Sabbatical Program

Enrollment for the Sabbatical Program is currently closed. Stay tuned for the next enrollment cycle.

Yes, it’s possible to have WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND an AMBITIOUS, EXCITING, AND LIFE-GIVING VISION for the next stage of your career (and you don’t even have to take a sabbatical to get it.)

Until you have been there, you don’t know just how HEAVY, CONFUSING, and ISOLATING the academic mid-career stage can be: 

• You have been overworking for so long and likely experiencing minor to severe signs of burnout (difficulty doing everyday work tasks due to lack of energy and/or motivation)
• You are ashamed to admit that your “dream job” (now with tenure!) feels uninspiring and draining. 
• You have more freedom to research and teach in ways that feel more desirable to you, yet you don’t have the motivation or energy to do any of what you once dreamed of.  
• Your time, energy, and ideas feel fragmented. You want to feel whole, but job demands make it feel impossible. 
• You have fantasies about leaving your academic career, but you cannot fathom starting anew or you question whether leaving is even a viable option. 
• You have been overworking and following the directives of your mentors and institution for so long, you lost touch with your core career desires, longings, and dreams.  

I HAVE SO BEEN THERE!

It was my 6th year on the tenure track, my tenure dossier had already been submitted, and I was painfully burned out. I watched myself do things, in an out-of-body way, that were totally out of character for me:

• I showed up to my first week of classes without a syllabus and told students I would get it to them the following week, but could not bring myself to do that either. 
• A star student asked for a reference letter and I did not even reply to her email. 
• At the end of an entire semester teaching my classes, I struggled to remember most students’ names. 
• I cried almost everyday before going to campus. 
• I got colds and sinus infections constantly and I even had two very scary and life-threatening health diagnoses. 

THIS WAS MY DREAM JOB. I had worked so long and hard for it, BUT NOW, MY MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT WERE LITERALLY REBELLING AGAINST IT. Something deep inside me had shut down and I was left reeling and floundering through each semester.

In fact, I did not even care when I was granted tenure. Of course when I earned it, I performed gratitude and joy, but deep down, earning tenure meant nothing. 

I knew I wanted to make changes, but MY ENVIRONMENT DID NOT SUPPORT THE CHANGES: 

• My closest colleagues were also experiencing burnout and when we got together, we would just complain and “trauma bond,” which made me feel more stuck in a difficult environment.
• My husband had left his own tenure-track job so I could take my tenure-track job across the country. After he had finally settled in, landed a job at the new institution, earned tenure on an accelerated clock, (and we had had a baby!), I mentioned being unhappy in my job and wanting to possibly get out. Whew! Did he get mad!! After that, I kept my concerns to myself and let him believe I had just experienced a short-lived mini crisis. We were happy, right? It was all good. Really. Ugh. 
• My colleagues and academic friends told me it was just a classic problem all academics go through at this stage and that everything would resolve itself once I got used to my new senior faculty role after tenure. 

I floundered in an environment where those around me did not support what I knew to be true: my career was definitely NOT supporting my wants, desires, and needs!

I had fleeting visions about what I wanted to do, but I felt embarrassed by the visions. If I actually said them aloud, they sounded ridiculous and I shuddered to think what others would say. 

I wanted to leave my dream job! Who does that? And what about all those people who never even got a chance at a job like mine?! I felt selfish and stupid and mostly kept the vision a secret. 

Without solid social support, an underdeveloped sense of what I actually wanted, and weak trust in my vision, I would swing between believing in my “embarrassing” vision and questioning whether any of it was even remotely possible. 

The cycle was relentless and I felt very stuck.

Your career wants and needs are valid!

You get to express them, reflect on them, and entertain all the possibilities!

The truth you hold within (even if it’s not super clear yet!) is legitimate. 

If I’m honest, my courage came after I got a cancer diagnosis. It was at that moment that I was no longer willing to put my career vision on the back-burner. 

I was not going to waste anymore of my life doing work I didn’t want to do.

I was also no longer willing to keep the secret that I wanted something different.  

I now knew what mattered in my life and what didn’t. I was literally in the hospital after a major surgery, dreaming and writing about what my new life/career would look like. 

My career vision was no longer just a longing buried under overwork, overwhelm, burnout, sickness, and my own fears. I finally had the courage to welcome it, proclaim its validity, and take concrete action to bring it to life. 

This is exactly why I’ve created this program for you! 

I don’t want you to keep your career dreams buried. Let me be very clear here: It is NOT OK with me that you die inside for the sake of maintaining a certain academic image!! The world needs you to do the work that is calling you and you deserve to thrive. 

I’ve been working with academics for almost 7 years now and while everyone’s path is unique, all of them are committed to finding a better way–a more sustainable, self-compassionate, and values-aligned way of working. 

Whether they ultimately stay in their current roles, go into higher ed administration, find another academic job at an institution that is more closely aligned with their values, pivot to a career in a nonprofit or corporate setting, or start their own businesses, my clients want work-life balance AND to feel excited and inspired by their work. They do NOT want their current reality to be their future.  

You get to feel healthy, strong and empowered!

You don’t have to resign yourself to feeling sick, sad, disappointed, overworked, and/or burned out. 

I can help you peel back the layers of overwhelm and burnout, find the core career vision beneath, and together, we can nourish that vision in a safe, gentle, and doable way. It’s so exciting to see yourself make progress! When you feel that, you’re even more inspired to stay the course. 

In this year-long program, we meet every single Friday (except holidays and a 6-week summer period during July and August) so that you do not stay in your current reality of overwork and buried dreams. Instead, we keep reminding you–every single week–that you have deeper career desires. 

Every Friday, we slow down together, pause, and reconnect with that part of ourselves that longs for a different way. 

Empowerment, clarity, and peace come when you find a new FOUNDATION. 

In the Sabbatical Program, we build our new foundation by:

• tending to our present self (caring for our body, mind, and spirit)
• caring for our future self (visioning and planning for next steps)
• Practicing trust (trusting that the path will lead us to our career wellness destinations)

These pieces–present self, future self, and trusting the path–get ignored when we’re caught in the overwork/burnout cycle. 

Our nervous systems turn on the survival switch. There–in survival mode–we just get through the day and the next day, and we do it all over again. Stuck in this overwork-burnout cycle, we meet external demands the best we can and ignore our deeper longings. 

The Sabbatical Program creates the space you need to break the overwork-burnout cycle and find the career vision beneath. You can rest on the foundation I have created for you so that making changes will feel doable and gentle. Yes, there will be fears that arise, but the foundation will also help you to process those fears and move forward into a future you actually want.

Paving a career path that supports your body, mind, and spirit means tending to the well-being of your PRESENT SELF, protecting the wants and needs of your FUTURE SELF, and TRUSTING that the work is taking you to your desired destination. 

As you tend to the well-being of your present self, you will: 

• Navigate daily work rhythms from a place of self-compassion (not self-discipline or indulgence)
• Process shame (a huge reason many of us do not move forward on our paths!) and other difficult emotions like fear, anger, sadness, etc. 
• Commit to forward movement and boundary-setting so that your intentions are front and center

As you protect the wants/needs of your future self, you will: 

• Vision your path forward from a place of true longing and desire, not a place of “shoulds”
• Set annual, seasonal, monthly, and weekly intentions 
• Maintain calendar integrity so that goals are met 

As you learn to trust the career wellness path you are paving, you will: 

• Create space for regular rest so insights and solutions to problems come to you with ease
• Digest unhealthy attachments to your work so you are not carrying unnecessary and distracting weight into your future
• Uplift your emotions so you feel more hopeful and trusting about your path forward 

The Sabbatical Program weaves together five major pieces to build the foundation you need to end the overwork-burnout cycle and move forward with clarity and intention: 

• Weekly group processing (at 11:30am ET on Friday mornings), which will stop you from spinning in overwhelm, facilitate nervous-system and emotional regulation, and re-connect you to your inner wisdom
• Three 1-1 seasonal coaching sessions with me over the course of the year so we can troubleshoot issues specific to your experiences/situation (and the option to purchase more 1-1 sessions at a discounted rate should the need arise)
• Guidance in setting your annual, seasonal, monthly, and weekly intentions and making practical plans that support intentions
• Monthly private podcast episodes that align to monthly themes such as navigating daily rhythms with self-compassion, integrating a regular practice of rest into your work life, setting boundaries, re-committing to trusting your path when you get off track, etc. 
• An app that connects you to content, other participants, and myself 

As mentioned above, the Sabbatical Program rests on THREE MAJOR cornerstones: 

• Honoring and tending to the present self
• Honoring and tending to the future self
• Trusting the path to career wellness

WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS aim to regulate your nervous system and emotions as well as guide you to explore the designated monthly theme. 

Weekly, monthly, and seasonal PLANNING SESSIONS help you to protect your career wants, desires, and needs

Each MONTHLY THEME helps you to practice a key piece in paving a self-compassionate career path, supportive of mind, body, and spirit:

• Practicing self-compassion (the key to making any big changes)
• Finding your career desires and intentions
• Identifying and working through inner obstacles to trusting the path
• Opening space for answers to emerge from a calm, regulated place of inner wisdom
• Setting boundaries
• Practicing calm, focused, and present daily rhythms
• Moving through shame and practicing belonging to self
• Fueling your career wellness path with delight
• Articulating your core career intention/vision
• Hearing/discerning inner wisdom
• Grounding inner wisdom in practice

Additional (and optional) REST SESSIONS that make space for your mind, body, and spirit

Additional (and optional) CAREER WELLNESS WORKSHOPS around issues of self-compassion and visioning are held during semester breaks, in January and June. 

To address issues specific to your individual situation, THREE 1-1 COACHING SESSIONS are offered over the course of the year.

You will also be connected to the group, myself, and supplemental content materials via an APP YOU CAN ACCESS THROUGH YOUR PHONE OR DESKTOP. 

This program is for you if you are:  

• Excited to explore and discern more self-compassionate approaches to career 
• Committed to attending weekly group coaching sessions as much as possible (not when you’re sick, your kid is sick, or you’re at a conference, of course!)
• Willing to do the emotional processing required to break out of stress, fear, and shame cycles
• Willing to slow down enough to tap into inner wisdom about career vision
• Wanting to feel a sense of community with others: supported by others, willing to support others, and willing to do nervous system co-regulation work with others

This program is NOT for you if you: 

• Want simply to make a career pivot (many alt-ac career coaches are willing to help you with this! I can even refer you.)
• Are unable to attend weekly Friday group sessions
• Are unable to commit to regular rest, play, and other self-care practices 
• Want a cookie-cutter recipe for change (everyone has different wants, needs, concerns, values)
• Are unwilling to feel your emotions
• Are unwilling to let go of toxic work habits
• Are unwilling to engage in community processing

It’s possible to feel healthy, energized, and excited about your career again!

You get to let go of toxic work habits and pave a self-compassionate career path. 

The year you spend in the Sabbatical Program will break you out of the academic overwork-burnout cycle, connect you to your deeper career longings and desires, and facilitate a gentle and doable path forward. 

You get to BREATHE in this program!

We have designated “rest weeks,” monthly sessions to celebrate your progress, and end-of-semester recovery sessions. As you rest, celebrate, and recover, you make space for your core career vision to emerge. Once you have a felt vision, we find and commit to practical steps forward. 

When I was on the tenure-track, burnout hit me like a sledgehammer. I couldn’t write, check email, prep for class, or get myself to faculty meetings on time. I was SPENT. I went from anxious, overwhelmed, and overworked to totally depleted, unmotivated, and careless. 

My career longings, desires, and needs became trapped beneath the overwork-burnout cycle. While I was able to access my vision in fleeting moments, I struggled to find deeper clarity. Without the confidence that I could find a way out, without strong support from those around me, and without a consistent practice to help me figure it all out, I felt really stuck. 

Not surprising, I also got sick. My body, mind, and spirit were literally starving and I did not know how to feed them.  

It took me YEARS, but I finally stabilized, found clarity, and moved forward in a self-compassionate career direction–a direction that supported my body, mind, and spirit. 

I’ve finally gathered the pieces to get myself (and you!) unstuck! 

The Sabbatical Program: A year-long group coaching program to end the academic overwork-burnout cycle and uncover the core career vision beneath

$3,600 for the year OR $555 down and $280 per month over the course of the year

Please feel free to reach out with questions! Email me, message me on on Facebook or LinkedIn, or schedule a 20-minute chat. 

As soon as you enroll, you and I will meet privately to orient you to the program, answer your questions, set you up on the coaching app, and schedule your first 1-1 coaching session. 

You should plan on attending weekly group coaching sessions (11:30am-12:25pm ET) and if you have the ability and desire, you may also want to attend weekly, monthly, and seasonal planning sessions. If you like, additional career wellness workshops dealing with issues of career visioning and self-compassion will be held during semester breaks in January and June/July.  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the purpose of the Sabbatical Program?

To facilitate a process of ending the academic overwork/burnout cycle, uncovering the core career desires, dreams, and longings stuck beneath, and start taking steps toward the new vision in a supported, safe, doable, and gentle way.

Who is the Sabbatical Program intended to serve?

The Sabbatical Program serves mostly mid-career academics (as well as some pre-tenure faculty and postdocs) who feel lost, disillusioned, and otherwise unwell in their careers. Some want to stay in academia. Others want to leave. All sabbatical participants are motivated to embark on a journey toward greater career wellness.

How does the program help participants access their inner wisdom?

As participants practice feeling more grounded in their bodies, planning their weeks, months, and seasons to protect their desires/needs, and make time to more regularly digest their emotions, they regulate their nervous systems, which results in more creative problem-solving and new insights about how to pave a more self-compassionate path forward. In other words, regulation creates space to hear inner wisdom.

How does the program work?

Group coaching sessions provide space for participants to witness the relationship they have to their careers and make decisions accordingly. The private podcast complements weekly sessions, providing additional explanation and guidance about the designated monthly topics. An app that supports asynchronous coaching and a community forum is also available.

What are some examples of monthly topics?

Monthly topics include practicing self-compassion, which is key to making big work-life changes, setting boundaries, moving through shame so that you can belong more fully to yourself, articulating a core career intention/vision so that you have direction and focus without becoming overwhelmed by things that do not matter, hearing/discerning inner wisdom, etc.

Are career wellness workshops included?

Yes! Sabbatical enrollees may attend all career wellness workshops at no additional cost. These additional workshops are usually held in January and June/July. 

Do we really meet every Friday for a full calendar year?

Other than holidays, a few “off weeks,” and a six-week summer break in July/August, we meet every single Friday. Weekly pausing slows down the pace of participants’ work lives and reminds them to align to their values as well as attend to their regrets, longings, and other unprocessed emotions.

When are the weekly sessions held?

Sessions are held Fridays at 8:30am PT/11:30am ET.

What if I cannot make it to one of the weekly coaching sessions? 

Of course there are weeks you won’t be able to attend and I get that! When that happens, private podcast episodes offer the content you missed when you could not attend.

Why do we do weekly, monthly, seasonal, and annual planning sessions? When are they held?

The purpose of planning sessions is to build a relationship with the future so you can proactively protect your wants, desires, and needs. You will have access to planning outlines and if you cannot (or do not want) to come to planning sessions, you will have the ability to effectively plan on your own. 

The weekly planning session is held 20 minutes after the weekly coaching session ends. It runs from 12:45 to 1:15pm ET. 

Monthly sessions are held the last Wednesday and Thursday of each month (you choose one!) between 2:00 and 2:45pm ET. 

Seasonal sessions are held on or around the solstice/equinox from 3:30 to 5pm ET. 

Annual sessions are held in January and July. Come to whichever session makes the most sense for you!

What do we do during designated rest weeks? 

Rest weeks simply mean that you are making rest a priority. That is, you are making extra space for your body, mind, and spirit outside of work. It may mean that you schedule fewer meetings (or none at all!) or that you do less prep for class (guest speakers, show videos in class, etc.). 

In order to help you rest during rest weeks, I offer twenty-minute rest sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays. They run between 2:00 and 2:20pm ET and are intended to give you practice trusting the process of rest. If you need space to process emotions, I also offer processing sessions during rest weeks, which run from 2:30-3:25pm ET.  

Is the Sabbatical Program refundable?

No, but if you choose the monthly payment option, you will be able to discontinue your participation in the program and stop payments at that time. In order to discontinue, you should send me an email requesting your discontinuation of the program at least 30 days in advance.