater benefit from working with a coach who understands our distinct needs. Enter Neil Shevlin.

Neil Shevlin is a life coach and out gay bear with his own practice called Shamrock Soup in Sonoma, California. Originally from Ireland, Neil moved to San Francisco in 2015 and then to Guerneville three years ago with his husband and their Boston Terrier Larry. His background is in technology, having worked many years in IT; but with the help of a life coach, he realized that he was meant for something different:

“Five years ago, I got a life coach to help me with my career path and it was during this journey that I realized that I wanted to be a coach myself and that I had a passion to help others.”

After completing the process himself he went into coach training, becoming a Certified Co-active coach (CPCC) with the Co-Active Training Institute in San Rafael, CA (which is widely recognized as the most rigorous program in the industry) and followed that up by becoming certified with the International Coaching Federation (ACC).

Since then, there has been no turning back. Neil’s clients often come in to work on issues related to their personal relationships, careers and day-to-day matters. The process and length of coaching time varies for each individual, but Neil assures us that each program is custom tailored to the client. His practice embraces diversity so his clients come from all backgrounds and lifestyles but knowing that he is a member of our community; we asked how his identity could help with the coaching of bears specifically, to which he responded:

“The obvious answer to this is that I am a gay bear man myself and I understand a lot of common things we experience, however it goes deeper than that. My own background and experience allow me to listen carefully and be with my clients and dance with them as we work on things. The absence of judgement also creates a safe space for my clients who I care a lot for.

Neil with his husband and Boston Terrier Larry

We are all unique, however the things we experience are not, so ensuring that people do not feel alone is extremely important to me…At the time I was looking for a coach, I could not find many that I could relate to, and I thought it would be great if there were more coaches like me. What has been amazing is that I’ve received such positive feedback from both people in the community that I work with and from people interested in what I do. This is what gives me inspiration to keep growing and be better.”

So, if you have career, relationship or life goals you need to address, Neil might just be the coach you’ve been looking for. For more information head over to his website to set up a consultation. He sees folks virtually and in person in Sonoma. Oh! Be warned though, his dog Larry does tend to sit in on his sessions, but your secrets are safe with him!