“The rush and pressure of modern life are perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence. The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. It destroys our own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.”
— Thomas Merton
We’re living in deeply disorienting times.
Information overload, workplace uncertainty, global instability — it’s all a lot to hold. Our days are packed with decisions, distractions, and deadlines. Even the technologies that promise to make life easier — like AI — can push us toward speed over depth, automation over originality.
Somewhere in all this noise, something essential is being lost:
The space to think for ourselves
The permission to feel what we feel
The safety to not perform, not fix — just be, and listen in
Over the last few years, I’ve found myself drawn to a quieter, more powerful offering: Thinking Sessions.
What Is a Thinking Session?
It’s not therapy.
It’s not performance coaching.
It’s not advice, fixing, or solving.
At its heart, a Thinking Session is simple and radical: it is a space where you get to think — freely, deeply, and originally — in the presence of someone who’s fully listening.
No interruptions.
No agenda.
Just time, space, and attention.
As a Certified Time to Think Facilitator and Coach the approach I use is grounded in the Thinking Environment®, developed by Nancy Kline. This work rests on a powerful premise:
“The quality of everything we do depends on the quality of the thinking we do first. And the quality of our thinking depends on how we are treated while we are thinking.”
Why Now?
Because the world is loud, fast, and relentless — and many of us are simply tired. Tired of pretending, performing, and pushing through. Even though we’re more informed than ever, we’re often less clear. In the midst of endless inputs, we quietly long for a space that doesn’t ask us to produce or perfect, but simply to pause and catch up with ourselves.
Across conversations and sessions, I see people navigating so much: burnout, transitions, purpose-seeking, complex leadership dilemmas, or just the constant background hum of anxiety that comes with living in uncertain times. They don’t need more content or clever solutions. What they need — what we all need — is a way to return to our own wisdom. A place to think, to feel, and to come home to ourselves.
What Happens in a Thinking Session?
You show up with a question, a situation, or a curiosity — anything you want to think through. You may not even know exactly what that is at first. That’s okay.
Then you begin to speak. And I listen.
Really listen. Without interruption. Without judgment. Without trying to help or guide. Or to fill your silences. Your thinking is treated with respect, care, and curiosity. You are completely in charge of the direction and depth of your thinking.
At times, I may ask a question — a gentle one that helps move your thinking forward or reveal a hidden limiting assumption. We might take some time to dismantle that and find liberating assumptions instead. But mostly, it’s your thinking that leads the way.
Over time — and I’ve seen this again and again — something shifts:
Insights emerge that weren’t accessible before
Decisions clarify
Deep-held feelings find expression
A sense of calm, clarity, or even creativity returns
Not because someone gave advice. But because you were finally given space to be original, free and courageous.
Who Is This For?
I’ve seen the power of this space with:
Burnt-out professionals, who just needed to breathe and be
Leaders, grappling with complexity and needing clarity
Creatives, longing to ideate without pressure
People in transition, sitting with uncertainty
And honestly, anyone who feels like they’ve lost touch with their own voice
Personally, I resonate most with those navigating burnout or change — because I’ve been there too.
If You’re Unsure…
You’re not alone. Most people begin a Thinking Session with a bit of awkwardness. They wonder, “Do I really have anything worth saying?” or “What if I just ramble?”
And yet, 75 minutes later, they’re often surprised — not by the ‘solution,’ but by how much was waiting to be heard.
Because the awkwardness isn’t a sign you’re doing it wrong — it’s a sign of how rare these spaces are in our culture. We’ve forgotten the art of deeply listening to others — and to ourselves.
A Closing Thought
Thinking Sessions aren’t about solving everything. They’re about creating space for something real to emerge.
“The conversation is not about the thing; the conversation is the thing.”
— David Whyte
In a world that asks us to hurry, perform, and produce, there’s something radical about simply pausing to think for ourselves, in our own rhythm, in the company of presence.
Whether now or later, whether with me or in your own way — may you find the spaces that let your thinking thrive.
Illustration Credit: Gen AI generated