Marlena is the creator of the Body-Centered Coaching Method™. She was fascinated by how the body plays an essential role in creating meaningful and sustainable change and worked for over 20 years, using a body-centered approach to become clear on their values and strengths, find their personal work-life balance, make better choices for themselves, set achievable goals, lower their stress levels and move through change.
Her extensive training in personal and professional coaching and leadership development included certification as a Certified Professional Co-Active® Coach through the Coaches Training Institute and an ICF Professional Certified Coach the International Coach Federation. She attended a two-year training in Hakomi Body-Centered Psychotherapy with Ron Kurtz and Jon Eisman. Her background includes being a therapist, acupressure practitioner and schoolteacher.
Marlena taught the Body-Centered Coaching Method for 20 years, both certifying coaches in the Body-Centered Coaching Method and licensing them to teach the method. In 2024 Marlena chose to retire and to “pass the torch” to Annalise Evenson to continue the work.
Marlena continues to be a life-long learner, especially as it relates to somatic coaching and therapy.
In 2022-2024 Marlena became interested in how the body’s wisdom can be incorporated in working with trauma of all kinds. She studied extensively, taking certification courses with Dr. Aimie Apigian from Trauma Healing Accelerated and her Biology of Trauma.
She also became fascinated with and studied the work of Tian Dayton, transforming relational trauma using sociometrics and psychodrama.
Marlena has re-located to Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada where she enjoys cycling, kayaking, hiking and walking the glorious beaches.