My Story
I grew up in the metro Detroit area of Michigan in a family shaped by many different roots and cultures. My father immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a young physician. My mother's family was primarily Italian, with English, Irish, and Dutch ancestry, as well as Jewish heritage. Growing up between these worlds gave me an appreciation for different cultures, perspectives, and ways of being, and planted the seeds of seeing myself as part of a much larger human family.
It also shaped my understanding of what it means to belong.
As a child, I experienced prejudice because my father was Mexican. There were families in our neighborhood who didn't want their children playing with my brother and me because of our heritage. Later, when I realized I was gay, I experienced the heartache of feeling different, unseen, and alone. These experiences left a deep impression on me and shaped many of the questions I would carry into adulthood.
Where do I belong? What allows us to feel at home with ourselves and with one another? How do we heal the generational wounds that keep us separated from ourselves, each other, and the larger web of life?
Over time, these questions became part of the foundation of my own healing journey and life's work. Along the way, I was blessed by many friends, mentors, and teachers who helped me discover new ways of relating to myself and the world around me. As a young woman, I spent years in an ecological learning community that hosted Native American elders and teachers. Through those relationships and earth-based spiritual practices, I found a deep sense of resonance and connection. This path nurtured my relationship with the living Earth, which became a profound source of healing, spiritual connection, and a sense of home. Through this path, I came to understand that I was part of something much larger than myself, any single identity, or community. It was through these experiences that I began to know the divine as the Great Mystery of Aliveness, a spiritual understanding that continues to guide my life today.
Those early experiences shaped my spirituality and deepened my understanding that healing is inseparable from belonging: to ourselves, to one another, and to the larger web of life. Those understandings continue to guide both my life and my work today.
My Journey
Over time, my professional path naturally led me to coaching.
Through more than 30 years in the healing arts, including therapeutic massage, craniosacral therapy, and somatic healing work, coaching emerged as the next expression of my work. It offered a way to engage more directly with how people related to themselves, their inner world, and their relationships.
During my coaching training in 2017, I was introduced to Internal Family Systems (IFS). Experiencing this work opened not only a path of healing for me, but also a way of meeting life that honors the wholeness of our humanity: body, psyche, relationship, and spirit.
I have had the gift of working with skilled Internal Family Systems practitioners whose presence taught me how to meet myself with greater curiosity, compassion, and care. Working with them showed me what becomes possible when we are truly met, both by ourselves and by another person.
Through those experiences, IFS became much more than a coaching model for me. It helped me discover a more compassionate and connected way of relating to myself and became the foundation of my coaching.
Today, my work as a Life Coach is an expression of what has shaped my own life. I love supporting people as they bring more of their gifts, wisdom, and wholeheartedness into their relationships and our world.
At the center of my coaching support is a gentle but powerful shift: learning to turn toward yourself with deeper presence, curiosity, and compassion. I bring attention and care to both the body and the psyche, while also welcoming the spiritual dimension of your experience. This opens the way to your own deeper sense of connection and inner guidance.
When you feel deeply met, both by yourself and by another person, real change becomes possible. What moves me most about this process is witnessing how people begin to soften toward themselves and reconnect with parts of their aliveness that had been hidden, protected, or forgotten.
Coaching with Corirose
As this reconnection unfolds, people often discover more energy, creativity, courage, and capacity to move toward what truly matters to them. It is a deep privilege and joy to accompany people in this process of self-discovery, witnessing the insight, healing, and inner wisdom that emerges as they move toward lives that feel more alive, meaningful, and true.
"Corirose creates an extraordinary sense of safety. Through her intuitive presence and guided IFS work, I've been able to heal some of the deepest wounds of my life, work with grief, release old anger, and better understand how my past still shapes me today. Every session feels heart-opening and mind-expanding. Corirose has a unique gift for weaving together insight, intuition, and deep presence in a way that consistently leads to transformation. The insights and practices from our sessions continue to bring more acceptance, peace, and ease into my relationships and daily life."
— Deidre Kelly
Compassionate Communication
My approach to communication has been deeply shaped by many years of training in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), also known as Compassionate Communication, as developed by Marshall Rosenberg. What I value most about this work is how it helps people to move beneath habitual reactions, assumptions, and defensiveness, and to reconnect with what truly matters to themselves and to one another.
An essential part of my coaching is to listen deeply and to reflect to a person in ways that help them shift their attention from blame, self-judgment, or conflict toward the deeper feelings, longings, values, and needs underneath. When a person begins relating to themselves with more compassion and curiosity, it becomes easier to stay open to others as well.
I'm continually touched by how much becomes possible when people feel deeply heard, not just for the words they are saying, but for the humanity underneath them. From this kind of presence, more honesty, understanding, care, and meaningful relating can emerge.
More About Internal Family Systems
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a psycho-spiritual model developed by Richard Schwartz. At the heart of IFS is a simple yet profound understanding: rather than having a single, unified mind, we each contain different “parts” of ourselves that carry distinct emotions, beliefs, perspectives, and ways of responding to life.
Most of us recognize this inner experience. One part longs for closeness, while another pulls away. One part feels confident, while another carries fear, grief, or self-doubt. IFS understands these parts not as problems, but as meaningful aspects of ourselves that have developed in response to our life experiences. Some parts protect, some hold pain or vulnerability, and others move quickly to manage distress or help us to cope.
Rather than trying to fight, silence, or overcome these inner dynamics, IFS invites a respectful and compassionate relationship with all of them. When people begin listening to themselves in this way, there is often more space for healing, self-understanding, and inner harmony to emerge.
At the center of this inner world, IFS recognizes a deeper presence that is naturally aware, curious, compassionate, and life-giving. This is what IFS calls “Self”. Many spiritual traditions point toward this same ground of being, whether named the Witnessing Self, True Spirit, or Essence Self. The IFS process supports people in turning toward themselves from this larger, compassionate presence, one that can bring clarity, healing, and care to the inner system.
My coaching is especially influenced by Guthrie Sayen, whose teaching reflects a deeply grounded and spiritual orientation to this work, where inner healing opens the way for awakening to our true nature.
"Self-inquiry is no joke. It takes courage, concentration, commitment and, if you're lucky, a partner who helps keep you grounded and supported while you do it. Corirose is that insightful, connected ally and guide for me. Someone I can trust, who helps me create the space to explore my inner world and understand myself better, including the parts of me that are just waiting to be acknowledged and loved. I'm grateful for her compassionate curiosity and her respect for the mystery that connects and heals us."
— Leonard Lane
The Roots Of My Coaching
My coaching is rooted in the understanding that personal healing and collective transformation are deeply connected. As we reconnect with ourselves, with what we love, and with our capacity for presence and compassion, we also strengthen our ability to contribute to a more life-giving and interconnected world. I believe part of the transformation needed at this time comes through remembering our belonging within the living Earth and restoring our felt sense of interdependence with all life.
My understanding of this broader dimension of healing has been deeply influenced by the work of Thomas Hübl and the teachings of the late Joanna Macy. Their teachings continue to nourish my understanding of interdependence, belonging, spiritual awakening, and the importance of remaining connected to both grief and possibility during these times.
“Every time trauma is healed, we restore part of our past and make a brighter future possible for ourselves and succeeding generations. We transform separation, othering, and scarcity into relation, interdependence and abundance.”
— Thomas Hübl
I am also deeply grateful for the mentorship of Guthrie Sayen and Barti Bourgault of the Institute for Healing and Awakening. Their work weaves Internal Family Systems with spiritual presence and deep relational attunement, and their influence continues to shape both my own journey and the quality of presence I bring to my clients.
The hummingbird has long been a meaningful symbol in my life.
Hummingbirds embody a kind of radiant vitality, full of beauty, resilience, delight, and fierce joy. They remind me that even in difficult times, it is possible to remain connected to what nourishes us and brings life meaning.
The spirit of Colibrí reflects the heart of my work: cultivating deeper aliveness, connection, and the courage to keep opening to life.
The Spirit of Colibrí -
Lightness, Resilience and Fierce Joy
What I Love and Cherish
Family, dear friendships, music, community, and the natural world are among the deepest sources of nourishment in my life. They continually remind me of what it means to belong and awaken my gratitude for this precious life.
Ever since childhood, songwriting and singing with others have been one of the truest expressions of my spirit. I also love wandering forest trails, delighting in wildflowers, and the many blessings of being in close relationship with the living Earth.
I'm grateful to live in an intentional community, where I have the opportunity to practice interdependence, deepen my sense of belonging, and embrace both the joys and challenges of living and working closely with others.
The relationships that have shaped and sustained me are among the greatest treasures of this lifetime. And my sweet pups, Winnie and Tico, always bring delight and love into my life.
Training and Background
Certified Coach — ICF-accredited training, Leadership That Works
Internal Family Systems-coaching training with Guthrie Sayen
Candidate for Certified Trainer — Center for Nonviolent Communication
40+ years in somatic and healing arts
