Joan’s background includes years of spiritual studies in the Dominican Convent, followed by years of extensive scientific research in a medical school environment. Neither experience alone fulfilled Joan’s yearning, until she integrated the two in the concept of “cellular wisdom” explored in her books. Cellular Wisdom provides the foundation for Joan’s coaching, coach training and mentor coaching, as well as her speaking and writing.
Experiencing the loss of her father at the age of ten resulted in a life-long quest for the unseen substance underlying life. Joan entered a Dominican convent to study philosophy and theology for eleven years, but found that the rules and culture progressively restricted her propensity to think beyond the dogma and that “the religious answers weren’t enough.”
She left the convent and entered graduate school to study science more deeply as a way to examine the substance of life and human behavior and “what makes people tick.” After obtaining a multidisciplinary Ph.D. in Neurosciences and Psychology from Tulane University, Joan was engaged in basic research in neuroscience for twenty-five years.
A Professor at Tufts University Schools of Medicine in Boston for twenty years, Joan served as Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology for the Schools of Medicine. She envisioned and created a Multimedia Resource Center on the Boston campus and also developed and directed the Center of Research in Reproduction at Tufts University from 1992-1997. Joan has now been engaged in scientific studies for nearly half a century.
In the course of her personal development, she began to utilize scientific principles as metaphors and tools to expand consciousness. Joan articulates her philosophy in scientific metaphors in her Cellular Wisdom series of books. Having experienced the processes of self-examination, self-reflection, and self-actualization, Joan designed and established a coaching service, Beyond-Success, LLC to assist others in these processes. In partnership with Dr. Sharyn Ann Lenhart, Joan established a second business, Transition Pathways, to help individuals create pathways for life enhancing career and personal transitions.
“Life emerges from the energy that emanates from an individual’s core beliefs and the focus of their thinking.” This philosophy in the grounding foundation of Joan’s coaching work to help clients unfold aspects of their authentic selves, unmask limiting core beliefs, and recast them as actualizing principles, integrate deep understandings, and claim their creativity, in a process that leads to full, authentic self-expression. Joan is a Master Certified Coach helping people to simultaneously achieve success and go beyond success to self-actualization.
Professional and personal coach, consultant, and workshop leader with twenty-five years as an educator, scientist, and administrator in universities and academic-based organizations, Dr. King is credentialed by the International Coach Federation.