Yasemin Tunc

I am an ontological life coach. Ontology, by definition, is the science of being. This means, through our conversations, I support you in raising your awareness of your language, emotions, and body, in short your being. Understanding your essence, your true self, and separating it from the stories you tell yourself about who you are, is the basis for change.

The way I ended up in this profession is totally unexpected.

I grew up in Istanbul, Turkey as the only daughter in a rather conservative family. My parents’ main expectation from me was that I marry well and become a good homemaker and mother. I got married at 21, and moved to the United States for my husband’s graduate degree. Between being a homemaker and a mother, I squeezed in an undergraduate and a masters degree in business. I started a job that turned into a career in information technology and worked my way up to assistant vice president for academic technology at Ball State University in Indiana.

After retiring from Ball State, I moved to Chicago to be close to my daughter and her family. All I was looking forward to was spending time with my new granddaughter and having time to travel. I immediately started babysitting one day a week, which I continue to do now that I also have a grandson. I also enjoyed traveling to many countries. I even started volunteering for Dress for Success. What I didn’t realize was that there are many more days in a year than my plans could fill.

I have always been a doer. I held two jobs for 20 years, teaching at the University in the evenings. I had assistantships while in grad school when my kids were young. I thrived on my full plate and accomplished everything I set out to do. All of a sudden, there was not much for me to do and it was terribly boring. Especially when the Chicago winters came and I could no longer spend hours walking in different neighborhoods to learn my new city.

Naturally, I started to think I needed a new job. My criteria were simple. I didn’t want a full time job, I didn’t want to “go” to work, and I didn’t want to wear a uniform. I decided to check out life coaching and immediately signed up for training.

My training program was quite rigorous, lasting 12 months. After graduation, I enrolled in a mindfulness and meditation teaching program and got certified. After that, I enrolled in and completed a foundations of positive psychology program. And finally, I completed a retirement coaching program and got certified as a professional retirement coach.

These four programs actually are very complementary and provide a solid foundation for my coaching business. I believe I have the necessary background to support my clients in their life goals. As a result of my training and continuing to be coached myself, I keep my skills fresh and am able to be fully present in client conversations and powerfully stand for my clients’ success.

If you are:

• curious about life coaching, or
• have goals but no idea how to go after them, or
• you feel stuck on some hamster wheel and can’t seem to get off, or
• like me you are disenchanted with retirement, then give me a call

Let’s chat and see if coaching might help get you on the path to well-being and happiness. The initial conversation, or the “discovery call” is always on the house.