Nina Ham, CPCC, LCSW
Nothing thrills me more than to challenge people to go after work they’re wholehearted about, guide them through the actions to locate that work, and then celebrate with them as they reap the personal and professional rewards.
Here's the Heart of the Matter!
A decade ago, or more, I realized I had 2 choices for the tilt of my worldview. I could join the "ain’t it awful and it’s getting worse" crowd, or I could join the "I don’t know but I have to hope" crowd. There was no fence-sitting, no waiting-to-see, because there wouldn’t be any "seeing" short of Armageddon.
So in choosing the "I have to hope" approach, my work took on a new importance and urgency. It wasn’t enough to aim for a certain standard of living; I deeply needed to make a difference, to hope I could leave the world a better place as a result of my skills, experience and wisdom-gleaned-from-living-awhile.
That’s when I made the decision to become a career coach. The decision was part inspiration (thank you, David Whyte) and part pragmatics. There was no way I could make sufficient difference as a party of one. I would need to persuade others that their work was their chance to make a difference themselves.
All that really required was to plant a seed – "Your work can be your place of belonging" – and then to provide the structure and encouragement (OK, often downright nudging) for people to find what they wanted their contribution to be. So the programs you find on my site are the flowering of that 10-years-ago decision. May they be of use in helping you find your place of belonging.
Here are the Facts about Nina Ham!
Education:
Master's in Social Work, UC Berkeley
Bachelor's degree, Wellesley College
Licenses and credentials:
Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, Coaches Training Institute, San Rafael, CA
Certification, International Coaching Federation
Board Certified Diplomat (national recognition for senior mental health clinicians)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of California
Professional achievements:
• Cofounder, Women's Therapy Center, El Cerrito, CA. A non-profit
offering advanced training to women therapists and outstanding
counseling services to community women for 25 years.
•
Founder, East Bay Labyrinth Project, Berkeley, CA
•
Numerous print and online publications in the mental health field and
the women's business and career communities on topics of women's work, sustainable
success, and the psychological health of women.
Here's what others say:
"I was looking for work and I was broke. I had to give up my house and move in with a friend, but I held onto my coaching with Nina because I knew she could help me find work I could believe in. "
~HM, health care administrator
"As a result of our work together, I've developed a much clearer understanding of my goals and the process required to realize them. I've transformed my anxiety into creative energy, and the glass is looking half full instead of half empty. It feels as though I'm in a whole new world of possibilities. "
~JS, graphic designer
"Nina encourages, prods, clears paths (and your mind), directs, and shines light on the way to a future consistent with who you are, not who you have been. She provides that safe space to find what your heart is trying to tell you."
~EC, VP of health care organization
"Following graduation from my MBA program, I worked with Nina to answer some pressing questions about the next step for my career: How would my socially conscious values, the new skills and expectations gained at my MBA program, and the need for balance in the non-work part of my life come together? I worked with Nina to get help navigating this difficult and important terrain, and I'm very pleased with the decision I've made. "
~TM, non-profit executive