Who I Am

I’m Jen Rives, MA, LMFT, and the founder of Insights Coaching. I created this coaching practice for adults who are ready to move beyond simply knowing what to do and begin building the mindset, skills, and consistency needed to create lasting change. Whether your goal is following through on commitments you have made to yourself, improving your relationship with food, losing weight, maintaining progress, Insights Coaching is designed to help you turn insight into action.

I believe meaningful change rarely comes from finding the perfect plan. More often, it comes from understanding yourself more clearly, practicing new ways of responding, and making thoughtful adjustments over time. My role is to provide structure, encouragement, accountability, and practical guidance while helping you build changes that fit your real life.

Why I Created Insights Coaching

Over the years, I noticed a pattern that extended far beyond therapy. Many thoughtful, intelligent, highly motivated people already knew what would support their health and well-being. They understood nutrition, had read the books, listened to the podcasts, saved the recipes, and started more plans than they could count. Yet they often found themselves repeating the same frustrating cycle: strong motivation, early success, gradually slipping away from the habits that mattered, and feeling disappointed that they were starting over once again.

It became increasingly clear that the missing piece usually was not more information. It was learning how to bridge the space between understanding and consistent action. Lasting change requires more than knowledge. It asks us to understand the thoughts, emotions, habits, and everyday situations that influence our choices while developing practical skills to respond differently over time.

Insights Coaching grew out of that realization. I wanted to create a coaching experience that was practical, compassionate, and structured without becoming rigid. Rather than chasing perfection or relying on willpower alone, coaching helps you develop sustainable ways of thinking, planning, practicing, and adjusting so that supportive choices become increasingly natural rather than something you constantly have to force.

My Background and Perspective

As a licensed marriage and family therapist for more than sixteen years, I have spent thousands of hours helping people understand the patterns that keep them feeling stuck. While much of my therapy work focuses on relationships, I have also worked extensively with behavior change, emotional regulation, habits, motivation, self-defeating thinking, and the challenges that arise when our intentions do not consistently match our actions.

One question continues to fascinate me: Why is change so difficult, even when we genuinely want it? I am deeply curious about what helps people move from insight to action and, just as importantly, what helps those changes last. My belief in coaching is rooted not only in professional experience but also in my own commitment to lifelong learning, self-reflection, and personal growth. Meaningful change is rarely dramatic. More often, it is built through honest reflection, consistent practice, and a willingness to keep adjusting over time.

What It Is Like to Work With Me

People often describe me as warm, down to earth, practical, and easy to talk with. I value creating an environment where you can be honest about what is working, what is not, and where you are feeling stuck without worrying about judgment or criticism. Real change begins with understanding, not shame.

At the same time, coaching is not simply about encouragement. Part of my role is to gently challenge the patterns, assumptions, and habits that may be getting in your way. I will celebrate your progress, help you learn from setbacks, and encourage you to stay engaged even when motivation fades. Accountability is not about pressure. It is about having someone in your corner who helps you keep moving toward the person you want to become.

I will be in your corner—encouraging you, holding you accountable, and gently challenging you when needed.

I also believe growth does not have to feel heavy all the time. Working on yourself is already hard, so why make it harder than it already is? A little humor, perspective, and recognition that you are human can make the process feel more manageable. My goal is to be a collaborative partner who brings compassion, directness, and structure to the work while helping you build confidence in your own ability to create lasting change.

How I Think About Change

The central approach I use in my coaching is Cognitive Behavioral Coaching (CBC). I’m especially drawn to it because it helps explain why change can feel so difficult, even when we genuinely want it. Our thoughts influence our emotions, our emotions influence our behaviors, and our behaviors often reinforce the very patterns we’re trying to change.

When we learn to recognize those patterns and respond differently, change becomes more intentional instead of relying on willpower or motivation alone.

I don’t believe lasting change requires rigid perfection. More often, it grows through insight, practice, accountability, and small, thoughtful adjustments over time.

My aim is not simply to help you reach a desired goal. It is to help you understand how change happens, build the skills to respond when life gets in the way, learn how to live in a way that protects what you have built, and maintain supportive habits long after coaching has ended.

Coaching and Therapy Are Distinct

Read more about how coaching differs from psychotherapy. While my professional background as a licensed therapist informs the way I understand behavior change, Insights Coaching is a distinct service with its own purpose and scope. Coaching is educational, practical, and future-focused. We concentrate on developing skills, strengthening habits, improving follow-through, and working toward personally meaningful goals.

For many people, coaching offers exactly the kind of structured support, accountability, and practical guidance they have been looking for as they work toward sustainable change. Coaching is not psychotherapy and is not intended to diagnose or treat mental health conditions. When therapy or another form of care would be more appropriate, I will be direct about that.

Looking Ahead

If you have spent years feeling as though you know what to do but struggle to do it consistently, you are not alone. I’ve been there, too. Change is rarely about trying harder. More often, it is about approaching the process differently, developing new skills, and having the right kind of support along the way.

I would be honored to work alongside you as you build lasting habits, strengthen your mindset, and create changes that fit your life—not just for a few weeks, but for the long term.