| [From the Amherst Bulletin, October 11, 2002]
Empowering Others is Her Strength
Amherst therapist has an ear for bringing out
people's best
By PHYLLIS LEHRER
Staff Writer
The phone rings and Dr. Ange answers.
Dr. Ange, aka Andrea DiBenedetto, is on line to listen to professional or
personal problems, offer advice or just encourage someone to exercise.
Whether on the phone or in person, DiBenedetto provides help as a
professional therapist, consultant or coach.
"I'm an excellent listener," she said. "My listening skills
are very acute. I find what's being said underneath. I provide an
outside perspective and I feedback the information I hear."
"I've been working with people for 20 years as a therapist or consultant
in organizational development. I empower people whether through therapy or
consulting," said DiBenedetto, "who grew up in Brooklyn and move to
Amherst in 1984."
In a nutshell she is a self described, "professional nudge," she
said during a conversation about her career. She also spoke about her new
venture: a five-week empowerment and support group, "Courage to
Succeed," for self-employed women. Two are under way and two more
will start next week.
"I hit such a nerve," she said about the new project.
"These women love what they do. They really want to be successful,
but they create their own glass ceiling. And they are isolated, she said
about why 14 women in various business fields enrolled.
The group focuses on the vision and obstacles of the business as well as the
nitty-gritty details, such as marketing and promotion. One example: "I tell
them to give five business cards to clients and have them pass them on.
Women are more shy than men. They are not supposed to be too
assertive," said DiBenedetto who earned a doctorate in education from the
University of Massachusetts in 1991.
Another example: "Most women don't go to banks for loans but do it on
their own. 'The bank won't give me a loan,' is what they say. I'll go to
the bank with them and research grants. I'm on their payroll for five
weeks," said DiBenedetto, who also has a master's degree it humanist
psychology education from UMass.
She speaks from personal experience. "I'm a self-employed person
and have been for 15 years. I have an office at home, said DiBenedetto,
who has a undergraduate degree in inter disciplinary science from the University
of South Florida.
Participants also receive two coaching sessions very specific to the
individual's issues.
Because of the group's reception, she said she will offer group for men in
the winter, "I love what happens in group. It creates movement for
change and transformation," she said.
The coaching service is
comparatively new for DiBenedetto who took on the
role four yeas ago. "Coaching came from the human potential movement.
People want help in their lives. They don't need a therapist but they need
someone to talk to, I listen. There is no one else to talk to. Even
people in the family are busy. They ask, 'Can you he me think this
out,"' she said.
Coaching sessions include problem solving and collaboration, whether for
individual or corporate clients. "With a problem, either I tell them
or have them figure it out. I will tell them no when I think something
will be a disaster. I tell them to get more exercise. That's why the
call me a nudge. They want honest feedback from me," she said
She said she also consults with other members of the family if needed.
Why do people seek out coaches? "Most people want to be heard and
encouraged. People need to listen to people in a deep way, to challenge
and support them at the same time. That's why coaching is better than
therapy sometimes," she said.
The coaching is conducted over the phone. DiBenedetto said she has
clients across the country. She also follows up conversations with an
e-mail. Coaching clients averages three sessions a month for three to four
months. Each call is 30 to 45 minutes. "It takes that long to
build a relationship, implement goals and feel their success. People come
to coaching to make change. They want clarity, awareness, knowledge.
I encourage them to take action. Some are paralyzed by small steps. I say
do the one small step."
DiBenedetto's coaching centers on small businesses and individual
clients. "I'm behind the scenes. I'm their collaborator, the
sounding board."
There is a free 15-minute interview at first to see if it's a right fit.
"Relationship is key to see if we speak a common language." She said
she encourages clients to interview others.
"There's never enough help for people. Everyone deserves a good
life," she said. But there is a caveat. "It's not an instant
fix. I know how long change can happen. It takes patience,
encouragement, support and commitment."
Reprinted with permission of the Daily
Hampshire Gazette. All rights reserved.
|
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