I understand the gravity of life transitions because I have lived them. When my youngest left for college, I found myself standing at a threshold—one that many of my clients face at various life transitions. The world suddenly wants to know, “What are you going to do with your life now?” And although I was active in many beautiful roles, the vocation of motherhood that had propelled me out of bed for decades had changed overnight. I had to begin “the letting go.”
I made a promise to myself in those early days of the empty nest:
- I would not rush to fill the silence.
- I would not let pride or the opinion of others lead me astray.
- I would notice and gently challenge the negative self-talk.
- I would claim the truth that even tending a garden, or simply being still before God, was enough. I was enough.
Yet, I was open to God’s timing. Open to His call. Open to the possibility that something new was being formed in the quiet.
For 30 years, fleeting thoughts had come and gone about becoming a therapist or psychologist, but I always shut them down. I was in my 50s. I aggressively dismissed the thought of grad school every time it popped up. My kids needed me. I had an ADD attention span. Graduate school felt logically impossible.
I kept praying the Rosary. I kept volunteering. I kept coaching in informal settings. And one day, while praying, a simple yet bold thought surfaced:
“I could see myself helping people as a Catholic professional.”
I had a few free hours that afternoon. I searched online. I discovered Divine Mercy University, a school of psychology. I clicked on the website chat. A representative reached out immediately. And as I spoke with him, one excuse after another began to fall away, except the big ones:
I’m too late.
I’m not smart enough.
It’s too expensive.
What if I fail?
Before fear could talk me out of it, I applied. I was accepted. And in that moment, hope and fear collided in the most beautiful, terrifying way.
It took me 2½ years to finish. Some courses felt like a marathon. But I discovered I was capable of incredible things, and what I once viewed as my weakness became one of my greatest strengths. My brain, my wiring, my way of processing allowed me to engage deeply, creatively, and compassionately. Encouraging others was not an escape from living authentically, it was the calling that was woven throughout my life. This calling led me to where I was in perfect time. Had my education been sooner, it would have missed the holistic movement of recognizing the importance of spirituality in flourishing.
I discovered Positive Psychology. Everything seemed to fall into place from there.
I wasn’t called to a clinical setting to diagnose pathology. I was called to walk with people through life transitions, identity questions, unrealized dreams, relational struggles, and fears that keep them from flourishing. I was called to help them discover their character strengths, virtues, and recognize the God-given dignity already within them.
I graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
I was invited into the PhD program.
Not bad for someone fearing she wouldn’t be smart enough.
But more importantly than the grades were the lessons that stepping into challenge taught me:
• I learned never to let fear have the final word.
• I learned to lean into possibility with courage.
• I learned to trust God’s timing, even when it comes three decades later than expected.
Today, as a Catholic life coach, I walk with clients who are navigating transitions like the empty nest, feeling lost, career shifts, changed dreams, or relationships longing for deeper connection. I help clients to recognize their inherent worth, cultivate confidence, and communicate through virtue rather than pressure or self-doubt. I guide them to love themselves as God loves them, so they can love others with freedom.
My coaching integrates the science of psychology through the lens of positive psychology, philosophy, and a Catholic understanding of the human person divinely created for good, created for relationship, and created to flourish.
When we live in gratitude, when we embrace the gifts God has uniquely placed within us, and when we draw close to Him in trust, our path becomes clearer. Not always easy. Not always obvious, but clearer.
This is the work I now feel blessed to do—helping others step into their calling, strengthen their relationships, and approach life’s transitions with courage, confidence, and hope.
What I once thought was “too late” became God’s perfect timing. I help others discover the same truth in their own lives. I have been blessed to have a place to offer my unique, authentic, faith-based style of coaching to help others. I am forever grateful for the Catholic Life Coach platform.
To connect with Suzi Ellington, visit her directory profile at
https://www.catholiclifecoaches.com/suzanne-ellington
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