About
Akiyo Kodera
I’m a coach who works with people who feel stuck in their lives—not because they lack insight or ability, but because the ways they learned to get by after feeling different have made it hard to know what direction is truly right for them.
For much of my life, I carried a sense of not quite fitting the environments I was in. Over time, I came to see that this wasn’t only about external circumstances. It was also shaped by how I naturally experience the world: how deeply I think and feel, how much I notice, and the values and creativity I bring to what I do. Those qualities influenced how I related to others, the roles I took on, and the choices I made, often without realizing it.
That understanding shapes how I work today.
Rather than offering generalized explanations, I focus on helping clients understand their own patterns. I offer perspective, name blind spots that are hard to see from the inside, and help people work through the impact of past experiences that are still influencing how they think, decide, and relate to their lives. This is often the piece people have been missing, even after trying many other approaches.
My background includes years of work in higher education, public health, research, and nonprofits, as well as working closely with creative, intuitive, and non-linear thinkers who often struggle to fit into conventional paths. Across these spaces, I’ve seen how thoughtful, humanistic people—whether analytical, creative, or both—can feel confused or lost when their work or environment isn’t working in the way they had hoped.
Clients often describe my approach as steady, thoughtful, and direct in a gentle way: a space where they feel understood while also gaining new perspectives that allow real movement forward.
Background & Training
My work is informed by formal training as well as years of hands-on experience supporting people through complex emotional and life challenges.
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B.S. in Communication Studies, New York University
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Post-baccalaureate studies in Psychology, CUNY Hunter College
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Accredited certification in Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
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Additional training in trauma-informed methods and related modalities