Skip to content
Courtney Harris Coaching
  • About
    • About Courtney
    • What is Coaching?
    • Core Values
  • Services
    • Coaching Services
    • Birth Work
  • Blog
  • Contact
Menu Close
How to Navigate Family Conversations about Money

How to Navigate Family Conversations about Money

  • Post author:Courtney Harris Coaching
  • Post published:November 17, 2020
  • Post category:Real Talk for Teens/Talking with Teenagers
  • Post comments:0 Comments

Money is a challenging subject to discuss for many parents, caregivers, and grandparents, and even for many teens and young adults. Contrary to popular belief, money is not just about numbers or facts.

Continue Reading How to Navigate Family Conversations about Money
How To Make Your Holidays Peaceful And Easeful

How To Make Your Holidays Peaceful And Easeful

  • Post author:Courtney Harris Coaching
  • Post published:December 10, 2019
  • Post category:Self-Care for Parents
  • Post comments:0 Comments

No matter where you fall on the spectrum of stress and ease as you anticipate the next event, intention-setting can be a powerful practice. Intentions will support you in staying clear and grounded both individually and as a family.

Continue Reading How To Make Your Holidays Peaceful And Easeful
How to Make Tough Family Conversations Successful

How to Make Tough Family Conversations Successful

  • Post author:Courtney Harris Coaching
  • Post published:December 11, 2018
  • Post category:Quick Connection Tips/Restorative Practices for Families/Uncategorized
  • Post comments:0 Comments

As you engage in tough and important conversations, these 3 tools will help you make a successful connection.

Continue Reading How to Make Tough Family Conversations Successful

Archives

Connect on Instagram

courtneyharriscoaching

Life Coach for Teens & Parents
♡ she/her
♡ M.Ed
♡ 1:1 coach for young people
♡ parenting support
♡ Companion for Birth & Beyond @companioncourtney

Courtney Harris Coaching
New podcast episode alert! I’m so honored to hav New podcast episode alert! I’m so honored to have been a guest on @topknotsquad . Here’s what they say about our chat: “On this episode, the squad talks about anxiety and adolescence. While our kiddos aren’t teenagers yet (though Naya’s about to be mom to a tween and Alexis feels like she’s parenting a teen lol), we’re always happy to learn more about ways to help them through tough moments. Okay, that’s putting it lightly - when we think back to ourselves being teens, there’s a lot of cringing and we aren’t looking forward to what’s to come. To learn more about ways to support our older children and teens with anxiety, we’ve brought on our guest, Courtney Harris.” Visit the link in my bio and “podcast features” to listen!
"The holidays are coming, and your teens and young "The holidays are coming, and your teens and young adult children might have seemingly extravagant wish lists: cars, laptops, phones, clothes, shoes, and trips, to name a few common examples. After the holidays, spring is right around the corner, which means that many high school seniors will be deciding where to attend college, and sophomores and juniors might be beginning the admissions process, or exploring other options. Similarly, young adults may be graduating from college or professional schools or entering the job market. Whatever your family’s situation might be, these scenarios all have one thing in common: talking with teens and young adults about money." Check out this week's guest blog by @molli.osburn for tips for navigating conversations about money. This one is for adults AND teens/young adults! Link in bio, as always.
Hello friends, Sometimes we just need to sit arou Hello friends, Sometimes we just need to sit around and talk about nothing and anything at all, right?! Sometimes we have to throw our plans out the window. (2020 has been the master teacher of this lesson.) Likewise, sometimes when teen clients show up to session, they just need to talk. They just need to be heard and seen. They want to tell me about their new book or their video game or about the new shirts they bought or the recipes they love. While we don't usually spend the whole session this way, I am mindful and responsive to how clients arrive. Plus. it's a true honor to get to learn about them and their lives! Life is not a board game where we move our game piece from one square to the next. It's organic. There are a lot of twists and turns. Rather than linear, it's more of a spiral or even a messy scribble. Thus, the coaching experience, too, is organic and flexible. While I offer clients accountability and opportunities to explore new skills and strategies, and while I offer consistency, I do not follow a curriculum, and I do not force agendas. I share this today not only to give you a glimpse into my work but also to invite you to consider how you, too, are practicing this way of BEing in your work or life. And if you aren't yet, perhaps this can be an invitation to consider where you would benefit from organic, responsive attention. Where and how could you be a little more go with the flow? What agendas can you drop? What rules can you let go of? What joy and pleasure can you tend to-- just because? With consensual hugs, <3 Courtney (she/her)
There are times when we have choices, but we feel There are times when we have choices, but we feel like we have to stick with it, deal with it, stay committed, take it, or whatever. Like we are doing the “moral,” “right,” strong, admirable, or brave thing by sticking with it. (It being whatever challenge or struggle you might be sitting in at the moment.) These beliefs sometimes cause us to override our needs. They push us to struggle through something we don’t want to do, something that doesn’t serve us, something that doesn’t feel good. This week's blog offers reflections for tough decisions + the destigmatization of "quitting." Link in bio to read and/or share.
At the end of last week, I created a new check-in At the end of last week, I created a new check-in for my self-care/daily practices. It’s an acrostic poem of sorts— bc need. PLANTS = growth. Lol. A friend recently explained their check-in process with me, and this inspired me to come up with a simple, compassionate system of my own. (Theirs is based on the elements which is soooo cool!) So, here’s what I’ve come up with: Presence- morning pages and simple breath work/awareness Listen- draw a card, sit with it, receive Ancestors- a healing practice of being with my ancestors and myself/sort of meditation (inspired by @resmaamenakem work) Nourish- water, lots of water, and foods I enjoy Tend- joyful movement and/or caring for the body Share- time/space/energy with others in connection These are goals/intentions/practices that I am holding myself accountable for. I imagine they will change over time to meet new and different needs, and for now I’m excited, as I already feel the grounding effect of reclaiming my practices. Do you have a way of checking in with yourself and your practices? I’d love to hear about it!
My core values inform the work I do in my personal My core values inform the work I do in my personal and professional life. This document (link in bio) is my best effort to put the complex ideas and truths of my heart, mind, and body into words on a screen. This is a living document, something I will return to, expand upon, clarify, and live more deeply into over time. I share these values with the intention of holding myself and my community accountable to transparency, growth, and genuine discourse. A note on language: I use the word “you” to speak directly to the folks who are interacting with my work. I also use the word “we” because I am right there with you in this journey of life and learning. Finally, I use “I statement” because I can only speak to and from my own experiences. To read my core values visit the link in bio.
This week’s guest blog by Eva Bullens is NEEDED This week’s guest blog by Eva Bullens is NEEDED and powerful and timely. Please take a moment to explore and share with the young people in your life! "Our current ways of thinking are useful in our current systems (and institutions), and that means it serves the people in power. If we wish to dismantle the systems that oppress and exploit us and the planet, we can start by changing our way of thinking and looking at the world in non-capitalist ways." Keep reading on the blog. Link in bio.
Hello friends, Well, this week is a lot. This yea Hello friends, Well, this week is a lot. This year is a lot. The human experience is a lot. This is the convo I am having with folks on a regular basis. Self-care and collective or community care are experiences and actions that are worthy of our time, energy, and effort. Furthermore, self-care is required. Our bodies, minds, hearts, and nervous systems need opportunities to reset and rest. And, likewise, the systems we are a part of-- our families, our neighborhoods, our schools, our cities, and so on-- need safekeeping, too. As we navigate this pandemic + election season, let us, first, acknowledge the bigness of the feelings we might be experiencing, including feelings that seem like a void. Then, let us normalize care-taking of ourselves and one another, not just 1:1 but within our communities. @maraglatzel taught me about the difference between consistent self-care and emergency self-care. Right now, it seems like we are individually and collectively dealing with emergency after emergency and trauma after trauma. And while this is daunting, to me, it also feels like an invitation to really, heartily focus on care. So the moments of putting the phone down just to look out the window, taking a drive just to feel the space, eating a favorite food because it's nourishing or delicious, lighting a candle to warm up the room, staying hydrated, making a new playlist... these moments matter. The emails to your senators, donations to food banks, calling a loved one, participating in mutual aid, texting a friend, showing up for group Zooms, celebrating joys virtually or socially distanced... these moments matter. Sending you all my care, <3 Courtney (she/her)
While chatting with a dear friend this week, we ar While chatting with a dear friend this week, we arrived at the topic of intention setting. We laughed knowingly, but still compassionately, at the fact that both of us spend time in the morning writing and saying intentions that we later seem to forget about. The day happens, and as we go from one thing to the next, the words and quality of the intentions tend to fall away. I literally have been writing the same intention each morning— multiple times, lol. And, as I’m writing, I imagine myself returning to the intention during the day. I think “Today is the day I am going to think about this intention while I’m working.” Or “I know I can remember to sit with this intention later.” But, admittedly, I don’t often remember to check in— with my body, my heart, and my mind. I don’t typically pause to consider whether my next action aligns with my intention or not. Intention setting is an important practice. Giving attention and time to the things we need and want— individually and collectively— is valuable. AND intention setting requires action. Actions that are aligned with the intentions; actions that are responsive to what emerges; actions that honor the process. The graphic above may come across as a bit harsh. Although I am a (VERY) sensitive and compassionate person, I am also a bit dry, and I like cussing. More importantly, calling ourselves and one another out on bullshit is important. I don’t actually think my intentions are bullshit, and I am not actually saying that I need to micromanage every thought or action and cross check it with my intention. But I do have a desire to stay rooted to myself and my intentions throughout the day, the week, the year. (As always, everything is full of much more nuance than a graphic or a caption on this screen can capture.) I’m curious how this lands for you.
It was a pleasure and privilege to chat with Lunid It was a pleasure and privilege to chat with Lunide Louis on the podcast, @bestmorningroutine! We had a fun chat about how I structure my mornings and its impact on how I show-up every day. Plus, we talked all things teens, bc duh! Catch my episode here at the link in my bio. What’s your fave part of your morning routine?!
Hello friends, I've been sick the past few days, Hello friends, I've been sick the past few days, and as I wrote my morning pages today, I was reminded of how important self-compassion is. I first read the book Nonviolent Communication* several years ago. While many of the skills and tools addressed in this book have been helpful in my healing and interpersonal relationships, I never forget Chapter 9 "Connecting Compassionately with Ourselves." When I arrived at this chapter, I was a bit mind-blown. I became awake to the ways I tend towards shaming myself, pushing myself beyond my limits, and defaulting to "fixing" myself or being "good." This chapter, though, invited me to slow down and recognize my needs. Now, when I am sick, I still might have thoughts like "I knew it, I've overworked myself and put too much on my plate. I should have slowed down sooner." AND, I am able to soften and be with myself. Through compassionate connection with myself, I can ask myself what I need in order to feel better. I can let go of self-judgment and respond to my needs in the moment, rather than continuing to override them. This morning, I got back into bed for a few hours and read a book while cuddling with my cat. Without self-compassion, I could have defaulted to opening 25 tabs on my computer (lol-it’s true) and getting to work. If this message resonates with you, I invite you to consider the ways you are talking to yourself. Can you increase your connection to compassion, even just by 10 or 15%? Can you make space for your feelings and your needs? And then take just one step towards greater comfort and ease? * This book, like all works, has limitations, and I have been exploring a decolonized, trauma-informed lens of this work as well via @whostoleserendib. Practicing compassion alongside you, <3 Courtney
Self-love is not a destination. It’s a relations Self-love is not a destination. It’s a relationship. And like all relationships, it requires time, attention, care, and practice. We don’t expect all of our other relationships to be the same from day to day. I think most of us expect there to be ebbs and flows, changing seasons, challenges and times of ease in our friendships, family relationships, romantic interests, and so on. Yet, many of us expect ourselves to have perfect, flawless love for ourselves. And, frankly, this is an unreasonable expectation for any human. When I think about self-love as a relationship, I feel a sense of understanding, patience, and compassion wash over me. And, how poetic is it that these feelings are in alignment with the goal of self-love?! How does this idea of self-love as relationship land with you? Read more about self-love rituals on the blog this week. Link in bio!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Blog Posts

  • Committing to Self-Care and Community Care
  • How to Navigate Family Conversations about Money
  • When “Quitting” is Powerful and Purposeful
  • How to Use Non-Capitalist Thinking for Social Change and Hope
  • The Importance of Treating Self-Love as a Relationship

LET’S STAY IN TOUCH, FRIEND!

* indicates required

Connect on Instagram

courtneyharriscoaching

Life Coach for Teens & Parents
♡ she/her
♡ M.Ed
♡ 1:1 coach for young people
♡ parenting support
♡ Companion for Birth & Beyond @companioncourtney

Courtney Harris Coaching
New podcast episode alert! I’m so honored to hav New podcast episode alert! I’m so honored to have been a guest on @topknotsquad . Here’s what they say about our chat: “On this episode, the squad talks about anxiety and adolescence. While our kiddos aren’t teenagers yet (though Naya’s about to be mom to a tween and Alexis feels like she’s parenting a teen lol), we’re always happy to learn more about ways to help them through tough moments. Okay, that’s putting it lightly - when we think back to ourselves being teens, there’s a lot of cringing and we aren’t looking forward to what’s to come. To learn more about ways to support our older children and teens with anxiety, we’ve brought on our guest, Courtney Harris.” Visit the link in my bio and “podcast features” to listen!
"The holidays are coming, and your teens and young "The holidays are coming, and your teens and young adult children might have seemingly extravagant wish lists: cars, laptops, phones, clothes, shoes, and trips, to name a few common examples. After the holidays, spring is right around the corner, which means that many high school seniors will be deciding where to attend college, and sophomores and juniors might be beginning the admissions process, or exploring other options. Similarly, young adults may be graduating from college or professional schools or entering the job market. Whatever your family’s situation might be, these scenarios all have one thing in common: talking with teens and young adults about money." Check out this week's guest blog by @molli.osburn for tips for navigating conversations about money. This one is for adults AND teens/young adults! Link in bio, as always.
Hello friends, Sometimes we just need to sit arou Hello friends, Sometimes we just need to sit around and talk about nothing and anything at all, right?! Sometimes we have to throw our plans out the window. (2020 has been the master teacher of this lesson.) Likewise, sometimes when teen clients show up to session, they just need to talk. They just need to be heard and seen. They want to tell me about their new book or their video game or about the new shirts they bought or the recipes they love. While we don't usually spend the whole session this way, I am mindful and responsive to how clients arrive. Plus. it's a true honor to get to learn about them and their lives! Life is not a board game where we move our game piece from one square to the next. It's organic. There are a lot of twists and turns. Rather than linear, it's more of a spiral or even a messy scribble. Thus, the coaching experience, too, is organic and flexible. While I offer clients accountability and opportunities to explore new skills and strategies, and while I offer consistency, I do not follow a curriculum, and I do not force agendas. I share this today not only to give you a glimpse into my work but also to invite you to consider how you, too, are practicing this way of BEing in your work or life. And if you aren't yet, perhaps this can be an invitation to consider where you would benefit from organic, responsive attention. Where and how could you be a little more go with the flow? What agendas can you drop? What rules can you let go of? What joy and pleasure can you tend to-- just because? With consensual hugs, <3 Courtney (she/her)
There are times when we have choices, but we feel There are times when we have choices, but we feel like we have to stick with it, deal with it, stay committed, take it, or whatever. Like we are doing the “moral,” “right,” strong, admirable, or brave thing by sticking with it. (It being whatever challenge or struggle you might be sitting in at the moment.) These beliefs sometimes cause us to override our needs. They push us to struggle through something we don’t want to do, something that doesn’t serve us, something that doesn’t feel good. This week's blog offers reflections for tough decisions + the destigmatization of "quitting." Link in bio to read and/or share.
At the end of last week, I created a new check-in At the end of last week, I created a new check-in for my self-care/daily practices. It’s an acrostic poem of sorts— bc need. PLANTS = growth. Lol. A friend recently explained their check-in process with me, and this inspired me to come up with a simple, compassionate system of my own. (Theirs is based on the elements which is soooo cool!) So, here’s what I’ve come up with: Presence- morning pages and simple breath work/awareness Listen- draw a card, sit with it, receive Ancestors- a healing practice of being with my ancestors and myself/sort of meditation (inspired by @resmaamenakem work) Nourish- water, lots of water, and foods I enjoy Tend- joyful movement and/or caring for the body Share- time/space/energy with others in connection These are goals/intentions/practices that I am holding myself accountable for. I imagine they will change over time to meet new and different needs, and for now I’m excited, as I already feel the grounding effect of reclaiming my practices. Do you have a way of checking in with yourself and your practices? I’d love to hear about it!
My core values inform the work I do in my personal My core values inform the work I do in my personal and professional life. This document (link in bio) is my best effort to put the complex ideas and truths of my heart, mind, and body into words on a screen. This is a living document, something I will return to, expand upon, clarify, and live more deeply into over time. I share these values with the intention of holding myself and my community accountable to transparency, growth, and genuine discourse. A note on language: I use the word “you” to speak directly to the folks who are interacting with my work. I also use the word “we” because I am right there with you in this journey of life and learning. Finally, I use “I statement” because I can only speak to and from my own experiences. To read my core values visit the link in bio.
This week’s guest blog by Eva Bullens is NEEDED This week’s guest blog by Eva Bullens is NEEDED and powerful and timely. Please take a moment to explore and share with the young people in your life! "Our current ways of thinking are useful in our current systems (and institutions), and that means it serves the people in power. If we wish to dismantle the systems that oppress and exploit us and the planet, we can start by changing our way of thinking and looking at the world in non-capitalist ways." Keep reading on the blog. Link in bio.
Hello friends, Well, this week is a lot. This yea Hello friends, Well, this week is a lot. This year is a lot. The human experience is a lot. This is the convo I am having with folks on a regular basis. Self-care and collective or community care are experiences and actions that are worthy of our time, energy, and effort. Furthermore, self-care is required. Our bodies, minds, hearts, and nervous systems need opportunities to reset and rest. And, likewise, the systems we are a part of-- our families, our neighborhoods, our schools, our cities, and so on-- need safekeeping, too. As we navigate this pandemic + election season, let us, first, acknowledge the bigness of the feelings we might be experiencing, including feelings that seem like a void. Then, let us normalize care-taking of ourselves and one another, not just 1:1 but within our communities. @maraglatzel taught me about the difference between consistent self-care and emergency self-care. Right now, it seems like we are individually and collectively dealing with emergency after emergency and trauma after trauma. And while this is daunting, to me, it also feels like an invitation to really, heartily focus on care. So the moments of putting the phone down just to look out the window, taking a drive just to feel the space, eating a favorite food because it's nourishing or delicious, lighting a candle to warm up the room, staying hydrated, making a new playlist... these moments matter. The emails to your senators, donations to food banks, calling a loved one, participating in mutual aid, texting a friend, showing up for group Zooms, celebrating joys virtually or socially distanced... these moments matter. Sending you all my care, <3 Courtney (she/her)
While chatting with a dear friend this week, we ar While chatting with a dear friend this week, we arrived at the topic of intention setting. We laughed knowingly, but still compassionately, at the fact that both of us spend time in the morning writing and saying intentions that we later seem to forget about. The day happens, and as we go from one thing to the next, the words and quality of the intentions tend to fall away. I literally have been writing the same intention each morning— multiple times, lol. And, as I’m writing, I imagine myself returning to the intention during the day. I think “Today is the day I am going to think about this intention while I’m working.” Or “I know I can remember to sit with this intention later.” But, admittedly, I don’t often remember to check in— with my body, my heart, and my mind. I don’t typically pause to consider whether my next action aligns with my intention or not. Intention setting is an important practice. Giving attention and time to the things we need and want— individually and collectively— is valuable. AND intention setting requires action. Actions that are aligned with the intentions; actions that are responsive to what emerges; actions that honor the process. The graphic above may come across as a bit harsh. Although I am a (VERY) sensitive and compassionate person, I am also a bit dry, and I like cussing. More importantly, calling ourselves and one another out on bullshit is important. I don’t actually think my intentions are bullshit, and I am not actually saying that I need to micromanage every thought or action and cross check it with my intention. But I do have a desire to stay rooted to myself and my intentions throughout the day, the week, the year. (As always, everything is full of much more nuance than a graphic or a caption on this screen can capture.) I’m curious how this lands for you.
It was a pleasure and privilege to chat with Lunid It was a pleasure and privilege to chat with Lunide Louis on the podcast, @bestmorningroutine! We had a fun chat about how I structure my mornings and its impact on how I show-up every day. Plus, we talked all things teens, bc duh! Catch my episode here at the link in my bio. What’s your fave part of your morning routine?!
Hello friends, I've been sick the past few days, Hello friends, I've been sick the past few days, and as I wrote my morning pages today, I was reminded of how important self-compassion is. I first read the book Nonviolent Communication* several years ago. While many of the skills and tools addressed in this book have been helpful in my healing and interpersonal relationships, I never forget Chapter 9 "Connecting Compassionately with Ourselves." When I arrived at this chapter, I was a bit mind-blown. I became awake to the ways I tend towards shaming myself, pushing myself beyond my limits, and defaulting to "fixing" myself or being "good." This chapter, though, invited me to slow down and recognize my needs. Now, when I am sick, I still might have thoughts like "I knew it, I've overworked myself and put too much on my plate. I should have slowed down sooner." AND, I am able to soften and be with myself. Through compassionate connection with myself, I can ask myself what I need in order to feel better. I can let go of self-judgment and respond to my needs in the moment, rather than continuing to override them. This morning, I got back into bed for a few hours and read a book while cuddling with my cat. Without self-compassion, I could have defaulted to opening 25 tabs on my computer (lol-it’s true) and getting to work. If this message resonates with you, I invite you to consider the ways you are talking to yourself. Can you increase your connection to compassion, even just by 10 or 15%? Can you make space for your feelings and your needs? And then take just one step towards greater comfort and ease? * This book, like all works, has limitations, and I have been exploring a decolonized, trauma-informed lens of this work as well via @whostoleserendib. Practicing compassion alongside you, <3 Courtney
Self-love is not a destination. It’s a relations Self-love is not a destination. It’s a relationship. And like all relationships, it requires time, attention, care, and practice. We don’t expect all of our other relationships to be the same from day to day. I think most of us expect there to be ebbs and flows, changing seasons, challenges and times of ease in our friendships, family relationships, romantic interests, and so on. Yet, many of us expect ourselves to have perfect, flawless love for ourselves. And, frankly, this is an unreasonable expectation for any human. When I think about self-love as a relationship, I feel a sense of understanding, patience, and compassion wash over me. And, how poetic is it that these feelings are in alignment with the goal of self-love?! How does this idea of self-love as relationship land with you? Read more about self-love rituals on the blog this week. Link in bio!
Load More... Follow on Instagram
  • Privacy Policy
© 2020 - Courtney Harris Coaching
Close Menu
  • About
    • About Courtney
    • What is Coaching?
    • Core Values
  • Services
    • Coaching Services
    • Birth Work
  • Blog
  • Contact