About Roz Van Meter

Roz Van Meter
Biography

I was born Roselle and was called Pinkie till I was grown. Roz suits me better.

I'm now in at least my sixth chapter of this lifetime, which I believe is the only earthly trip I get. (I'd love to be wrong about that.)

QUICK OVERVIEW

1st chapter: Little redheaded girl, college kid, young bride.

2nd chapter: Wife and mother.

3rd chapter: Admin assistant, advertising copywriter, account exec.

4th chapter: Graduate school. Masters degree in interpersonal communication. Training and licensure as relationship therapist, professional counselor, sex therapist. Consultant to agencies and businesses in how to live juicier (didn't call it that).

5th chapter: Divorced person. College instructor. Training specialist. Opened a private practice as a marriage and sex therapist.

6th chapter: (present) Wrote a couple of books. Regular on a local ABC affiliate talk show. Consultant to some big and small companies. Continued as a therapist, also became a personal and business coach.

ZOOMING IN

When I began my practice in 1977, all the other counselors I knew were waiting 30, 60, even 90 days to get paid. I figured that since my dentist and dry cleaner and pharmacy all expected to be paid at the time they delivered their service, I would too. I helped my clients get reimbursement from their insurance companies, but I didn't carry them as Accounts Receivable.

Instead of resisting this idea, my clients felt more comfortable paying for what they received. I was never their creditor. It created a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. I thought of them less as patients than as real people I came to know well, liked a whole lot, and helped considerably. I enjoyed them so much that sometimes they'd have to remind me to take their checks.

But I still had to keep the therapeutic distance and not socialize with them. That is the rule when you're a therapist.

Then a few years ago I learned about a new profession called Personal Coaching, and climbed aboard. Here was an opportunity to have a personal, conversational relationship that was wholly outcome-oriented, based in the here-and-now, practical and immediate. I got certified by the International Coach Federation, created several Web sites, and began my career as a business and personal life coach.

No therapeutic distance is required in coaching! I am friends with my coaching clients, even the ones who are geographically far away. I coach by telephone and e-mail to clients who live in Norway, Germany, England, Australia, Hawaii, Canada, and many of the United States.

All this time I have continued my therapy practice, because I like it too. Coaching and therapy are two very different professions, which I'll explain in a minute.

One day it dawned on me that I could take the my expertise about sexuality and incorporate it in a special niche: SEXUALITY COACHING.

COACHING IS NOT THERAPY

Coaching is for people who have an area or two of their lives they want help with. Therapy is for people who are depressed, anxious, or have old psychological wounds that need healing. My sex therapy clients come to my office and work on how to recover from past traumas.

Sexuality coaching, on the other hand, is educational and skill-based.

Therapy looks in the rear-view mirror at what was. Coaching looks out the front at what can be.

Since I like to write, I've enjoyed telling people about my services by creating websites at http://CoachRoz.com, http://The-Wizard-Of-Roz.com, and this one, http://SexualityCoach.com.

WHAT NEXT?

I'll keep writing books, doing therapy in my Dallas office and personal coaching by phone and e-mail, and expanding my brand as the Sexuality Coach. I'm also traveling more, expanding my world view and my client base.

And, of course, I'll keep on loving Robert Goodman.

Sometimes I'm asked whether I plan to retire, and I'm always surprised. Why in the world should I? I am helping people, having enormous fun, stretching my horizons, getting better known, and doing something no one else has ever done before.

Okay, well maybe I'll get on Oprah and talk about Sexuality Coaching.