Hey, I’m Gilbert! Welcome to Breathing Room Life Coaching.

How I Arrived at This Work:

• My life started by: Have you ever seen a little Asian kid working at a Chinese restaurant who was probably too young to be working, but you knew it meant your food was about to be fire? Yeah, my start in life was being that kid. I’m the son of Chinese immigrant parents (see photo on the right of how Asian moms pose in all their photos). They worked extremely hard to set a foundation for me so I could collect some childhood trauma and ultimately build this good life that I’ve built for myself.

• I grew up and became: When I graduated from the University of Connecticut (LFG Huskies), I taught English to Chinese high school students in Shanghai for two years. I loved those students and wanted to stay in education when I returned to the US. When Covid happened, I moved back to Connecticut and started a five-year stint as a full-time consultant who advised high school students through their college application process. I’ve also coached seven seasons of basketball and was recently a high school varsity boys basketball head coach.

• My “adulting” experience includes: In the midst of that little resume I wrote above, I spent two years as a client in therapy. I learned first-hand how difficult it can be to honestly—like really fucking honestly—talk about yourself. I saw the value in speaking to a nonjudgmental, confidential listener who gives you a safe space to fully be yourself. If you’re nervous to be vulnerable, just know that I’ve been there too and I empathize with you.

• My training: I completed the Youth Coaching Institute’s life coaching program with a knowledgeable instructor and passionate cohort of coaches. That learning environment has made life coaching a line of work that I actually enjoy doing, which is a blessing to say. It is an awesome and well-respected program, and I use those same skills and coaching mindsets to coach adults from their early 20s to their 50s, and most prominently people in their 20s and 30s.

• Where I’m at now: I’m 30 years old, currently live in Denver, Colorado, and feel great about how I approach my own mental health and life goals. The work that I’ve done on myself and the countless number of meaningful conversations that I’ve had with people in my professional roles and personal life made me gravitate towards life coaching. While I am not currently seeing a therapist, I am receiving coaching from other life coaches and making progress in my life through those conversations. So once again, I very much believe in the value of this line of work as I’ve seen the benefits it has had on me.

• My belief in you: The backgrounds, identities, and experiences you bring to our coaching sessions are valid. We’re going to work together to make your life better in whichever areas you find important.

My Myers-Briggs/16Personalities profile description is here: ESFJ

Here’s more about how I would coach you. And if my bio just completely swept you off your feet already, here are the ways we can work together.

You can email me at gilbert@breathingroomlifecoaching.com if you’re ready to get to know each other through a free consultation.