About Kelly
Kelly Harwood is a freelance writer and Master Certified Life Coach. Along with coaching, she has taught English and creative writing to adults and teens for over twenty years and earned her MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Kelly’s path to coaching grew out of her passion for helping others find their authentic voice and her deep understanding of narrative writing pedagogy. Kelly’s coaching philosophy is rooted in collaboration, accountability, and the belief that small changes made consistently over time can lead to powerful change. Kelly offers a range of coaching packages. She is particularly drawn to working with teens as well as adult clients navigating grief, mid-life transitions, parenting/ co-parenting struggles and existential dilemmas.
Offerings
-
The Sapling Course - NEW!
Wednesdays in April, 6-8 PM at the Common Well.
Step into the fertile ground of your imagination and watch your creativity bloom with The Sapling Course, a vibrant and nurturing writing workshop for all levels of experience. This four-week workshop invites you to plant the seeds of creative inspiration and watch them grow into the memoirs, poems, short stories and essays you’ve always dreamed of writing.
Participants will join Kelly Harwood, an experienced creative writing instructor and certified life coach. Drawing from her extensive background in teaching English and creative writing, as well as her expertise in narrative coaching, Kelly invites students of all levels to explore the art of storytelling as a means of personal growth, purposeful expression, and profound connection. View full course description here.
-
The Evergreen Course: Writing Through Grief and Change
Wednesdays in July, 6-8 PM at the Common Well.
Just as the evergreen stands resilient through all seasons, so too can your writing practice serve as a beacon of strength amidst life's most challenging storms. In this four-week workshop, participants will explore the art of storytelling as a means of healing and personal growth.
Held at The Common Well, a beautiful new creative coworking space in Garden City, The Evergreen Course provides a nurturing environment where participants can embark on a journey of self-discovery in a safe and supportive group setting. Each session includes writing prompts, craft lessons, and time for optional sharing. Participants will learn new writing techniques to process emotions, find clarity, and foster resilience. Read full course description here.
-
College-Bound Narrative Coaching
Polish and Perfect Your Essays, then SUBMIT!
Narrative coaching for college-bound seniors goes beyond editing and proofreading; it delves into the heart of each student's story, aspirations, and values. College-bound narrative coaching takes the stress and anxiety out of the college application process, giving students the tools, structure, timeline, and confidence to write personal statements and scholarship essays that shine beyond their GPA. Through personalized guidance and tailored support, Kelly helps clients to uncover and develop their unique writing voice, allowing their personalities and life experiences to come to the forefront. Additional details can be found here.
-
Academic and Organizational Coaching
Build Your Roadmap to Success.
Navigating high school in today's fast-paced world can be a challenging experience for both teenagers and their parents. Balancing coursework, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and family obligations can be overwhelming to even the hardest-working teen. If your teen is drowning in the demands of everyday life or lacks the organizational skills to stay afloat, Kelly's Academic and Organizational Coaching can help. Additional details can be found here.
-
Life Coaching
Change your habits. Change your life.
Feeling stuck is sometimes a gentle reminder from the universe that our habits and lifestyle no longer align with our values. Luckily, we can achieve dramatic changes in mood, energy, and happiness through small actions over time—like keeping promises to ourselves, creating healthy boundaries, and allowing ourselves to explore new and burgeoning interests without the pressure of productivity. Kelly will help clients identify their core priorities, set short-term goals, creative meaningful, actionable steps toward achieving them, and learn how to navigate setbacks and roadblocks without giving up. Sessions will include weekly exercises and discussions designed to foster positive change.
-
Narrative Coaching
Reclaim your stories. Reclaim your life.
Narrative coaching combines the literary techniques of nonfiction writing with the tenants of professional coaching, offering clients a new lens through which to view their lives and an invitation to cast themselves as active participants and creators. Client writing will lead the way to deep discussion and reflection. Each week Kelly will offer personal writing exercises, short readings, and written feedback, helping clients reframe their life stories into mature and nuanced narratives. Over time clients will begin to recognize ongoing themes, outgrown identities, and new pathways toward growth. With new skills and a more accurate and empowered view of themselves, clients learn how to handle life's ups and downs with the full arsenal of their individual strengths, values, and long-term goals.
Client Testimonials
-
"I have known Kelly for many years. She has an innate capacity to listen to others and hear not only what is being said but what is not being said. She does this through a nonjudgmental prism that she skillfully uses to help her clients gain self-awareness and new ways of thinking about themselves and their future. I am so excited that Kelly has developed a teen coaching program, given her love for adolescents and many years of experience working with teens. I often imagine what different self-understanding I would have had, and different choices I would have made if I had met Kelly when I was a young person. I highly recommend Kelly for any adolescent or adult who wants to increase their self-understanding and build a narrative/roadmap for their future."
Dr. Cathy Gwin, PsyD
-
"When I reflect on my time with Kelly, I remember how patient and attentive she was. One of her core gifts as a writer and as a coach is being an active listener. She easily connects the dots between your hidden intentions and your active behavior. She also summarizes this in an articulate way and in a way that allows you to study your situation as a "third person" vs. a "first person" observer. Kelly is not afraid to nudge you if she notices that you are afraid to take action. I appreciate her wise counsel and encouragement as a coach and would recommend working with her."
Phim Her
-
"Kelly helped me process the grief of losing my dad through narrative coaching. She encouraged me, guided me, and pushed me to tell my story in a way that helped myself but resonated with others. The whole experience allowed me to not only process my emotions but reflect on things beyond just my dad's death or his time in hospice. Writing allowed me to be able to talk more openly about my dad's death and my emotions without totally losing it. Writing helped me feel supported when those around me didn't know how to support me. Writing felt good. I am such a better writer because of my time with Kelly. She also encouraged me to submit one of my pieces of writing and I got published!"
Gina Borud
-
"I have completed two Creative Writing courses taught by Kelly Harwood and I will continue to take her courses, in the future. Kelly has a true, fundamental, understanding of structure. She imparts this through various methods of reading and writing. But, she doesn’t get so caught-up in it that the creativity and flow get lost. Her classes are a safe space for sharing your work, which is something I’d never felt comfortable doing before taking her class. Kelly creates a camaraderie amongst the students and we feed off of each other during class. I feel I’m growing as a writer, since participating in Kelly’s courses."
Jules