College Student Success

Dr. Kathleen McMahon is a life coach who specializes in working with college students navigating the challenges, transitions, and opportunities of emerging adulthood. With over 20 years of experience as a dean of students at universities across the country—including her most recent role at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo—she has supported hundreds of students in building confidence, overcoming setbacks, and thriving during their college years. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from UCLA, a master’s in clinical social work from Boston College, and is a certified coach through Fielding Graduate University’s Evidence Based Coaching program.

As a coach—and a parent of two college students herself—Dr. McMahon “gets” the college experience and offers both compassion and clarity as students face complex decisions, identity exploration, and mental health struggles. 

Today’s young adults face many life decisions and are continually

navigating challenging situations, sometimes for the first time on their own. Her coaching is grounded in evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS) and a whole-person approach that considers how different areas of life intersect. Students who work with her gain tools to manage anxiety and depression, set and achieve meaningful goals, improve relationships, and build a more confident and resilient sense of self. Based in SLO County, Kathleen lives with her husband, two dogs, a cat, four goats, and eleven chickens—and brings warmth, humor, and deep expertise to every coaching relationship.

I can help with:

• ADHD, Anxiety and depression
• Planning and goal creation
• Developing a growth mindset and positive habits
• Achieving goals through a unique, supportive, consistent, accountable relationship

I work with students who:

• Seek support with the transition to college and navigating new social, academic, and career goals.
• Are overcoming a setback, academic challenges, failures, and developing self-confidence and resilience to move forward with a new sense of self and coping skills.
• Want help in navigating a major or career path change.
• Are experiencing identity exploration and seeking a sense of belonging.

Packages: 

• 3 months (or semester) – assessment/intake, and 6 bi-weekly virtual one hour coaching sessions, weekly email touch base. $2500
• 12 sessions over 3-6 months, weekly, bi-weekly or as needed. Includes intake/assessment, activities and reflections in between sessions. $4500
• Contact me for a free discovery call.