Hi, I’m Carla
I grew up in a family of anxious, stressed-out people, but we hid it. We appeared just fine, but there was always an undercurrent of unease. While we looked good and successful, we were wrecked on the inside. I learned from an early age to keep my own anxious mind and anxiety to myself lest I rock our fragile boat. It’s lonely and frightening managing hidden stress and anxiety.
My path became about breaking through my own patterns of stress and anxiety and then helping others do the same. I hired therapists, coaches, and mentors all along the way, and I became a psychotherapist and then a coach myself.
By my mid-50s, I took all that I had learned over the decades and curated a process that works. My clients are seeing results so much more quickly than I did, without decades of struggle. They want help finding balance, clarity, and focused flow, and the ability to scale beyond their wildest dreams without burning out. I teach them how to get there through my proprietary Thrive Stepwise™ System. I discovered through my personal journey and by working with hundreds of people that a healthy and clear mind creates a healthy and fulfilling life, better work performance, richer relationships, and the ability to thrive!
WHAT DOES COACHING LOOK LIKE FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO IS DEALING QUIETLY WITH MENTAL CHATTER, STRESS, OVERWHELM, OR ANXIETY?
Through the process of coaching, I create a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space where you can take an honest look at yourself. I help you identify what your big vision is for yourself. We get crystal clear about your desired outcomes, and we begin identifying your next steps. This clarity guides us throughout our work together and gives you the traction you need to start strong and stay the course.
We flesh out your next steps and look at what’s blocking you from realizing your big vision, why tools and techniques haven't helped you reach your goals consistently, and what understanding you need in order to move toward your desired outcomes with ease and clarity.
As you come to understand how the mind works, you close the gap between your desired outcomes and where you are now. You begin to embody the changes you are making, with less effort, and you find your big vision becoming reality with consistency, ease, and flow.
“Our levels of success will rarely exceed our levels of personal development,
because success is something we attract by who we become.” Hal Elrod
HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHER COACHES?
Depending on your experience and exposure to coaching, you may have noticed that coaching can sometimes seem like a quick fix or something that’s based strictly on strategy and tactics alone and that’s not how I work.
I’m all about deep transformation. As we work together, I guide you on many different levels: purpose, motivation, inspiration, mindset, structures, accountability. This keeps you on track. I also, teach you why insight is actually the key to transformation and how you can create the conditions for insights to arise. This understanding alone is life-changing.
I am a Certified Integral Master Coach™ and a Certified Strategic Intervention Coach (through Tony Robbins), as well as Internal Family Systems (IFS) informed. I’ve gone through extensive training. I’ve been coaching since 2011. I was also a licensed psychotherapist for 15 years before I began coaching. While I no longer practice therapy or counseling, and I certainly don’t make diagnoses or give medical advice, I’m still informed by that work, which has proven to enrich my coaching.
Most importantly, I’ve done the work myself. I’ve had a therapist or coach, since 1985 because I have learned that that level of support and accountability is the foundation for success, growth, and breaking free. I work with a practitioner weekly to deepen my own self-awareness, heal, grow, and keep myself clear and grounded so that I can work with you more effectively.
WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE DO YOU WORK BEST WITH?
Typically, the person who shows up at my “door” is smart, quick, capable, and has accomplished a great deal but recognizes that underneath it all there is nagging stress or anxiety, racing thoughts, and perhaps even physical symptoms that are interfering with their work, sleep, and relationships. While successful, they haven’t found the meaning and fulfillment they had hoped for. They are often living in a constant state of uncertainty. So much is bubbling beneath the surface although it is usually well hidden.
They are tired of being so guarded and overly self-conscious. They are ready to break through the anxiety, procrastination, and fear of failure, and are ready to work at a deeper level. They want more than just money, although they want that, too. They want happiness, flexibility, freedom, and deep meaning. They also want to give back but in a way that isn’t burdensome.
HOW DO YOU WORK WITH A CLIENT LIKE ME?
My answer always depends on you and your needs. The first thing I do for anyone who is interested in working with me is to set up a complimentary Clarity Call. During the call, we will go deep and you will gain more clarity. From there, we’ll decide on the best course of action.
But be forewarned, I don’t do “pick-your-brain” sessions, I don’t do a quick hour here and there. My clients work with me in-depth and they enjoy the benefits and results that come from a deeper level of work.
My clients are from all across the globe and we can work via video or phone. In person intensives are also available.
CAN I JUST SET UP ONE SESSION AND BE DONE?
I always offer an initial Clarity Call at no charge to you so that we can be clear about your next best steps, but, let me clarify something, one session and done doesn’t work. That’s because true growth doesn’t happen overnight. You can certainly find other practitioners who offer that if that’s what you want, but I don’t work like this anymore because I’ve seen that one-off sessions don’t serve my clients who are committed to going deep and experiencing lasting transformation.
DOES THIS REALLY WORK?
Yes, a million times over, yes! But it depends on you and how much you are willing to work at it and what insights you get. I will tell you this, with insight, change can happen very quickly. The trick then becomes embodying that change so that it holds and doesn’t disappear after coming off that mountain top experience. That’s why committing to a coaching program is so important. When you invest in yourself fully and show up with openness, miracles can and do happen.
WHAT RESULTS CAN I EXPECT?
It always depends on the kind of work you’re willing to put into your coaching. You’ve got to really want this. While I’m not allowed to give guarantees, I’ve seen time and again that if you show up, commit, and do the work, transformation is inevitable.
Here are a few of the results my clients have gotten - in their own words:
Relief from debilitating anxiety
More confidence
More enjoyment out of career
Less judgmental
Business has transformed and growing
Better sleep
More self-trust
More proactive behaviors
Able to complete long-term projects
Taking more initiative
Less susceptible to peer pressure
More grounded in my choices
Self-forgiveness
Can make decisions more clearly
Enhanced relationships
Improved health and finances
More energy and internal peace
Making new friendships
Repairing old friendships
Leading more effectively
No longer overwhelmed
More self-compassion
WHY CAN’T I JUST CREATE THESE CHANGES ON MY OWN?
Great question. Now let me ask you a question…
How well has that worked out for you so far?
If you are on this page, I believe there’s a good chance that you’ve learned the techniques, gathered the tools, attended many seminars and masterminds, and read dozens of self-help books, but you are still caught in your same struggles.
That’s because, when left to our own devices, we tend to fall back to our old habits and patterns. When I work with you, I provide a customized set of tools, techniques, resources, and the understanding and clarity you need in order to use those tools effectively and make sustainable changes.
We all need support and accountability. It’s just how we are designed. And it’s why I almost always have a coach of my own.
A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ME
My life has unfolded and bloomed in ways I never expected given the traumatic past I come from. It’s why I wake up every day excited to serve my clients.
I live in the quaint and magical town of Asheville, NC. I love spending time with my friends, photography, singing, playing my guitar, fishing, biking, and wandering the woods.
I want to help you create more ease and effortlessness in your life than perhaps you’ve ever allowed yourself to imagine. Yes, it is possible.
CERTIFICATION & EDUCATION
CERTIFIED INTEGRAL MASTER COACH™
Integral Coaching Canada
ICF Accreditation 2013-present
CERTIFIED STRATEGIC INTERVENTION COACH
(Tony) Robbins-Madanes Coach Training
2011-present
IFS-INFORMED COACH
Internal Family Systems
2023-present
PULSE® CERTIFIED GUIDE
Be Well Lead Well Pulse® Pioneering Assessment
Empowering Leaders to Amplify Thriving
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR
NC Board of Licensed Professional Counselors
1990-2005
NATIONAL CERTIFIED COUNSELOR
National Board of Certified Counselors
1990-2005
MASTER OF EDUCATION | COUNSELING
University of South Carolina - Columbia
1990
BACHELOR OF ARTS | SOCIOLOGY
Covenant College
1982
Integral Coaching® and Integral Master Coach™ is a registered trademark in Canada owned by Integral Coaching Canada Inc. and licensed to Carla Royal. Integral Coaching Canada is fully accredited with the International Coach Federation. "'Integral' means inclusive of everything, entire, complete, whole. So, at its deepest root, Integral Coaching® refers to a way of coaching that is whole, complete and integrated. An Integral approach brings about change that endures over time, beyond the term of a coaching contract." ICC
A WORD ABOUT DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Diversity and inclusion are core values in my life and work. I acknowledge and embrace all types of diversity including ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, and abilities.
I honor the strength, creativity, and power that come from experiencing different viewpoints, backgrounds, and cultures. I welcome the opportunity to grow in understanding and awareness.
Disclaimers and Disclosures
Please be advised that Carla Royal is trained as a Certified Integral Master Coach™ and her role is to facilitate a stronger connection between you and your own innate wisdom. The answers you seek are within you. Coaching conversations, trainings, intensives, immersions, masterminds, retreats, blog posts, or podcast episodes should in no way be construed as therapy or diagnostic services of any kind, or as financial, legal, medical, or any other kind of advice.