About Us

Her search for a solution led to coaching. Initially, she saw coaching as separate from organizing, but later connected the two through ADHD coaching in the 1990s. Denslow began formal coach training in 1995 and earned her Master Certified Coach credential in 2005. Coaching, she realized, addressed clients’ need for transformation by fostering self-awareness, clarifying values, and encouraging action and accountability. It was both compassionate and challenging, empowering clients to navigate change and pursue meaningful goals.

Denslow identified coaching as the perfect complement to organizing. Combining these approaches enabled professionals to address not just the practical aspects of organization but also the deeper motivations and barriers clients faced. This integrated approach was especially impactful for individuals dealing with chronic disorganization, ADHD, life transitions, or high-stress responsibilities. She introduced coaching concepts to professional organizing organizations, including the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD).

Denslow started from the standpoint of equipping professional organizers and other professionals with coaching skills to better support individuals striving to live their best lives. Her journey from Professional Organizer to Organizer Coach, combined with her experience as an ADHD Coach and Mentor Coach, underscored her dedication to this mission. She launched the first Coach Approach for Organizers training in 2006 with co-founder and renowned ADHD coach, Cameron Gott, PCC. Together, they created a groundbreaking, profound approach to combining coaching with organizing skills.

From the earliest courses, organizing professionals recognized the supportive synergy between organizing and coaching, allowing them to support clients in a more individualized, sustainable way.

Starting in 2009, CAT offered credentialing programs for Certified Organizer Coaches, later expanding to include additional certifications such as Certified Productivity Coach, Certified ADHD Organizer Coach and Certified Productivity Leadership Coach. The program became known by its two “arms”–Coach Approach Training (the education) and the Institute for Applied Coaching (the credentialing)–collectively known as “CAT-IAC.”

Over the years, the program expanded to offer a comprehensive curriculum, earning accreditation as a Level 2 program from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) in 2015. This accreditation represented a significant milestone, as it ensured that the program met rigorous standards and provided additional legitimacy to both the training program and the coaches who graduated from it. The ICF sets the bar for professional coaching by developing core competencies and establishing a code of ethics–standards Coach Approach embraces to this day.

By 2023, Coach Approach had developed eight specialized coaching credentials, over 20 unique and robust courses, and welcomed professionals from diverse fields from all over the world into its training programs. No longer confined to the organizing world (but remaining committed to supporting that profession), this growth allowed for more flexibility and distinctive learning opportunities.

In early 2024 Denslow began conversations with CAT graduate and instructor Sara Skillen, PCC, COLC, CNC (herself a professional organizer and coach) about transitioning out of her ownership and leadership role. Through an aligned and intuitively-informed process, they met weekly to co-design how such a transition would occur, and Sara began learning the many responsibilities of leading and operating an accredited coach training program. In July of 2024, they made it official, with the support of trainers, staff, students, and friends of the program. As part of the transition process, CAT-IAC became Coach Approach Training Institute.

Through CAT Institute, our Director of Education Sara Skillen continues to evolve the synergies within organizing, productivity, leadership, ADHD and neurodiversity coaching skills. By integrating coaching with a variety of professional backgrounds, while still honoring the original connections between the coaching and organizing worlds, she carries on Denslow’s original legacy of empowering professionals to create meaningful, sustainable change in their clients’ lives. New initiatives include the launch of a new, accessible website, doubling the opportunities for students to progress through the Foundation Core Curriculum, securing the ICF’s Level 1 accreditation, and new offerings such as a Transfer Coach program, Professional Certified Neurodiversity Coach™ credential, and a bi-monthly webinar series.

With continued support from Denslow Brown, Cameron Gott, and a stellar roster of faculty and staff, Sara remains committed to the growth and integrity of CAT Institute for all students. She is steadfastly dedicated to keeping the curriculum current and relevant, growing the reach to other aligned professionals from all over the world, and providing a psychologically safe and supportive learning environment for students to reach their full potential.