Susan Jewkes Allen, MSW, GCDF

Career and Life Transition Coaching 

Susan is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and works with clients throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.  Susan offers individual career and life coaching – in person and by phone/Zoom – as well as workshops and special programs to guide career transition.

In addition to private practice as a career coach at Life + Work, and as a career consultant at the Bay Area Career Center in San Francisco, she is the the founder of Synthesis Center San Francisco, offering Board Certified Coach Training in psychosynthesis, in collaboration with the Synthesis Center, Amherst, Mass.

An early background as a clinician and psychotherapist formed an understanding about how work is a key determinant of health and well-being. Susan has consulted on work, health and entrepreneurship with governments, non-profits and business in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia, for the World Health Organization, Health Canada, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, United Nations and numerous educational institutions and non-profits.

Susan’s expertise on career transition and health has been sought after in print and radio outlets, including CBC radio and the New York Times.

My Practice Philosophy: 

Each of us comes into life as a unique, creative individual, filled with potential and purpose. Yet, we may find ourselves uncertain, confused or blocked from realizing or expressing our highest capacities, professionally and personally.  The core of my practice is encouraging and guiding my clients to identify vision, affirm belief and inspire action to build a career and life path that offers fulfillment, meaning and joy.

Approach: 

We work together in the career counseling and coaching process to craft and tell your story.  Assessment and guided reflection can identify your strengths and lead you to the creation of a unique value proposition – describing the qualities, assets and characteristics that will give you a career focus and an advantage in the workplace.  This can include: assessing your preferred skills, personality strengths, life-work interests and values – essential information for bringing context to your hopes, dreams and goals which, then, in turn, inform your career planning and strategy. If you are seeking work with an organization or business, we can work on your resume development, job search strategies, interview preparation, and ongoing professional growth. If you choose to pursue a career as a consultant or as a business/venture owner, we use your identified strengths and goals to focus your visioning, planning and strategy for success in the marketplace.

Clients: 

My clients want to roll up their sleeves and engage fully in the work of self-exploration, goal setting and planning, leading to action and success.  Many are experiencing what I define as a “creative calling”; a desire to express themselves more fully in all aspects of their life and work.  Some are seasoned mid-career professionals, some seek a significant career change, others are entering the workplace after college or re-entering after raising a family or pursuing other interests/callings. It is my privilege to work with individuals from a variety of fields and backgrounds, including: IT professionals, attorneys, musicians, accountants, educators, software engineers, co-founders, filmmakers, financial analysts, artists, graphic designers, consultants, writers, helping/healing professionals, entrepreneurs, and business owners.

Education and Life-long Learning:

A strong commitment to lifelong learning includes undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate studies and degrees in Psychology, Social Work and Career Development from: New York University, New School for Social Research, University of Arizona,  Clinical Practice from the University of Calgary and completion of the University of Wisconsin’s Global Career Development Facilitator program. My education and ongoing professional training includes: certification in career and entrepreneurship development, post-graduate studies in transpersonal psychology, Psychosynthesis, addiction treatment modalities, creativity coaching and advanced personality studies. I am a certified provider of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Strong Interest Inventory, FIRO-B and Enneagram of Personality, a certified and registered Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF10213-US) and a member of a number professional associations, including: the National and California Career Development Associations (CCDA and NCDA),  the IEA (the International Enneagram Association) and the Creativity Coaching Association.