John T. Carlsen, Psy.D., Director                                                                              
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Your Writing Coach

Writing is one of our most basic forms of communication.  Every day, people ask us to express our ideas in reports, proposals, letters and presentations.  In fact, whatever we write becomes a lasting representation of our thoughts, our opinions, and our professional credibility.

Yet, few of us stop long enough to make sure we have said what we intended to say.  Instead, we simply churn out our first thoughts, send them out, cross our fingers, and hope for the best.

Unfortunately, this approach can set us up for professional disaster.  Unless we take time to express our thoughts clearly, concisely, and completely, we risk the possibility that our readers will gain only partial - or inadequate - understanding of our ideas.

We tarnish relationships with co-workers by increasing their confusion and making their jobs more difficult.  We increase our workload by having to give the same information a second, or even third, time.  

By attaching our names to mediocre writing, we begin to undermine our credibility and authority as experts.  That is, we risk appearing foolish and apathetic - or worse - completely uninformed.  Ultimately, we can  wind up compromising our integrity.

Can you afford to take this chance
with your professional reputation?

Do you:

  • stare at your computer screen for hours, unable to formulate a beginning thought?
  • re-write first sentences, making them perfect before you can move on?
  • put off your writing projects until you have finished all of your other work?
  • write with stiffness and unnecessary formality when you communicate as a professional?
  • use pretentious or abstract words to sound "more important"?
  • sound more like an institution than a person?
  • dread increasing demands on your writing skills as you advance in your career?

If any of these situations seem familiar, Your Writing Coachcan help you find the way out.

Using proven strategies and techniques, Your Writing Coach will teach you to produce clear, concise, and authoritative documents every time you write.  Regardless of your previous training,  my approach can help you overcome writer's block, focus your thoughts, and find words to express your ideas succinctly and persuasively.

Specifically, Your Writing Coach will help you produce more effective:

  • marketing and promotional materials
  • business reports, proposals, and letters
  • graduate school or training applications
  • funding grant requests
  • article and book manuscripts
  • masters theses and doctoral dissertations
  • psychological assessment reports
  • conference, seminar, and clinical case presentations

Personal Coaching

This one-to-one format enables you to learn new writing strategies and apply them directly to your own written work.  Your Writing Coach will identify your specific difficulties and teach you ways to overcome them, using your own material for examples.  Clients can schedule appointments at Dr. Carlsen's downtown Chicago office or another convenient meeting place.

To schedule an appointment, please contact Dr. Carlsen or call 773.975.4297

Email or Telephone Coaching

If you have limited time or trouble arranging in-person appointments, consider an email or telephone coaching session.  You can choose whether to hire Your Writing Coach as a free-lance editor or consult in depth to understand.  Simply send your manuscript via email or regular mail, and Dr. Carlsen will contact you session.

To schedule an appointment, please contact Dr. Carlsen or call 773.975.4297
In-person Coaching:  Payment by check, cash, or money order is due at completion of session.
By appointment.....................................$150/hour
Discounted fee for full-time students.....$100/hour

Telephone Coaching  Payment by credit card must clear prior to session.

By appointment.....................................$150/hour   

Discounted fee for full-time students...................$100/hour   

Because telephone clients often have no opportunity to meet Dr. Carlsen in person, they may register for a free 30-minute sample session.  Limit:  One free sample session per person.  Free time may not be applied to paid session fee.  Contact Dr. Carlsen to schedule this session.