Meet your coach: Dominique Ferrera-Hawkins

I am passionate about all things related to cultivating work well-being. Over the course of my nearly two decades of professional experience, I have worked in a variety of leadership roles in both the private and nonprofit sectors. I have led and managed individuals, teams, programs, and projects, and have overseen pivotal department transformations. I've also successfully navigated three career transitions of my own.

I also know how important it is to experience both agency over our career paths and integration between our work and personal lives. In my first career as a lawyer, I worked long hours and traveled frequently for work. This left me with little time for my personal well-being, friends, or family. After making a career change to work in the social impact and nonprofit sectors, I found that things were not that much better. 

After years of high stress roles, suffering through toxic work cultures and leadership, on top of caregiving responsibilities for a family member with a disability, I eventually experienced burnout. I took a step back by taking on a role that allowed me some room to breath. But I did not know what my next career move should be. Unfortunately, I soon found myself forced to press pause on my career after the sudden and tragic death of a younger sibling. During my career break, I focused on my health, well-being, and on personal growth and self-development. And, through an arduous process of healing and discovery, I gained the clarity I needed to live my purpose, follow my passions, and embark on my new career journey. 

I utilize my understanding of human psychology and behavior to meet my clients where they are, and I partner with them to help them move toward where they want to be. Incorporating evidence-based coaching techniques, motivational tools, and mindfulness-based practices, I help my clients gain clarity, identify action steps, behavior changes, and mindset shifts that will create greater alignment in their lives. I believe that everyone deserves the space and time to holistically explore how they can lead a more joy-filled life and experience a more integrated self; I trust that each of us has the capacity to transform our lives in truly meaningful ways. 

Qualifications 

• Over 17 years of professional experience

• Certified Psychological Safety Coach

• Certified Professional Coach

• Post-graduate studies in organizational behavior and psychology

• Training in psychometric theory and assessment

• Employment, civil rights, and anti-discrimination legal experience

• Certified yoga instructor

• Training in mindfulness and trauma informed techniques 

Education

• Candidate, ALM in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Harvard University Extension School

• Certificate, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Leadership, Harvard University Extension School

• Juris Doctorate, St. Thomas University School of Law

• Bachelor of Science in Political Science, Santa Clara University

• Certified Professional Coach, International Coach Academy

• Certified Psychological Safety Coach, Psychological Safety Coaches

• Certified RYT 500 Yoga Teacher, Yoga Alliance

Memberships

• International Coaching Federation (ICF)

• International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)

• Yoga Alliance 

• The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Want to learn more? Connect with me on LinkedIn