SUSHAMA KIRTIKAR
MA, LMHC, CMC, PCC
Coach, Counselor, Speaker, Presenter
Sushama is an ICF (International Coach Federation) credentialed Professional Certified Coach. At Turning Force Coaching she coaches individuals seeking to flourish in their personal and professional lives optimizing satisfaction in life areas of their choice. She offers both individual and group coaching, presents workshops and webinars to teams and organizations drawing robustly from the science of Positive Psychology.
She is currently a Premier Fellow Coach at Better Up a Professional Coach Community “bringing together world-class coaching, AI technology, and behavioral science experts to deliver change at scale”.
She is on the Advisory Council for Command Purpose Foundation , DC, a values-based community of women and veteran leaders focused on rediscovering purpose during life transitions, particularly entering civilian life.
She is a volunteer Coach for How Women Lead , CA, a national organization of top executive women. As part of their Women Leaders for the World fellowship “a transformational leadership program that (virtually) gathers Global Fellows – social impact leaders – solving some of the world’s most intractable problems,” offering a virtual leadership program training, coaching, advising for women leaders and change makers.
She got her certification from Mentor Coach (2017) leading Coach Training Institute, based in Bethesda, Maryland, that trains people globally.
She earned her M.A. in Counseling from Oakland University, Rochester Hills, MI, and B.S. in Psychology from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI.
She was in private practice as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Tampa, FL, for 32 years (1987 – 2020). She counseled clients for anxiety, depression, trauma, self-esteem, self-regulation, communication skills, conflict resolution, personal and work relationships, leadership skills and personal thriving.
She co-founded a not for profit organization, PEHCHAAN (Providing Educational Humanistic and Cultural Hope for the South Asian American Network) (2006) in Tampa, Florida. Its mission was to enhance the psychosocial quality of life through education, awareness and support. As Trusted Advisor and Timely Intervention, its vision was to make mental health a household word. She has honed the skills of starting and growing an organization from the ground up, leading and managing, team building and fundraising. After serving as President (4 years) and on the board of directors (10 years) she has served as consultant to the organization.
She has written a monthly mental health column, for a regional newspaper Khaas Baat (5 years), focusing on multicultural issues of immigrants. She has offered psycho-educational workshops and support groups for professionals, organizations, service agencies, educational institutions and the community.
She was President of the Tampa Bay Association for Women Psychotherapists, Chairperson of the Tampa Bay Study Group for Dissociative Disorders, and was a member of the Suncoast Mental Health Counseling Association. She is currently a member of the ICF Central Florida Charter Chapter.
She was recipient of the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award, 2010, and the Power Stories Opening Hearts and Minds Award, 2011.
