About Deirdre 

Deirdre Danahar, MSW, MPH, LICSW, ACC

Read an interview with me in PORTICO Jackson Magazine.

The Facts

I am a coach, consultant, and facilitator working with individuals and organizations across the United States. I began my personal coaching practice in 2002, a natural progression of my life long interest and work fostering sustainable change and growth in people. I like to know what make people tick and bet at their best. Known for my insight, humor, compassion and common sense,  I help busy professionals with creative spirits go from chaos to calm, by finding practical ways to get things done and live an extraordinary life without compromise.  My forte is working with mid-career professional women in the arts, academia, behavioral and health fields, but I thrive and welcome working with a variety of people.

I have trained in specialized coaching techniques with Marilyn Edelson, MCC and Wellcoaches®. I am a member of the International Coach Federation, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Public Health Association and am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with 20+ years experience in public health and social services.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Masters degrees in Social Work and Public Health from Tulane University in New Orleans. 

I am passionate about living a life filled with personal creativity and am avid ballroom dancer, a devourer of books, savorer of music, lover of gardening and a pretty darn good cook- or so my family and friends tell me. Married, I am proud Auntie of several nephews and nieces.

My Personal Story

Would you like to let go of trying to be someone you are not and instead make the most of your genuine self and multiple interests? Me too.

Years ago I was fortunate to have a "Eureka!" moment, and I decided to "embrace the geekdom". Always capable, bright and funny, I was also 'a bit left of center', hyper-responsible, dyslexic and somehow seemed to make things harder than they needed to be.  I had too many balls up in the air: completing graduate school working part time, working multiple jobs after… "No" seemed to be missing from my vocabulary: always being available for and trying to not to disappoint anyone, still making things hard on myself and not leaving time enough for me.

"Just embrace the geekdom"; meant figuring out what I would say yes to, what I would say no to and what I would think about; owning those decisions and resulting consequences. It was not until I was in my 30's that I really began to make the most of my assets and fully grow into my personality. Then I experienced my moxie and a delightful unexpected ease in life even in the most challenging times.

Now in my 40's I am grounded, interested, present and invigorated. Claiming your genuine self, with all its facets is a wonderful, exciting and dare I say liberating choice. You can be independent and still connected to who and what you love. As a coach I help busy professional women who want more invigorating lives to focus on priorities and assets and awaken the zest and fulfillment in life. They get results in life, well-being and work.

     My Professional Story

Want to marry your technical skills with your genuine self for profoundly engaging and fulfilling career? Feel like there is something more just out of reach? I know just where you are coming from.

At age 19 I started on a wonderfully diverse career in public health and social services. Work spanned everything from providing counseling services for individuals, leading socio-behavioral groups for geriatric aged persons with profound intellectual delays, to HIV/AIDS services for children, adolescents and adults, and providing training and technical assistance for professionals in health care and behavioral health. Still I just knew something was lurking below the surface, something more compelling.

Then in 2002 I had an other "Eureka!" moment after discovering coaching as an emerging profession. The focus on cultivating people's innate strengths, celebrating their wholeness and fostering a generative reflective relationship for people have their own "Eureka!" moments captured a thread through all the work I had done before. 

In place of working from a deficit perspective, ("there's a problem and we need to dwell on what's wrong") the opportunity to work from a strength based perspective that sings with Carl Jung's vision of people's ability to "outgrow" problems just lit me up. Jung suggest that through the force of a more compelling vision and by taking considered actions in service of realizing that vision, people can outgrow problems with out getting mired in negative cycles. Here is the environment to marry technical and academic training with one's authentic core self AND fashion a life that envelops other priorities, family, friends, and creative pursuits. 

As a coach I help busy professionals who want more invigorating lives to focus on priorities and assets and awaken the zest and fulfillment in life. They get results in life, well-being and work.