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Personalized Sabbatical Planning Support

reignite: your life-changing sabbatical

Turn "I don't know where to begin" into
a sabbatical you're excited about

Norma López
Norma LópezLoyola University Chicago
"I no longer feel burnt out. I feel focused without feeling overwhelmed. I feel productive without overworking. I have time for my family and friends, and I'm even looking for a new hobby!"

In 7 weeks, you’ll have a clear plan, and a sabbatical you can’t wait to start. Let’s build it together.   

BOOK YOUR FREE 30-MINUTE CALL

One-on-one coaching for academics at any career stage. Together we’ll clarify your priorities, create a clear plan, and set up the boundaries you need to make it work. $2,300 total — most clients use research or professional development funds.

How We Plan Your Academic Sabbatical

Step 1: Identify your priorities

Step 2: create a realistic plan

Step 3: put boundaries in place

What's Included:

  • Personalized support to design the sabbatical you need
  • Engaging and informative weekly video lessons
  • Activities to generate insight and structure your planning
  • One-on-one sessions to address your specific sabbatical needs
  • Worksheets to help you reflect and course-correct during sabbatical
  • Optional on-sabbatical support
Jena Doom
Jena DoomUniversity of Denver
"Before I contacted Bethany, I was feeling overwhelmed with developing my goals and schedule while also feeling anxious about 'wasting' the year. I now have a plan that feels exciting, flexible, and manageable."

Ready to learn more about how I can help you plan your sabbatical?

BOOK YOUR FREE 30-MINUTE CALL

Here's what past clients are saying about my sabbatical planning program:

I found Bethany at midcareer, as post-tenure burnout and family responsibilities collide chaotically. Like many academics, I don't thrive at inhabiting unstructured time, and no one has ever taught me how to do it. Bethany’s practical (and satisfying!) worksheets and small, sequenced assignments helped me to identify challenges ahead of time. Using her program, I've begun in advance to enact systems that will help me to reduce friction in my work and home life. I have clear goals for sabbatical now, and clear means to achieve those goals...Bethany’s program has taught me tools and systems I can use to slow down and enjoy this phase of complexly intersecting professional, personal, and family life.
Maggie Greaves
Maggie GreavesAssociate Professor, Skidmore College
By the end of my third year on the tenure track, I was exhausted. I felt burnt out, overstimulated, and overwhelmed. I had said yes to every opportunity that came my way: research, conferences, service, for the sake of exposure and visibility. When I completed my mid-probationary review I had a clear picture of what I needed to accomplish moving forward and included a one-semester pre-tenure research leave. I was deeply grateful for the time, but I also wasn’t sure where to begin. When I read someone else’s reflection on working with Bethany and how transformative the experience was, it clicked. I had PD funds, I had the need, and I wanted to enter my sabbatical with intention, not just relief that I had this time. I realized I needed someone to support me the way I support my students —someone who could anticipate the challenges ahead and guide me through them. That’s precisely what Reignite offered. The structure, accountability, and scaffolding I needed were all there. The weekly prompts helped me name and prepare for the complications and pitfalls I hadn’t even considered. I've just completed the 7-week program and have been utilizing the tools I gained throughout the summer. I no longer feel burnt out. I feel focused without feeling overwhelmed. I feel productive without overworking. I have time for my family and friends, and I’m even looking for a new hobby! I’m heading into my sabbatical this fall, not just relieved to have the time, but ready to use it well. I’ll have the opportunity for another research leave after tenure, and I imagine the challenges and goals will look different then. I can already see how this program could be adapted to meet those future needs, and I would absolutely do it again.
Norma López
Norma LópezAssistant Professor of Higher Education, Loyola University Chicago
I wholeheartedly recommend the Reignite: Your Life-Changing Sabbatical program to anyone embarking on a sabbatical. Before starting the program, my upcoming sabbatical felt like a big question mark—I was excited about the possibilities but unsure of how to turn those into reality. Working with Bethany was a game-changer. Her thoughtful curriculum and our coaching sessions guided me in figuring out how I wanted out of my sabbatical and then helped me take concrete steps to make that vision a reality. She listened closely to my personal and professional goals and challenges and worked with me to craft a personalized plan. The exercises and coaching calls gave me the accountability I needed to implement that plan...I now feel energized and equipped to have a truly transformative sabbatical experience.
Alison Hooper
Alison HooperAssociate Professor, The University of Alabama
I am very grateful to have found Bethany and her Reignite program. Before coaching, I thought my sabbatical was going to be a long period when I would just work on my research nonstop—no wonder I wasn't excited about my sabbatical! Bethany helped me see my sabbatical time as a period in my career with distinct seasons: for me, part of my sabbatical is for resting and recovering, another part is for finishing projects, and another is for starting new projects. Each of these seasons also includes reconnecting with those things that make me happy. I have been on sabbatical for a month now, and I am able to enjoy doing research again. I am full of curiosity to explore the city and do fun things in the evenings. I cannot recommend Bethany's coaching more highly.
Aliosha Barranco Lopez
Aliosha Barranco LopezAssistant Professor of Philosophy, Bowdoin College
Before I began the Reignite program, I wasn’t excited about my sabbatical and worried it would just feel like a regular semester at home with two course releases. As I worked through the program and coaching sessions with Bethany, I re-envisioned my sabbatical into an exciting semester with different seasons: fun, writing, rest, and adventures. I developed rhythms, routines, and boundaries that will help ensure that I keep my sabbatical focused on my goal of being a writer and focusing on my own physical and mental health.
Jen VanDerHeide
Jen VanDerHeideAssociate Professor, Michigan State University
I found out about Bethany's coaching program at just the right time. My family and I were originally planning to live abroad during my sabbatical, but due to life events decided to stay home...Bethany helped me feel excited about my sabbatical again and embrace a new vision that took advantage of the time and space that staying home would provide. She helped me think through my personal and professional goals, and encouraged me to narrow down my priorities...Most importantly, she helped reflect carefully about what I would consider a "life changing" sabbatical...Thanks to Bethany, I have confidence that my sabbatical will be both professionally and personally rewarding.
Susanna
SusannaAssociate Professor, Sacramento State University
To be honest, I wasn’t sure there was much I could learn about planning a sabbatical, given this would be my fourth. But I felt something had been missing in the past...I started the program with an abundance of ill-defined ideas but nothing solidly in place. Bethany helped me clarify my goals, identify my challenges, outline strategies for moving forward, and find ways to prioritize my own creative work. She was part therapist, part life coach, part colleague, part cheerleader; I came away from each session with a clearer and more nuanced sense of what was possible, what was important, and what my next steps should be—everything from seeking funding to finding pet care and locating a house sitter. Given that I’d had a number of prior sabbaticals, I hadn’t imagined all the ways I would benefit from this program; I’m headed into the months ahead with a clear set of commitments and a solid plan.
Laura Apol
Laura ApolProfessor, Michigan State University
I am so glad I reached out to Bethany to help me plan my sabbatical. Before I contacted her, I was feeling overwhelmed with developing my goals and schedule while also feeling anxious about "wasting" the year. Bethany helped me develop my vision and goals for my sabbatical, break down those goals and get them on my calendar, and create a daily routine that would help me feel refreshed but also productive at the end of the year. I now have a plan that feels exciting, flexible, and manageable, and I have a monthly check-in meeting with myself to keep me on track. I feel great knowing that my sabbatical plan will help me accomplish my personal and professional goals. I highly recommend working with Bethany to plan your sabbatical!
Jena Doom
Jena DoomAssociate Professor of Psychology, University of Denver

You shouldn't have to choose between getting things done and getting the rest you need.

A well-planned sabbatical helps you overcome burnout and reset your relationship with work, and leaves you rested and ready for what’s next in your career.

This approach has worked for me and academics like you who are exhausted, have lost their passion for their work, and want to feel rejuvenated. 

BOOK YOUR FREE 30-MINUTE CALL

Frequently Asked Questions

Sabbatical coaching is personalized support to help academics plan their sabbatical. I’m a faculty member, too, so I understand the challenges of planning a sabbatical. With my guidance, you’ll  clarify your goals and create a plan that reflects what you want and need from your sabbatical. Most of my clients are looking to overcome burnout, create a balance between rest and work, and develop a more sustainable approach to their career. 

You don’t need one—but it helps. With a coach, you don’t have to figure it out alone, and you don’t waste time spinning your wheels. You get a proven process, regular accountability, and a clear plan you can feel confident about.

Not at all. Some of my clients need deep rest and recovery. Others are excited to write, travel, or take on a creative project. There’s no one way to sabbatical, and my goal is to help you plan the right sabbatical for you. 

Each week there’s a short video lesson and some homework for you to complete. It typically takes 30-60 minutes of prep each week and then we meet for a 50-minute session with me. That’s it. I send summaries, next steps, and structure so you can stay on track. My goal is to make it as easy (and stress-free) as possible for you to plan a truly transformative sabbatical.

Absolutely! While a pre-tenure sabbatical is slightly different from a post-tenure sabbatical, I have worked with multiple clients to plan pre-tenure sabbaticals and can say with confidence that this approach works! Because the program is one-on-one and individualized, we can tailor it to your needs if you have specific goals going into your pre-tenure sabbatical.

Yes, and I’ve worked with many different universities and payment systems. About 75% of my clients use professional development or research funds to pay for sabbatical coaching. Others pay out of pocket or use a combination of PD funds and private pay. I’m happy to work with you to come up with a payment plan that meets your needs.

If you need accountability to ensure you enact your sabbatical plan, we can talk about an add-on coaching package that will give you the support you need during your sabbatical.

Not at all! I would love to help you get your sabbatical back on track. We can see if my Sabbatical Rescue program (an accelerated version of the Reignite program) is a good fit for you! Just click the button below to schedule a free session with me.

Laura Apol
Laura ApolMichigan State University
"I wasn't sure there was much I could learn about planning a sabbatical, given this would be my fourth. I hadn't imagined all the ways I would benefit from this program."

Ready to Plan your Academic Sabbatical?

Enroll in Reignite: Your Life-Changing Sabbatical for personalized support to plan a sabbatical that’s productive and restorative.

7 weeks, 6 one-on-one coaching sessions, proven curriculum, customized support, weekly summaries and action plans

Total Program Cost: $2300

Most clients use professional development or research funds to pay for the program. Payment plans available for those paying out of pocket.

To get started, book your Free Consultation by clicking the button below. During this call, I’ll learn more about your upcoming sabbatical and we can see if we’re a good fit to work together. 

Book your free 30-minute call

Questions? Click here to contact me.

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