Behind Cherie, in the distance, I could see the sea. It reminded me of when I lived on the coast of France and had an elevated view of the horizon. It was so expansive and uplifting.
Cherie was a divorce lawyer until her marriage ended and triggered a big change. History has a habit of repeating itself and, as she explained, her parents had separated when she was very young, although they “did a great job of it given it was the seventies”. This drove her desire to help others in such challenging times.
Today she's a coach helping couples and families rebuild after divorce and get to ‘the other side’ of it. She described her main role as helping those whose scaffolding has come tumbling down to rebuild and get from where they are now to somewhere new, somewhere where they can begin to flourish again.
It was obvious to me connecting with her that she is a powerful, smart, and intuitive coach. I was curious though how she arrived at the point where she was today via being a lawyer. The answer was that as a smart child, the education system had pointed her in a certain direction and led her to the legal world. Amongst all the contracts her desire to resolve conflict couldn't be held back and she began to channel her intellect into mediation. But that was not enough. She discovered that putting a signature on a page is rarely the same thing as getting a resolution.
I was interested to know when she began to feel that there was more to life and more to her. Sometimes for people, it’s a road-to-Damascus moment other times it’s a gradual thing. For Cherie, it was the latter and she explored different options, such as meditation and yoga, and as she did so, life began to open up as it so often does, and it pushed her towards her calling.
When I spoke to Cherie her Uniquely Compelling Quality (UCQ) was clear. I felt it as an ability to bring things that were up in the air down to earth, a way of drawing things together in a very naturally ordered way. Her heart also had a particular quality - a very universal compassion. I can see how valuable it is to have compassion for all parties going through the challenges of separation and beyond. Equally, I do not doubt that her clients feel she is a safe harbour in troubled water and a place to find the space to start rebuilding.
My experience is that our UCQ will always seek to express itself in the manner which is most aligned with it. We may be pushed, for whatever reason, down a particular road, perhaps because of what is expected of us or the options that seem to be available at the time, but if we are not in tune there will always be that sense of something missing or the desire for more, that will invite us to search for another way that is a better fit. When we find it we know because we feel deeply fulfilled and we're good at it.
Cherie can be found at deardivorcecoach.com
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