About Michelle

I didn’t start in coaching or process work.

I started in systems.

For years, I worked inside organizations auditing processes, assessing risk, evaluating compliance, investigating problems, and identifying the gaps between what was written on paper and what was actually happening in real life.

I learned how systems function. I learned how organizations respond under pressure. And, maybe more importantly, I became fascinated by the people inside those systems.

Because underneath the policies, procedures, metrics, and expectations, there was always something else happening.

Stress. Shame. Grief. Conflict. Fear. Burnout. Relationships. Old patterns playing themselves out in new places.

The things that don’t always show up on a spreadsheet—but profoundly shape how we live, work, relate, and make decisions.

That curiosity eventually took me beyond systems and into the deeper study of human experience.

Today, my work brings those worlds together.

My approach draws from somatics, depth psychology, Internal Family Systems, trauma-informed practice, and process-oriented work, alongside more than a decade of experience navigating complex organizational environments.

I now offer 1:1 process facilitation, experiential training and workshops, and speaking engagements centered around the human experiences we don’t always know what to do with.

Grief. Change. Shame. Identity. Relationships. Conflict. Burnout. Stuckness. And those moments when something in our lives is clearly asking for our attention—even when we don’t yet understand why.

My work isn’t about diagnosing people, fixing them, or teaching them how they should feel.

It’s about curiosity.

Instead of immediately trying to get rid of discomfort, we can ask what it might be communicating. Instead of treating grief, conflict, or uncertainty as problems to solve, we can create enough space to understand what is actually happening underneath them.

Sometimes the thing we’ve been trying hardest to change is the very thing asking to be heard.

Whether I’m working with someone individually, teaching a room, or speaking to an audience, my goal is the same:

Create space for the conversations and experiences that are easy to avoid—and see what becomes possible when we stop fighting what is already here.

I don’t believe meaningful change happens through force.

I believe it begins with awareness, curiosity, and the willingness to meet ourselves—and each other—a little more honestly.

Michelle Carlin, CISA, CFE | Founder