This isn’t a crisis.
It’s a threshold.
That low hum of anxiety, restlessness, & emptiness you feel day after day.
The way you sob uncontrollably while watching “Call the Midwife”, even though you chose not to have children.
The flashes of rage when people stumble past your rickety boundaries & scorch the scrap of peace you’ve cobbled together with scotch tape covered in cat hair.
This isn’t something to fix.
It’s a signal.
A moment in the arc of a life when what worked before no longer does & what wants to emerge can no longer be ignored.
If you recognize yourself here, this work may be for you.
Working at the Threshold
I work with healers, writers, and creatives in midlife who have spent the first half of life holding up the sky for everyone else and have reached the moment when something essential is asking to be reclaimed and brought into form.
This is Jungian depth coaching for the second half of life.
The second half of life is not marked by age, but by readiness—the moment when the structures that once held you are no longer enough, and the soul begins to insist.
Not self-improvement.
Not optimization.
But the deliberate turning inward toward what was set aside so you could be competent, helpful, and good.
The parts of you that were buried to make room for others.
Midlife hands you a shovel.
So you dig.
And each shovelful reveals what the second half of life is asking you to either leave behind or excavate:
Things like:
You didn’t mean to bury these things.
You were swept up in the relentless current of what the first half of life required: raising children, building careers, being reliable, and holding up the sky for everyone you loved.
That season asked for sacrifice.
But the second half asks for something else.
Because not creating—not bringing forth what is within you—eventually begins to feel destructive.
The Work of the Second Half
As Jungian analyst James Hollis writes, midlife is a time to “go back and pick up the bits and pieces that you left behind—gifts, talents, capacities, interests, and passions.”
But this isn’t about returning to an old life.
Once what was buried is brought to the surface, it cannot be placed back into the same story.
It becomes material.
You use it to write a new narrative—one shaped consciously, creatively, and on purpose.
A life that feels coherent, alive, and true.
How This Work Unfolds
Our work is rooted in Jungian philosophy, active imagination, dream work, and the practice of living symbolically.
Together, we unearth the personal myth you’ve been living (often unconsciously) and engage the one that is asking to be lived next.
I work from what Jung called the medial position: the space between conscious and unconscious, between who you’ve been and who you are becoming.
From here, patterns become visible.
Images begin to speak.
What has been circling finds a center.
Writing may emerge as part of the work (not as performance, but as a way the soul gives form to what it knows.) For some, it becomes central. For others, it is one vehicle among many.
What matters is not the medium.
What matters is that what is within you in brought forth.
I am in awe of the person I have become since working with Melanie. I just completed my last session and although deeply saddened as our time together has come to an end, I am walking into my new life with direction and a confidence I sorely lacked five months ago… In addition to fulfilling her commitment to me, through my writing, I was able to heal so many years of emotional suffering. Melanie’s authenticity, nurturing love and well-honed intuition provided her with a deep soul knowing of exactly what I needed and when I needed it. She simply took my lead and my hand and guided me with amazing gentleness to the most unexpected and healing results. I will be forever grateful to her and whatever entity brought us together.
This is Relational Work
I don’t apply formulas or move you through a preset timeline.
The work responds to what is alive.
Sometimes we stay with a dream.
Sometimes with a memory or an image that refuses to be rushed.
Sometimes writing becomes the way excavation and integration happens.
I offer structure when it’s needed and spaciousness when it’s needed. I reflect patterns you may not yet see and help distinguish between circling old stories and crossing into something new.
Over time, this work reshapes how you live, how you choose, how you hold your story, and how you imagine your future.
Why Work With Me?
If you’re wondering whether I’ve walked this path myself—whether I know what it feels like to stand at the threshold between the life you’ve been living and the one that’s asking to be created—
The answer is yes. Wearing a pea coat and galoshes, in fact.
The first half of my life was devoted to creating for others. For more than a decade, I helped writers shape their books—some of which became New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. I helped build other people’s visions, voices, and legacies.
It was meaningful.
Successful.
And it came at a cost.
I set aside my own creative life. My own voice. My own unfinished story.
What followed was not a tidy “dark night of the soul,” but a long descent marked by loss, illness, and the collapse of an identity I had relied on for years.
That descent changed how I understood transformation.
Not as productivity.
Not as reinvention.
But as reclamation.
Today, my work is informed by both rigorous Jungian training and lived initiation. I mentor and train other depth coaches and work with clients who are ready to engage their lives symbolically—not as problems to solve, but as material rich with meaning.
I don’t work to “fix” people or push outcomes.
I work as a guide and a witness—someone who knows the terrain, recognizes the patterns, and can hold the lantern steady while you move into your own depths.
Not polished.
Not performed.
But whole.
I’ve experienced a deep sense of being witnessed in our time together as I work through healing aspects of my ‘story’ and of having a compassionate, intuitive, wise, inquisitive, and interested companion as I travel this journey. It is so deeply healing.
This Work Is For You If…
This Work Is NOT For You If:
Begin with a Threshold Conversation
This work begins with a conversation.
A Threshold Conversation is a 30-minute space to pause together—to listen for what’s stirring, to name what feels unfinished, and to discern whether this work is the right next step.
There is nothing to prepare.
Nothing to perform.
Clarity is not required.
Some people leave the conversation with a clearer relationship to their purpose. Some recognize they’re ready for a deeper container. Some simply name what has been quietly asking for attention.
All of those outcomes are welcome.
If you feel the pull to reclaim what you buried and consciously shape the story that wants to be lived next, you can begin here.
More Praise & Kind Words
“…Melanie is an absolute badass developmental editor and aunty to stray animals (and authors struggling with writer’s block). Melanie’s process helped me to unlock my story and share the stories of others, so that everyone reading (and listening) to this book can feel seen and heard while healing their Busy Brains. Every Friday afternoon, your wisdom and laughter helped me to edit my writing and magically gifted Rahja more doggy comfort food. This book was born because of your consummate professionalism and editorial skills—thank you for being my book shaman.”
“Melanie Bates… Thank you for being the daily sounding board for the ideas that bubbled up as I researched and wrote this book. Transmuting fuzzy thoughts into language people can understand is no small task, but you made it feel like a picnic. I loved learning all this with you by my side, and I will always consider this book part yours. You once told me it was part of your calling to help me bring my message into the world, and darling – phew! We’ve done it. Thank you.”
“Melanie Bates was a kind and astonishingly efficient editor and organizer for this project. Thank heavens I was led to her.”
“Melanie Bates, you are so gifted, talented, and full of wisdom. You truly are a book shaman. Thank you for your coaching, your feedback, your editing, and your incredible support and partnership with this book, I could not have done it without you.”
“Working with Melanie Bates as my Book Launch Manager for The Joy of Genius was a great experience for me and all the members of my team. She exceeded my expectations, and I don’t get to say that very often.”
“Coaching with Melanie is like having a spiritual mentor, best friend, business strategist and champion by your side. She gives you permission to do what you truly want, have what you deeply deserve, and BE who you were born to be. She is the person I call when I need a reminder of who I really am.”
“I am in awe of the person I have become since working with Melanie. I just completed my last session and although deeply saddened as our time together has come to an end, I am walking into my new life with direction and a confidence I sorely lacked five months ago… In addition to fulfilling her commitment to me, through my writing, I was able to heal so many years of emotional suffering. Melanie’s authenticity, nurturing love and well-honed intuition provided her with a deep soul knowing of exactly what I needed and when I needed it. She simply took my lead and my hand and guided me with amazing gentleness to the most unexpected and healing results. I will be forever grateful to her and whatever entity brought us together.”
“One of the gifts Melanie brings to coaching sessions is her willingness to help me see the difference between what I believe I ‘should do’ and what I feel called to do. Melanie has the courage to ask tough questions when she’s aware that even though I may not feel entirely comfortable with my answer, I may be ready to open up to it. In our sessions I felt understood and listened to, as well as challenged in good ways. I asked to work with Melanie because I’m endeavoring to listen more to my body’s and soul’s voices than to my mind’s expectations. Melanie delivers exactly this kind of coaching…My life mission has been blessed by working with Melanie.”
“Working with Melanie as a business coach has been invaluable. She has provided insight on everything from book writing and TEDx speaking to webpage wisdom. What I love most about Melanie is that she sees you as your truest self, your highest form. And she helps you see yourself that way, too.
Melanie is an awesome listener and is able to use laser focus in determining next best steps, even when you are still in the stumbling phase. She guides with grace. I’m grateful to know her and have her in my corner.”
“Melanie’s authenticity, personal views and way of operating her business—of being in the world—have all encouraged me to look more within than without—to deal with criticism more evenly, to feel more confident in my expression/choices and, even when I get it wrong, to shrug my shoulders more when mistakes happen. As we moved through the business coaching sessions, we established an expression for my business that was a good fit for my natural talents and personal ‘soapbox.’ Writing the content for the new website was a joy and, with Melanie’s assistance, grew in depth and clarity. I found such value in Melanie’s intuitive ability to pull out the perfect tool at the right moment and her sense of when we had touched on what was authentic, deep and meaningful. As a lifelong Virgo striving for perfection, usually through embracing difficulty as a badge of courage, Melanie showed that there was another way: intimate, intuitive, trusting and relaxed. If you want an authentic, fun, intuitive and generous coach, then do choose Melanie.”
“Choosing to work with Melanie Bates was hands-down, bar none, the best decision I could have made for myself and for my book. I honestly don’t know if I would have ever finished my book without her caring guidance and support. She was truly with me every step of the way—from the scary beginning until the triumphant finale! The accountability that our weekly calls provided made sure to keep me on track and moving forward. I would wholeheartedly recommend Melanie to anyone even thinking about writing a book.”
“Melanie Bates, what a blessing you have been in my life, for my business, and with my book. Your partnership, support, feedback, editing, and vision helped this come alive – it would not have happened in the way and the time it did without you, your gifts, and your incredible support, thank you!
Melanie is an amazing coach! She has the ability to hold space, see things, say things, and guide you in a way that is clear, kind, loving, and spot-on. Her intuitive gifts coupled with her business savvy, make her a unique coach, with a valuable set of skills. She has had a profound impact on my life and my business since I started working with her – things have gone to a whole new level and I’m so grateful for the work we’ve done together.”
“Melanie, you have been my cheerleader and my sounding board throughout this soulful process. Thank you for keeping your promise to never blow sunshine up my ass, for drawing out my stories and doing so with such love, compassion and wisdom. ”
“Melanie has a natural grace and is a gifted teacher who shows you how to access your own core wisdom. She encircles you with intuition, light, kindness, clarity, practical advice and enables you to find your calling and navigate the obstacles along the way. It’s like having a cup of tea with your guardian angel architect as you manifest your dreams.”
“To my developmental editor, the ‘Book Shaman’ Melanie Bates, many thanks for your support, expertise, and strong belief that I could complete this project.”
“Melanie Bates, offering all of her wisdom, literary gifts, brilliance, candor and compassion has most literally transformed not only my career, but my life as a whole. Thanks to her, I’m never looking back, only forward… to employing my untapped gifts and talents, as well as the numerous ways that Melanie has coached me to ignite them.”
“You’re not only helping me with this book, you are also helping me hash out some important themes in my life. I appreciate your awesome process. I appreciate your candidness. I appreciate your ability to see beyond the words. I feel better about this book than ever before. The themes are coming to life for me and I feel great about where we’re headed. It’s starting to feel ‘real’, and I can sense a theme, focus, and direction now.”
“Writing a book was a dream of mine since my 20’s. For over 30 years, I started over and over again, but never followed through.
When I was introduced to Melanie, I had gotten past the initial inertia, but I was in serious need of guidance. Over the better part of the following year, Melanie helped me shape and complete a first draft. At the beginning, I could never have imagined the book that eventually emerged through our work together. The result is thrilling, unexpected, and best of all, I learned so much about myself in the process.
I wouldn’t be where I am now without Melanie’s help and support. She is a coach in the truest sense of the word. She grew my capability, guided me in new and exciting directions, and—when it was most needed—told me the tough truth.
It’s funny. When I tell people about my book, so many say, ‘I’m thinking of writing a book,’ or ‘someone I know is thinking about writing,’ that’s when I smile from ear to ear and tell them, ‘I know just who to call!'”
“I’ve experienced a deep sense of being witnessed in our time together as I work through healing aspects of my ‘story’ and of having a compassionate, intuitive, wise, inquisitive, and interested companion as I travel this journey. It is so deeply healing.”
“Melanie has been so helpful with motivation to keep writing, improving my craft, and much more. She has guided me to process emotions as I was writing through a lot of grief. I’ve realized things I know I never would have if it wasn’t for her, and I am beyond grateful. I’ve been to many therapists, and this coaching experience has been vital for my healing. I believe processing your thoughts through writing can be valuable, but sometimes you need an extra nudge in direction or motivation to move you forward. Thank you, Melanie!”
“When I was first introduced to Melanie, I had a calling to write my story—and not much else. I had no formal writing education nor degree, and I didn’t even understand why I wanted to write. All I knew was I wrote in a journal my whole life and that something inside me needed to be expressed. She told me from day one, ‘you are a writer.’ (Bless you!)
I’lI never forget sitting on the steps leading into my garage, looking for a private spot in my small house so we could talk on the phone for the first time. I told Melanie that I wasn’t interested in the fastest path to publish a book nor to make money
I already had a full-time, well-paid job. What I did want was someone to help me navigate the next steps in taking the words I had in my heart and putting them into a first draft.
I realize that many people may want (and don’t get me wrong, I want it too) a best-selling book. What was more important to me was having someone meet and understand the very unexplainable urge that I have to use writing and inner exploration work to better understand my life so that I can live better and share what I’ve learned with others. I once heard someone say that if you’ve survived something big, you have a story to tell to help others. This is my motivation.
The highlight of my month is connecting with Melanie. Not only does she create a safe space for us to create together, she allows me the opportunity to step back and look at my writing in a way that helps me better understand my life and who I am. I share the most intimate and embarrassing parts of myself through my writing and she embraces it without judgement and in a way that helps me to feel safe.
She has the most incredible talent of showing up and being present on our calls. When she is reviewing my writing, she connects dots, pulls out information that I didn’t quite see, and finds the most important and salient thing that is seemingly right in front of me that I didn’t realize was there. The result is not only better and more truthful writing, but a blueprint to my life that helps me decode myself so that I can pass that on to others. She has a way of seeing and knowing like no one else.
Melanie is special. And anyone who gets to work with her will not only learn how to write a book, but will learn who they are as human.”
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