GABRIEL SHIPPAM
For nearly two decades, Gabriel Shippam has held leadership positions in the non-profit sector, primarily within church and para-church ministries. He has established internship and missions programs impacting thousands, counseled men battling addiction, developed transitional housing solutions, managed homeless shelters, and fundraised for emergency resource centers. He has also played key roles in capital campaigns, facility acquisitions, mergers, and organization-wide restructuring.
A gifted communicator, Gabe is experienced in preaching, leading group trainings, and facilitating discussions. His expertise spans strategic planning, non-profit management, cultural assessment, leader development, and personal coaching, supported by training in motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, chaplaincy, pastoral counseling, recovery coaching, and social work.
Beyond accomplishments, Gabe has learned that leadership is more than skills on a resume. Having walked through burnout, identity struggles, and mental health challenges, he has embraced his own recovery journey, which has brought emotional awareness, story-informed freedom, and deep healing. Today, he lives in Spokane, WA with his wife and three children, enjoys the outdoors, and serves as Executive Pastor at Soma Spokane, where he oversees staff, ministry leaders, and counseling/care.
WhAT IS COACHING?
Coaching is not psychotherapy or licensed counseling, although it may carry some similarities. Coaching is a solution-oriented process designed to help clients grow in their relationships and emotional health, as well as their leadership ability.
As a trained personal coach I will create an environment and structure designed to be deeply healing and empowering. We will visit themes from your past and work through real-time implications of those life-shaping events. In our sessions you will learn to be more fully present and in turn more fully alive.
As we make this quest, you will discover reasons that may hold you back from living authentically and without shame. My approach is rooted in the attachment theory and is highly relational. We will give lots of room for story work while remaining focused on current identity and relational alignment. By the end of our sessions you will have a plan for continued growth and resources to continue to develop emotional and relational health.
MY APPROACH
My approach to coaching is rooted in the Scriptures, trauma-informed care, and grounded in story. If you feel like the way you are living isn’t fulfilling, but you don’t know why, that’s not unusual. But it’s also not the way God intends us to live. If your outer successes aren’t matched by inner peace, you aren’t alone, although you may often feel like you are. If you think you might need help, but don’t know what kind of help to ask for, coaching may assist.
Coaching is a customizable process designed to bring you more in touch with yourself and develop you as a leader. The aim is to bring congruence, emotional health, genuine identity, and joy/full-life back into your leadership.
You will be doing left and right brain learning, deep heart-work, and challenging practical application. This will take a lot of time and energy. It will require you to feel real emotions - grieve, get angry, be overcome with sadness, etc. The process works if you work it, and you should because you’re worth it.
