Amy Yeager
Leadership Coach Facilitator
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I feel privileged to do work that satisfies my two driving passions: understanding human dynamics (especially communication) and reducing unnecessary suffering.
From a young age, I’ve been fascinated by how what individuals say and do is influenced by the groups they’re in. My undergraduate studies at Harvard focused on the psychology and philosophy of language, thought, and emotion. I was fortunate to study social psychology with Ellen Langer (“the mother of mindfulness”) and assist in research applying the Harvard Method of negotiation to communication patterns in couples. My love of language led me to spend nearly a decade in publishing, including roles at The MIT Press and Harvard Health Publications, but my interest in people-focused disciplines led me back to applied psychology. Since the early 2000s, I’ve intensively studied, facilitated, and trained others in communication theory and methods; group development research; team effectiveness practices; individual and team coaching; and psychophysiological self-regulation (including trauma recovery). In 2012, I coauthored the book Conversation Transformation: Recognize and Overcome the 6 Most Destructive Communication Patterns (McGraw-Hill). Over the years, my clients have ranged from school faculties, nursing staffs, and government agency leaders to corporate executive teams. I’ve also trained coaches, consultants, and other development practitioners through the Corentus Team Coaching Certificate Program, Mobius Executive Leadership’s Next Practice Institute, and various professional coaching and human development conferences. Much of my work focuses on analyzing and transforming habitual patterns of group interaction—from conflict avoidance and groupthink to open hostility and long, unconstructive debates. Most satisfying work I love meeting a challenge and exceeding expectations, so often I’m most fulfilled supporting clients who start off reluctant or pessimistic. When leaders begin the day skeptical but leave hopeful and energized—because they made meaningful shifts, resolved stubborn problems, and have clear plans to move forward—that’s deeply satisfying to me. I also appreciate the chance to make a difference at larger scales, so I take great pleasure in training and coaching those who influence others—whether it’s practitioners who apply new skills and tools with their own clients or leaders who cascade new ways of working through their whole organization. Frequently used theories and tools Most of the approaches I use focus on concrete behaviors (so they’re practical, measurable, and easy to apply) and systemic patterns (so they address the dynamics of a whole group, team, or organization). I often integrate tools from multiple sources—for example, SAVI (the System for Analyzing Verbal Interaction), a comprehensive map of communication behaviors; SCT (Systems-Centered Training), a systems-based approach to individual, group, and organization development; and Corentus Team Tools, a suite of practical techniques for team effectiveness. For example, with a team struggling to make decisions, I might observe a meeting and spot a pattern of “Yes-Butting” (SAVI); facilitate a method to integrate divergent perspectives constructively (SCT); and then coach the team through a consensus-building process such as “Fist-to-Five” (Corentus). Certifications and Degrees I received my AB in Psychology from Harvard University and coach training from Fielding University (Certificate in Evidence Based Coaching for Organization Leadership) and Corentus (Certificate in Team Coaching). I am certified as a practitioner in the Team Management Systems (TMS) Team Management Profile (TMP), as well as the Group Development Questionnaire (GDQ), the only scientifically validated instrument for assessing a team’s stage of development. I also hold certifications as a SAVI trainer and practitioner of Self-Regulation Therapy and the Alexander Technique. |
