Frequently Asked Questions

Hi, my name is Vanessa Gallagher and I am the owner and coach behind Plum Blossom Coaching. 

I'm a Gen X middle aged mom. daughter, wife and fur-baby mama living in Austin, Texas. I'm neurotypical-ish with a middle-aged brain that is on a mission to think all the thoughts at once and has 1000 tabs open at any time. I'm supporting parents and parents-in-law through their aging journeys.  I am the luckiest parent to a neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+ young adult with whom I am walking alongside in their college and leaving-the-nest process. I've been both a stay at home mom (it is full time unpaid labor) and a working outside the house mom (2 jobs for the pay of one!). My husband and I have been together for 27+ years and are constantly juggling joint and individual priorities and goals for today and our retirement years. Our pup, Moo, and our two cats, Quiche and Bangs round out my life. 

Professionally I began my career 35 years ago providing services at-risk children and families. After completing my Master's degree in Human Services I obtained my license as a professional counselor and began work in community mental health organizations, later moving into the corporate health and wellness sector and then to private practice. 

My work through Plum Blossom Coaching allows me to dial in on supporting parents, couples and individuals in addressing the big life concerns as a thought-partner. sometimes educator, creative problem solver and empathic listener. I would love to have a conversation with you to see if we might be a good fit. 

                                           Welcome to Plum Blossom Coaching! 

In your first session we'll get to know one another, discuss the specifics of your situation, your strengths, resources and goals. We will define what success looks like for you. 

In subsequent sessions we will explore, brainstorm, question, strategize and  generate solutions and approaches to meet your goals. We will address barriers, collaborate on next steps and dig into literature and educational material when needed to help you move forward. Every session is tailored to your unique needs, concerns and desired outcomes.  

I work with clients who are motivated, curious and eager to change and grow. My clients come from all walks of life and are seeking greater connection to self and others. You don't have to know where you want to go in order to begin the journey, but you do need to be curious and up for a challenge. 

I am LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming and although I am a visitor in these communities, endeavor to offer a place of safety, operating from the knowledge that 

• all people belong
• identity is self-defined
• lived experience is valid
• personhood is multidimensional 

If you or your child are not represented in the damaging neuro- or hetero-normative paradigm, you will find an open and welcoming space here.  

I provide parent coaching for individuals, couples and co-parents with kids, teens and young adults. Many of the parents I work with are figuring out how to support their neurodivergent child, making family adjustments due to divorce or facing developmental transitions such as teens preparing for graduation. 

Whatever your stage of parenting and whatever your reasons for seeking coaching, we will use humor, empathy, compassion, developmental knowledge and creative problem solving and tool building to help reinforce your confidence and let you find your parenting groove. 

As a fellow mid-lifer who is in the thick of it, I will be a sounding board, goal accountability buddy, cheerleader and co-strategist to help you make sense of where you are, where you want to go and how you can get there, bad knees and all!  Using reflective conversations, being curious, asking "big" questions, values inquiry, future focus planning and an analysis of your internal and external resources will help get you where you want to go and map a plan on how best to get there. 

For those of us in the middle years, we are often balancing being on the bubble of life- asking ourselves if this is it, have we arrived or if this is all there is and who is in charge? We are often still raising kids but they aren't so little anymore and need us in a different way. Becoming empty nesters and trying to remember or reinvent who we are with partners and ourselves. Trying to remain vibrant in our careers while eyeing retirement.  Supporting aging parents and flipping the roles of child-parent to parent-child... sandwich generation anyone? All this is normal but not undaunting, and you don't have to navigate it on your own. 

Coaching is a transformative process for personal and interpersonal discovery and growth based on goal setting, building knowledge, creating outcomes, and developing resources.  As a coach, I partner with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal, interpersonal and professional potential.

While both coaches and therapists help individuals improve their lives, therapists typically focus on treating mental health issues and past traumas, while a coach focuses on here and now, normal growth and adjustment needs.