I offer in-depth one-on-one coaching for people who want to communicate more clearly, set stronger boundaries, and stay connected to themselves in difficult moments.
We'll work with the situations where you hold back, people-please, avoid conflict, or lose access to what you genuinely think, feel, and want. Through reflection, experiments, and practical work between sessions, you'll develop more choice in how you respond.
You'll gain clarity on where you hold back, develop confidence in handling challenging situations, and feel a stronger sense of grounding. Your improved, embodied communication will help you build stronger, more honest relationships.
"Edy's workshop helped me learn more about my inner power and potential. He's done a wonderful job guiding me to a more assertive, confident, and positive self. Thank you, Edy!"
The common thread among my clients is their desire to stand tall and speak their truth. This journey begins with reconnecting to their deeper selves — understanding their needs, and learning to express those needs assertively yet compassionately, without slipping back into passivity or resorting to aggression.
Before we start working together, many clients find themselves in one of these situations:
It's time to release what you're holding in. You tend to be overly easygoing, often holding in what you truly feel. Over time, this leads to anger, bitterness, and resentment — especially when you say or do things you don't truly want. Even simple requests can feel daunting to voice.
I can help you identify what's blocking you from speaking up and let go of your resentments.
You often struggle to express your true thoughts and desires. You have difficulty saying "no," even when it's necessary. You frequently face obstacles when it comes to asserting yourself and prioritizing your needs when it matters most.
I can help you discover your unique and authentic voice.
You face challenges in romantic, work, and friendship settings because you tend to keep your feelings and thoughts to yourself. You long for deeper, more honest, and loving connections, but find it difficult to fully express your true self.
I can help you show up more authentically in your relationships, fostering the closeness you seek.
How you communicate shapes your relationships, your work, and how fully you are able to participate in your own life. It reveals your thoughts and feelings, letting others see who you truly are.
When you withhold your real thoughts and emotions, it creates turmoil inside, leaving you feeling unseen, disconnected, and lonely. Understanding yourself, recognizing your capacity to handle challenges, taking ownership of your wants and needs, and prioritizing what truly matters all pave the way for an authentic life in which you make your own choices.
Because life is largely interpersonal, assertiveness shows up everywhere — at work, at home, and with friends. At its core, assertiveness is effective communication. When you can speak up for yourself clearly and respectfully, life becomes richer and more fulfilling.
My mission is to help you understand yourself more clearly, stay connected to what you think, feel, and need, and express yourself with greater confidence in work, relationships, and everyday life.
We've all sacrificed ourselves at some point, only to look back with pain or resentment. While it can be tough to realize how much we've given up, it also opens the door to real, positive change.
I help you identify the patterns that keep you from speaking clearly, then practice expressing your needs, setting boundaries, and handling difficult conversations with greater confidence. We work with real situations so the change becomes usable in everyday life.
Advocating for yourself: Ask for support, negotiate, and speak clearly about what you need — even with managers or senior leaders.
Being heard in meetings: Enter fast-moving conversations, handle interruptions, and communicate your ideas clearly and concisely.
Leadership presence: Stay grounded under pressure, express disagreement respectfully, and present yourself with confidence.
Important conversations: Address important issues instead of leaving them unspoken with family, friends, and romantic partners.
Standing up for yourself: Respond clearly when someone is dismissive or disrespectful.
Expressing what you want: Share your needs, preferences, and desires more openly.
Everyday interactions: Speak up when you're overcharged, interrupted, or someone cuts in front of you.
Leaving when you need to: End a conversation or leave an event without overexplaining.
Small acts of self-advocacy: Correct a mistake, clarify a misunderstanding, or ask for what you need — small actions that build confidence for bigger challenges.
Insight alone is often not enough. Through role-playing, mindfulness, and other experiential practices, you can try new ways of responding rather than only understanding them intellectually. This helps new skills feel more natural and become available when real situations arise. Theory has its place, but the focus is on practice.
"Working with Edy in a group setting was a profoundly moving experience. His unique ability to balance structure and focus while staying open to the unexpected created a space where I felt truly seen and supported. It's the kind of environment where I wanted to be and where I could safely explore and discover deeper parts of myself."
1 Identify what isn’t working
Get clear on where you hold back, over-adapt, avoid conflict, or struggle to show up as fully and confidently as you would like.
2 Get clear on your wants and needs
Reconnect with what you genuinely want, need, and value. Notice what has been getting in the way of expressing it.
3 Explore specific examples from your life
Break down real situations from work, relationships, and everyday life to understand what happens when pressure rises and what you might do differently.
4 Practice new ways of expressing yourself
Grasp the feelings beneath your desires, unearth their message through practice and role-playing, and hone a firm, artful way of expressing it so you can show up grounded.
5 Use mindfulness to embody change
Bring awareness to your thoughts, feelings, and body responses in the moment. With practice, new ways of responding begin to feel less foreign and more natural.
6 Put it into practice and keep growing
Take the work into your real life, reflect on what happens, and keep refining how you communicate as you show up more fully, honestly, and on your own terms.
"I appreciated how comfortable Edy made me feel expressing myself and showing my vulnerability during the workshop and in our private sessions. He has been my mentor, guiding me on the journey to becoming the person I truly want to be: an assertive, well-rounded individual. Together, we've worked to eliminate my limiting self-beliefs and explored how assertive I can truly be."
Assertiveness helps you manage your workload, speak up when it counts, and advocate for your ideas, needs, and compensation.
Becoming more comfortable expressing yourself — gently but firmly — can strengthen your confidence and trust in yourself.
Being assertive means communicating honestly about your feelings and taking responsibility for your needs. This can support healthier, more fulfilling connections.
Continually suppressing what matters to you can create resentment and disconnection. Clearer self-expression can bring greater relief, ease, and connection.
"I have had the honour of participating in groups facilitated by Edy over several years. He is inspiring, passionate, and deeply committed to helping people reflect on themselves and connect more meaningfully with others. Edy's style is open, forthright, deliberate, positive, structured, and present in the moment. While he may challenge your viewpoints and perspective from time to time, he does so as a great supporter — valuing your experience, insight, and wisdom without judgment."
Much of my interest in assertiveness began personally. For years, I often felt trapped in my head — second-guessing myself, holding back what I really thought and felt, and struggling to express what I wanted. This made it harder to connect openly with people at work, in friendships, and in relationships.
I eventually realized that understanding my patterns intellectually was not enough. Meditation, improv, acting, assertiveness practice, and later Gestalt-based coaching helped me become more aware of what was happening in the moment and experiment with new ways of expressing myself.
That experience shaped how I work today. I'm a Gestalt Professional Certified Coach (GPCC™), facilitator, and university lecturer. I've led assertiveness and authentic communication workshops at the University of Toronto's Hart House and facilitated groups exploring self-expression, relationships, and people-pleasing. My earlier work in software engineering, data, product design, and teaching also taught me how to make complex patterns understandable and practical.
I now help people close the gap between what they understand intellectually and what they are actually able to say or do when pressure rises. This work is not about performing confidence or memorizing the right words. It is about changing your relationship with yourself — becoming more aware of what you feel, need, and want, and learning to stay connected to that in difficult moments. As that inner relationship changes, so does the way you communicate, set boundaries, and relate to others.
"I appreciate how Edy creates a safe space for us to speak up. In his class, I felt I was really being listened to. Also, sometimes people need to be pushed a little to truly express themselves, and Edy is very good at balancing that. He does a great job at leading people into their growth zone!"
I offer personalized 1:1 coaching for people who want to communicate more clearly, set stronger boundaries, and stay connected to themselves under pressure. Together, we'll identify the patterns that keep you from speaking up, work with real situations from your life, and practice new ways of expressing what you think, feel, need, and want.
The goal is not to perform confidence, but to develop greater awareness, choice, and groundedness in how you relate to yourself and others. Let's talk and see whether working together feels like a good fit.
One-time payment for 3 months of coaching
Paid in 3 installments of $1,300/month
A small-group practice program for people who want to build assertiveness through structure, reflection, live practice, and accountability.
The cohort will be limited to around 10 participants and will meet weekly for 12 weeks. Together, we'll work through core assertiveness themes, guided by a shared text, practical exercises, and real-life challenges participants are facing.
This is for people who want more than insight. It's for people who want a consistent place to practice, support and accountability. You'll have the opportunity to bring a meaningful communication challenge from your own life or work and receive support as you prepare, practice, and take action over time.
Join the interest list to be notified when the first cohort opens.
Thanks! You're on the list — I'll be in touch when the cohort opens.
Edy facilitates workshops and talks on assertiveness, authentic communication, difficult conversations, and relational confidence.
These sessions are designed for universities, alumni groups, teams, and organizations that want practical tools for communicating more clearly, directly, and effectively — without losing connection.
Past workshops have included themes such as speaking up, setting boundaries, making requests, handling conflict, and expressing yourself with more confidence.
Inquire about a workshop"What I value most about Edy is his ability to ask gentle, perceptive questions that help me see situations from an entirely new perspective. He has helped me recognize self-limiting beliefs, move through fear, and speak up for myself more clearly. I'm happier with my life circumstances than I've ever been, and Edy's insight, honesty, and encouragement have played a meaningful role in that."
Becoming more assertive means becoming more you. It is an ongoing practice, but meaningful change can happen within a few months. I typically work with clients over three to six months. This is not simply about learning a few techniques or memorizing the right words. It is deeper work: understanding the patterns that keep you from speaking up, changing how you relate to yourself, practicing new responses in real situations, and integrating them into everyday life. Some changes may happen quickly, while others deepen through continued practice.
Book a free 30-minute call to explore whether assertiveness and communication coaching is a good fit. I look forward to hearing about where you are now and how we might work together.
Edy has facilitated assertiveness and authentic communication workshops at Hart House, University of Toronto.
Featured workshop: Asserting Yourself: Living Your Truth
Upcoming talks, workshops, and small-group programs will appear here. Join the interest list to be notified when new opportunities open.
Boston University — July 2026
Speak with Confidence: Mastering Assertive CommunicationComing soon
12-Week Assertiveness CohortA small-group practice program for up to 10 people who want to build clearer communication, stronger boundaries, and more grounded self-expression in real situations. Join the interest list to be notified when registration opens and for future offerings.
Book a free 30-minute consultation to explore whether coaching is the right fit for you.
Book a free consultationHave a question, or want to reach out about a workshop or talk? Send a note and I'll get back to you. Ready to start? Booking a call above is the quickest way.
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I'm planning a small cohort of up to 10 people to work through an assertiveness book together, practice in real life, and support one another over 12 weeks.
Leave your email and I'll send details when they're ready.
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