Matt Maxwell
I am a meditation teacher, life coach, and author devoted to self-compassion, personal
fulfillment, and interpersonal connection.
My Story
I began my career following a “traditional” career path: bachelor’s degree, law school,
and practicing law in the financial services sector. Although I was successful by some
standards, I experienced little fulfillment in my work and yearned to follow other paths
that would be more meaningful and enjoyable.
So, in 2016 I left law to pursue endeavors that would make a deeper difference in others’ lives. This brought me to coaching. At the same time, I experienced a loss that invited me to grieve and heal traumas from both my childhood and adulthood. In addition to forms of support like therapy and community, I was blessed to discover mindfulness meditation and how much it benefits my emotional and mental well-being. It became an essential pillar of my healing journey and continues to be a daily practice that brings peace of mind, joy, and authentic connection.
Now, in addition to teaching mindfulness meditation, I am a professional life coach and
published author. My first book, How to Hold a Cockroach, is a fictionalized version of
my healing journey, an invitation to curiosity about how beliefs impact us and how to live
with more freedom and joy.
My Background
I have studied meditation formally as a visiting monk at the Zen Monastery Peace Center and as a student of contemplative care at the New York Zen Center. I have experimented and practiced many other approaches to mindfulness meditation, both for my own enrichment and to share with students a variety of options to suit their personal journey.
I have been coaching professionally since 2017 and have completed hundreds of hours of coach training, including through Accomplishment Coaching — an accredited year-long intensive — and the Avalon Institute. I am member of the International Coaching Federation and abide by its code of ethics.
In addition to years of practice and training, my coaching is informed by the compassion, empathy, and understanding that have arisen from my own health journey. I was treated for cancer as a teenager, have experienced chronic health conditions as an adult, and cared for loved ones through their health challenges. I find it deeply
satisfying to support and be with others who have experienced the impact of medical trauma.
My Approach
As a life coach, I work to embody nonjudgmental and ethical practice. I actively listen to the challenges faced by my clients, and I attune to the goals that are meaningful to them. I use varied tools to help clients overcome obstacles and progress towards purpose and meaning in their lives, but the underlying principles are the same: I give personalized, thoughtful, caring attention to the clients that I serve. My goal is to help you stay accountable to yours, with compassion.
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I apply this same approach to meditation coaching. Research shows that consistent meditation practice over time can reduce reactivity to emotions and lead to a greater sense of well-being for many people. I cannot guarantee that your emotions, behavior or circumstances will change, but I promise to do my best to support your meditation experience, to offer quality instruction, and, if desired, to support and coach to help you stay accountable to your practice. Together, we will create a safe, playful space for you to deepen and expand your practice and discover for yourself what benefits it brings you.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to meditation or life coaching. We all discover what works for us through practice and experimentation. So, I customize each session to respond to your unique goals and experience. Depending on your needs, we might use sessions to introduce and practice new techniques in real-time, to review, adapt, or renew your current practices, or to discuss support structures if you’re finding it difficult to make progress. Whether we are focused on making meditation a regular habit or writing the next great American novel, I am here to support you on the journey!
While I will offer guidance and insights from my own background and experience, I also believe deeply in each person’s own inner wisdom. So, I view our collaboration as a partnership, where your experience, desires, and ideas will be invited, heard, and celebrated.
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I see clients virtually throughout the United States. Reach out to connect with me and learn more - I look forward to speaking with you.
Ginkgo Leaf Health Services
The ginkgo tree is known as a living fossil, and the leaves of this plant have medicinal properties for both heart and brain.
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The GLHS logo shows a ginkgo leaf in yellow, which echoes the shape of a brain and brain stem.
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The white space forms the pages of a book, emphasizing commitment to ongoing learning and evidence-based practice.
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Like the ginkgo tree, humans are survivors. We develop wisdom through working with emotions and intellect, heart and brain. By pairing new knowledge with embodied wisdom, we can find a path from surviving, through coping, to thriving.