FXBG Neighbors Podcast
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
FXBG Neighbors Podcast
EP #172 Life Coaching That Actually Works
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You can be successful, capable, and still feel like something is off. That quiet tension, the burnout you keep downplaying, the confidence that dips when no one is watching, is exactly what we explore with Dorrette Stephenson of Village Gate Life Coaching LLC in Fredericksburg, VA.
We talk about what life coaching really is, who it’s for, and why you do not need a mental health diagnosis to want support. Dorrette shares the kinds of challenges her clients bring to the table: caregiving stress, career uncertainty, feeling overwhelmed, and the desire to grow into stronger self-esteem and clearer personal goals. She also explains what makes her approach different in the life coaching space, including decades of experience and her background as a licensed social worker.
You’ll hear what it looks like to work together in a practical way, starting with a 20-minute consultation and moving into 60-minute coaching sessions designed to build momentum. We also get to know Dorrette beyond her business, including her love of 18th and 19th century historical reenactment and how living fully connects to helping others move forward through life’s twists and turns.
If you’re looking for Fredericksburg life coaching, confidence coaching, stress support, or a structured way to make progress on goals that matter, this conversation gives you a clear picture of what to expect. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review so more neighbors can find the show.
Dorrette Stephenson
Village Gate Life Coaching LLC
Dorrette@villagegatelifecoach.com
(540) 395-4188
Welcome To FXBG Neighbors
SpeakerThis is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker 3Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of our favorite local brands. I'm excited to introduce you to my guest today. We've got Dorrette Stephenson joining us with Village Gate Life Coaching LLC. Dorrette, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 1Thank you for accommodating me. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3Yeah, well, I'm really excited about this and excited to learn more about you and your business.
What Life Coaching Is For
Speaker 3So let's start there. Share with us. What is Village Gate Life Coaching?
Speaker 1So Village Gate Life Coaching is on life coaching, individual life coaching. I do personal um life coaching with um individuals who are they are doing fairly well. They do not have a um like a mental health diagnosis, but they are trying to um work on a particular area of their lives. Um perhaps they're taking care of a relative or um job situation, their career, they're having some some kind of uh stressful uh situation that they need to kind of talk through with a professional, um, or they're simply just wanting to challenge themselves and explore um, you know, things like their confidence, uh building self-esteem, um, just working on personal goals and personal um development. And I'm here to help them do that.
Speaker 3Amazing. I'm really glad that you just went through a couple of different types of scenarios to give examples of what life coaching uh can do. It's it's kind of a concept that I've only heard about a few years ago. And so I feel like when you were describing it, anyone can benefit from it because everyone has you know goals that they want to achieve. And so I just love the concept of life coaching so much.
Speaker 1Thank you. I love it too.
Speaker 3Well, I can tell when you're talking about it.
Why Her Background Stands Out
Speaker 3And so tell me, what would you say sets you apart in the life coaching industry?
Speaker 1So um life coaching for life coaching, most people or um, I would say they you do not have to have any kind of formal licensing or qualifications, but it definitely helps. And so for me, I'm actually a licensed social worker. Um, I have uh decades of experience in helping uh others uh with their concerns, life concerns, working for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services for uh 20 plus years, and um and decided that um after I um completed, let's say completed, because I didn't feel completed my successful career, um it is very much who I am, and I wanted to continue to to use my skills and my experience that I acquired for so long. And to be quite honest, it is very much in my nature just to to help and and and want to, uh, especially women, to help um uh empower them, um you know, just empower people to just be the best that they can be. So many people doubt themselves, they doubt their abilities, and they, I can't do this, I don't think I can, and they just need that little push, and that's where I come in. And so being a licensed social worker and having all those years of experience helping others, it is just absolutely a great transition that I started my life coaching business about three almost four years ago.
Speaker 3Amazing. I'm so impressed by your background, and that just makes you so incredibly qualified to do this.
How Sessions Work Week To Week
Speaker 3And so, if someone is listening and who who doesn't have experience with life coaching, what could they expect working with you? Like, talk a little bit about the process.
Speaker 1Okay, so um what I tend to do is I offer a 20-minute um kind of a consultation. I want to get to know what it is that the individual would like to achieve and goals and what they'd like to work on. Um, so I get to know them. I kind of talk a little bit about my background so they get to know me as well, because my goal is to work collaboratively with the individual. It's not me just telling them what to do or um, you know, it's it's a team. And so what will would happen is that I have that conversation, and then we would set up a time, it will be a 60-minute session, and we will talk about whatever it is that they that's on their mind that that they want to talk about, that they want to address, that they uh you want to set goals for. Um is it is it a career situation? Is it um uh, as I said, burnout? Are they feeling overwhelmed with caring for children, uh, a loved one? It could be any type of situation. Um, I'm here to help them do that. And we would just go through the session, and then um I like to do weekly sessions to s to begin um because we have to build um like a momentum and a and a rapport with each other. Um, and then we continue, and it's entirely up to the individual how often they want to meet after we've met a few times.
Speaker 3Amazing. I love it. I love I feel like this could benefit everyone.
Speaker 1I agree.
Speaker 3So clearly you are working very hard in your
History Reenactment And Loving Life
Speaker 3business. So tell me when you're not uh life coaching, what are you doing for fun?
Speaker 1All right, well, I have a pretty fun life. I think I've always had a fun life. I have a great outlook on um on life, and I think life is meant to be lived. Um, and I have done that very well, and um, so one of my favorite things to do, I am a um I do 18th, 19th century reenactment, and I love to dress, and so I can dress up in you know the corsets and the big, you know, dresses and the boots and the fancy shoes and all of that, and you know, um and and then um really try to educate um folks at these functions and we we travel, I travel with a group of women, um, and we travel and and and teach others about history, which I also love. I I kind of developed that. I certainly didn't like history in school, but as I have um gotten older and I've you know I just have a passion for history, and it's it is one of the reasons why I moved to Fredericksburg. I just love the the history, um, looking at you know the Civil War and you know, thinking about um Shiloh Old Site and that was used as a union hospital, and just so much history here. Um and so dressing up and and and frolicking around and you know, um just just just I love people and I love to be with people, and um, that's one of the things that I do, but I also love to travel, which it kind of that helps me to do that as well.
Speaker 3I love it. You are definitely living your best life. It sounds like so much fun, the reenactment.
Speaker 1And it's full for everyone, right?
Speaker 3Oh my gosh, so much fun. I love it.
Traits Of A Great Life Coach
Speaker 3So if someone listening is thinking about becoming a life coach or you know has has maybe thought about that as a career path, what advice would you give them?
Speaker 1So I I would um let me see, I would say that um you have to be uh a person that love people. I think I think that is key. I think the other thing is being a good listener. Being, you know, and listen, listening to someone without being judgmental, without judging, you know, why they did this or the other. Um and and I think it does help to um really be in tune with your own lived experience. I have a a lot of experience in life, um, not because of, you know, some of it obviously is age, but also um, this is the third country I've lived in. And so, you know, I have a very broad perspective of the world and of people. And um, I think I think just being really open-minded and and and you know, just being ready for anything someone is going to bring to you to help them solve. And so I think that type of person um would do well. Those are some of the qualities that I think. And and they're more of it. I think those are the main ones. You have to love what you do.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah. Thank you for that.
What Clients Gain And How To Connect
Speaker 3So, what is something that you wish the listeners knew about village gate life coaching?
Speaker 1Um that you have that they they have a a seasoned um woman here um who has a lot of life experience. So when I when I coach, I'm not just talking about also my academic life, my my former academic life, um, and what I've learned about people and human nature and and and and concerns and issues and all the things that we all go through at different times. You know, there are stages. Um, I have this saying um life is full of twists and turns. And so we all have those. And so I think um, or I know that what I bring to the table is a lot of um knowledge, but also compassion and and genuine care and and the desire to to help. And I'm here.
Speaker 3Amazing, amazing. I can feel it. So if the listeners want to work with you, if they want to learn more from you, connect, where can they find you?
Speaker 1So I can be found on my email addresses dorrette @villagegate lifecoaching.com. And my phone number is I almost said Massachusetts. Is my phone number (540) 395-4188. I can also be found on Instagram at Village Life Coach The Number 7 or on Facebook as Dorrette B Stephenson LCSW.
Speaker 3Amazing. Dorrette, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today and sharing Village Gate Life Coaching with us.
Speaker 1Thank you, and you have a wonderful day. Thank you.
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