Michael is a fantastic coach who helped me align my vision and values with concrete action as I…read morenavigated a new role. He balances engaged listening, insightful questions, and clear accountability practices. I really appreciated how he weaves mindfulness into his coaching -- a great reminder to be present and connect mind and body. Working with Michael felt like a buzzing creative partnership and provided a powerful boost for my confidence and work/life direction.

I had a very bad experience with Mark. my wife was doing coaching with his wife and I felt that his…read morewife on more than a few occasions was disclosing information to Mark. this made me very uncomfortable. maybe it's my fault for putting myself this precarious position. but I feel uneasy that this is a breach of confidentiality for coaches who are married to be doing this.

Mark is a master business and life coach with decades of experience and a warm deep presence. His…read morecoaching is truly holistic, helping you to integrate your mind, body, and spirit for the fullest expression and embodiment of your potential and personal power. He may not have that many reviews on Yelp (yet) but that just because he's one of those low profile masters that has put his energy into doing great work not into tooting his own horn. I'm also a life coach and I wanted to write this review to let anyone looking for a life coach, leadership coach, executive coach, or relationship coach in Petaluma know about Mark. He can do it all. He's awesome, one of those hidden gems that I'm so grateful to have found. Have a look at his website and I think you'll feel it.

I was one of those, "Why would I need a life coach?" type of person. I never could comprehend why…read morein the world would I need someone to tell me how to live my life. It wasn't until I met Phil that I figured out that sometimes you need someone to show you how to explore your emotions, or dissect a touchy situation, or just simply just allowing yourself to BE. He has such a therapeutic way of communicating with you, that you just have the urge to share with him your deepest most inner thoughts. He listens. Yes, he listens. He doesn't just HEAR your voice, like most conversations we have nowadays, but he LISTENS. He has a way of pulling you into the conversation and share with him how you truly feel, in a way that's cohesive and easy to understand. I don't know how to explain it, you just feel like you need to tell someone. I always had an issue with sharing my emotions with others. My mother is a very tough, resilient woman who I've seen cry no more than once or twice in my 24 years of life. She doesn't like to show weakness, and I think I inherited that trait. I would bottle it up, and eventually explode on anyone that's near (which is usually my boyfriend). Phil always emphasizes that it's okay to cry, and it's okay to be YOU. I really appreciate that. It's kind of like a therapy session when you talk to Phil, but better. Psychiatrists and therapists have guidelines they stay within, Phil doesn't have to do that. He can talk to you in a way that will work best with YOU, and not from a textbook. Phil has an enormous ray of positivity that shines every time I get in contact with him. Even if it's via email or just a phone call, I feel good after every conversation. Phil is brutally honest and will tell you exactly how it is, no sugar coating. Just have a conversation with him, you'll know exactly what I mean. AND he will give you a solution to your problem, not just pointing it out. Thank you for always answering when I call. Even when I have questions about getting my car to pass smog! lol Phil, I wish you much health and happiness. Talk to you soon!

It is hard to find words to describe Matthew - this is a FULLY ALIVE human who occupies the world…read morewith an energy, presence, body, and HEART that is about as big as it gets. He brings an unparalleled level of passion, enthusiasm, care, study, and deep presence to his work. He shows up hard - in his own life, community, family, and service - and will do the same for you. You will feel him fully with you, whatever the threshold is or transformation work that you are facing, with his embodied, engaged, whole-human way of practicing. I feel fortunate to know Matthew in many contexts - first when he was a participant and then facilitator in the Ecology of Leadership work that I Co-Direct, then as a co-founder with me and 4 others of the Heartstorm facilitation collaborative, as a practitioner, as a close friend and as the husband of one of my closest friends, and recently as as the man who my husband and I asked to co-hold our wedding ceremony. Matthew held my husband and I beautifully when we were facing what felt like an insurmountable challenge before our marriage. He held a strong belief for us that it could be EASY - and supported us all the way across that threshold with humor, love and grace. Whatever your prayer is for your life - Matthew will hold it with you, hold your hand as you explore all of the deep crevices of the birth canal you must traverse to get to the other side, and will be there to help catch you and celebrate you as you emerge. Matthew is a one-of-a-kind human - and one that you will be blessed to have as an ally on your path.

Matthew is an incredible counselor. He has met me in some of my darkest and most terrifying places…read moreand has helped me to express and heal deeply held anger and grief. I love the fluidity he brings to his work and commitment he has to provide a safe space for transformation. I feel fortunate to have worked with him.

Chas would tell long drawn out stories about himself during our sessions instead of listening to me…read more(his client). I remember asking him to focus on giving his clients space to share but he didn't seem capable. Totally full of himself.

Chas, chas, CHAS! Where have you been hiding!? Oh, that's right, in Palo Alto... literally a few…read moremiles from me. I have been going through some pretty rough times with my husband, so I knew I needed to find a good counselor/life coach/therapist person. I asked around and got a recommendation from a co-worker to see Chas. She emailed me his info and I looked him up online. He's an intimacy, relationship and life coach. Exactly what I was looking for. I needed help with all those things! I emailed him that day and he got back to me within an hour! Awesome. We had an initial call where I told him what I needed help with and he suggested we meet. He has pretty awesome hours and I had an appointment to meet with him literally that day! He works out of his apartment in Palo Alto. He has a wonderful little dog, Brandy (hope I'm spelling that right). There's a office room with comfy chairs and tissues right where you need them! We basically got right down to business and I told him my whole story and then he let me know what he thought the real issues were. Cut right through all the bs. We tend to make up stories, but underneath it all are the real issues. I cannot believe it took him less than 10 minutes to tell me exactly what I needed to hear. I've seen quite a few counselors over the years, but no one is quite like Chas. He has an incredible ability to read people and see the real problems. He genuinely cares about his clients and really wants you to succeed. In the last 3 weeks I really feel that I'm now on the path to loving myself for the first time in my adult life. It's the greatest gift anyone could give another human being! I have no doubt that by the time my work with Chas is done I will have reached my full potential and be able to appreciate people and life more than I ever have. I don't even really have the words to describe how grateful I am that my co-worker recommended Chas. All I can do now is spread the word too. Chas is amazing. If you're having any issues whatsoever he is the guy you should see. You will not be disappointed! I encourage you to take the chance and, with Chas's help, be the best you can be. He helped me see myself in such a different light and he'll do the same for you.

Thank the heavens for Aaron Steinberg. My sweetheart and I have been seeing Aaron as a couples for…read moreabout a year and he has really helped us distill our issues and effectively chip away that them. I have never met a more efficient, thoughtful and just damn smart, counselor. Aaron is a keen listener, great at reflecting back what he hears, and most importantly he is very good at helping my partner and I hear each other too. He has also helped us develop skills/tools for getting through the rough patches - live - while those moments are unfolding. I believe Aaron was born to be a counselor. He is doing his life's work - and i give him 100 stars.

If you don't already know Aaron and haven't had the opportunity to work with him then I highly…read moresuggest that you remedy that situation. Like anyone, I have experienced many challenging times in my life. In many of those times I have turned to Aaron's kind wisdom and perspective to help me work through my experience. There really couldn't be a more kind, loving, supportive and qualified soul to help you through whatever challenge you are experiencing in life. I really can't say enough about him as a valuable coach and as a wonderful human. There simply aren't enough stars available on Yelp to do him justice.

I wish I could give Tobin a higher rating, but I felt compelled to call out something wrong or…read moresubstandard, especially if it disturbs my moral compass. Also, we do live in a country and system where it's acceptable to rate a service that we've paid for - in total I paid Tobin ~$3,000 for couple and individual sessions between January and April 2023. The individual sessions were $220/hour. Things didn't work out between my former partner and me following our work with Tobin, who my former partner had introduced us to. This outcome may be for the better, as there was no way the relationship could have continued in the form it was in. As is in the case of any relationship that suffers fall from grace, it's usually both parties that contribute to that fall. In our case, the biggest issue for me was my former partner had dropped a diamond four times (three times after admitting it was wrong), repeatedly saying that I "feel entitled to US Citizenship" - a crappy view to hold towards an immigrant who has spent 25 years enduring a dysfunctional immigration system to become a US Citizen. I had to go through an extra long process in the employment-based route due to my Indian national origin. That said, in Tobin's field of work, it's important for an individual to be unbiased and have good judgement. I don't think Tobin lives up to that standard. My life's work has focused on improving healthcare, which includes wellness coaching and and counseling. The counseling and wellness coaching world is still very much the wild west and I feel like it's my responsibility to speak up when I perceive someone as not being fair as a result of being motivated by questionable incentives. Following the first time my partner dropped the diamond that was most important to me, Tobin and I had a 1:1 session. He acknowledged that dropping the diamond was a big deal, rare, and wrong. But when we met with him as a couple after that, he acted as though the diamond drop had not occurred at all. I lost trust in Tobin after that session. And, following that session, my former partner went on to drop the same diamond 3 more times before we eventually split in June 2023. I made it clear to Tobin that I had lost trust in him at the session described above. He apologized but then added there is some justification / nuance for someone saying to me that I "feel entitled to Citizenship" multiple times, given my 25 year pathway. I asked him what possible justification there could be for this egregious behavior. He committed to getting back to me on this multiple times, starting June 2023, but still has not, despite my follow ups. I gave up on following up with Tobin in September 2023. That said, I want to highlight what Tobin did well. The two stars I'm giving Tobin here are for: 1) Showing me and my ex-partner the diamond exchange methodology for resolving relationship issues, although again, I wish Tobin practiced what he preached more assertively 2) Preaching certain communication skills 3) Rightly acknowledging that I had been thrown a "curved ball" when my former partner essentially decided she wanted to end the relationship because I got frustrated and verbally protested for the first time in 3+ years of dating due to what ended up being a false accusation made by her. Tobin validated the view of a close friend that this behavior was not normal on her part. He also agreed that I had done more than what 99% of men would not do for the sake of rejuvenating the relationship. This included nursing us back to our feet after a car hit us while we were walking and putting up with my most important diamond not being honored.

I have worked with Tobin Giblin over the last several years and been deeply affected and changed by…read moreour work together. There are a thousand different paths to growth and self awareness and I truly Thank the Universe for leading me to Tobin. He gets me like no one else I have ever done "inner work" with. His intuitive gift of knowing my heart without having to explain it in so many words is like being held by the Mother and Father we always yearn to have. Kind, deeply trusting, funny, gentle yet firm when needed, and so very expansive and open. I finally feel like I have a really good man on my team, on my side- that I can go to in times of great pain, angst, or worry and that he will always, no matter what- guide me with the deepest grace back to my own inner Wisdom. I imagine I will always work with Tobin, perhaps until I am a old lady :). There is never a time to stop growing and evolving and when you finally meet someone that can support you in becoming your very best Self ( Soul)- why stop?!

I have worked with Shareef Salaam in a couple different capacities. I met him years ago when he was…read moreworking as a therapist for UCSF Children's Hospital (as a student) and I was working in the same department. I later worked with him in SF working with youth and adults who were unhoused or at risk for being unhoused. Being a clinician who I frequently consult with, I deeply respect Coach Salaam's approach to working with people; young and old. He makes people feel immediately calm and at ease in his presence. He holds an inherent wisdom that many clinicians struggle to access, and his life experiences add to his wealth of clinical knowledge. I highly recommend Coach Salaam's services.

Life-Changing Coaching Experience!…read more I cannot recommend Coach Salaam highly enough! From our very first session, I felt truly heard, understood, and supported. His ability to ask the right questions, challenge my limiting beliefs, and provide actionable steps has been transformative. Over the past 12 months, I've gained clarity on my goals, improved my confidence, and made real progress in areas where I previously felt stuck. If you're looking for a coach who genuinely cares, listens without judgment, and empowers you to create meaningful change, look no further. Working with Coach Salaam has been one of the best investments I've made in myself!