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Vanessa Couto, MA, PCC
Life Purpose Coach, Astrologer, Teacher & Artist.
In her work with seekers and creatives seeking to express themselves more fully in life and in their livelihood, she uses mythology, Jungian psychology, astrology, and grounded common sense to guide them. In addition to coaching, she teaches various in-person and online classes and workshops.
Vanessa holds a B.A. in Social Communication and Advertising from PUC-MG, an M.A. in Teaching from New York University, and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis on Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
She is also a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Outside of work, she enjoys studying Celtic Spirituality, watching British period dramas and history documentaries, and listening to Ancient and Medieval History podcasts. She’s also a bona fide bookaholic, an oracle and tarot collector, and a travel lover.
Originally from Brazil, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their two Gemini cats, and an ever-growing collection of books, printed art, and vinyl records.
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
— Oscar Wilde
The Why
The core belief guiding my approach to my work is that life purpose involves becoming and expressing ourselves more fully, both in our lives and in our contributions to the world.
I help seekers and creatives navigate the threshold of (re)connecting and (re)aligning their sense of purpose in life and through their livelihood. I help them shift perspective on their journey, reclaim the inner gold buried within, and engage with the new possibilities that await them.
These courageous people have already been seeking their sense of purpose and meaning. They’ve experienced victories and losses, faced burnout from the old ways of working and doing business, and felt lost more than once on their journey.
As the world navigates these highly chaotic paradigm shifts, more and more people wonder about their role and place in these liminal times. These questions beckon us to seek and find ways to express our gifts and medicine more fully through our creativity, work, and, ultimately, our lives. Superficial fixes and approaches don’t work. When collectively culturally undernourished, only deep exploration will satisfy our hunger for fulfillment, meaning, and purpose in our lives and work.
But chaotic times are also highly creative - for chaos and creativity are siblings.
These are times when life beckons us to be more fully ourselves, bringing out the unexpressed aspects of ourselves while transforming our pain, doubts, and vulnerabilities into creative medicine.
Because more than ever, the world needs CREATION MAKERS.
CREATION MAKERS are folks willing to do the inner healing work to transform their pain into medicine and birth their gifts in the world, expressed through their lives, work, businesses, or creative endeavors.
“Work is love made visible.”
— Kahlil Gibran
The How
Coaching is about the depth and mutual commitment of both parties. How you show up, your engagement with the coaching process, and what I bring to our journey are the vessel and alchemy of our work together.
When we work together, I become your partner in exploring ideas, possibilities, and the hidden gems in your story. Coaching is an approach of deep listening and inquiry that helps you find the answers you seek.
Along with my depth approach, I use astrology as a navigational tool in our journey.
Exploring your birth chart from an archetypal and psychological perspective gives us an incomparable and nuanced view of your soul’s development, life purpose markers, and unique gifts and talents.
Astrology is both a methodology and a developmental compass for our lives and a potent tool for self-understanding, especially when exploring your life purpose and livelihood.
My approach is therapeutic in style, depth-oriented and focused on helping you see yourself from a broader and more empowering perspective so that you can claim all the spokes of your life’s wheel and bring your gifts to the world.
How my purpose journey influences my work
From a very young age, I was already fascinated by the idea of discovering my life’s calling and purpose. I didn’t have the vocabulary to describe it, but having learned from my Catholic teachers that God would speak to us and let us know our calling, I started quieting my mind to ensure I wouldn’t miss the summons.
But it wasn’t as easy as I wanted it to be in my younger years. So, instead of waiting, I went on my quest, exploring what sparked my curiosity, hoping it would lead me to find my “thing.”
Inspired by my interest in psychology and storytelling through advertising, I got my B.A. in Social Communication & Advertising from PUC-MG, my Brazilian alma mater.
Today, I use this knowledge to help my clients explore their Brand Archetypes and make their business and branding ideas coherent and congruent with their identities.
To pay my way through college, I started working as a language teacher, which turned into a career of more than a decade. I taught EFL (English as a Foreign Language) while living in Brazil, and later, I taught Portuguese at Hunter College in NYC.
My years as a teacher taught me a unique way to break down complex subjects and make them more easily digestible. They also helped me appreciate the power of language, etymology, and the imagery behind our chosen words when telling our stories. This skill comes in handy when coaching, for it helps me deepen my listening to what is being expressed and the imagery evoked by the words chosen.
Teaching led me to get my M.A. in TESOL – Teaching English as a Second Language from New York University.
My love of teaching informs my understanding of the importance of methodology and the need for a framework to help people learn, change, and achieve their desires.
After teaching for over a decade, I embarked on my ‘accidental career’ as an Executive Assistant at some of the world’s most prominent international law firms.
Working in a corporate setting gave me a glimpse of the challenges and hidden possibilities waiting to be brought to life in these professional environments.
However, my desire to align my skills and talents with what brought me joy kept me searching.
Because of my love of Jungian psychology, mythology, dreamwork, and my desire to better understand myself and others, I got my M.A. in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis on Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
My therapy work experience, both personally and in seeing clients, informs my depth and therapeutic approach to my coaching.
Inspired by my desire to develop and grow in my work, I became a Certified Life Coach through the Life Purpose Institute and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Always in the background, throughout these past 30 years, I’ve studied astrology with various teachers worldwide, including the Faculty of Astrological Studies in the U.K.
Lastly, the works of C.G. Jung, Michael Meade, Brian Clark, Liz Greene, Richard Tarnas, Marion Woodman, and Sharon Blackie to name a few, along with history, mythology, fairy tales, and pop culture, inform my philosophical approach and my style of depth coaching.
Plus as a lifelong learner, I’m continually bringing new information and insights into my coaching work. The more I grow, the better I can help my clients.
Contact us
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