Coaching That Rewrites the Story You're Telling Yourself

Two Paths. One Method.
Real Change — On Your Feet, Not On a Couch.

By David Koff | Founder & Lead Coach, Change Through Play | Updated July 2026

You already know why you're here.

Something isn't moving, either a conversation you keep avoiding, a version of yourself you haven't stepped into yet, or a team that looks to you for a steadiness you don't always feel. You’ve talked about it, but it hasn't been enough. Working with your body, your instincts, and a trained eye on both… THAT’S where it actually shifts. We’ll provide that in two categories:

• Personal & Life Coaching — for the transition, the pattern, the moment you're ready to stop repeating.

• Business & Leadership Coaching — for the leader who has to stay clear, decisive, and human when everything around them isn't.

Both use the same method. Scroll to the packages below to pick yours, or keep reading.

The Problem

Here's what you already know, even if you haven't said it out loud: You know the conversation you've been avoiding. You know the version of yourself that shows up small in the moments that matter most, during the negotiations, the hard feedback, and in the room where the decisions get made.

You know when you're performing confidence, instead of actually having confidence.

Maybe that shows up as a job or a relationship that's slowly suffocating you. Maybe it shows up as a team that senses your hesitation before you've said a word. Either way, you've probably already tried talking it through. Therapy, books, a mentor's advice, your own late-night analysis. And you're still standing in the same spot.

That's not a you problem. Talking about a pattern rarely breaks it. Practicing a new one does.

How We Work

Coaching isn't therapy — but it's genuinely therapeutic.

Instead of sitting and talking, we get on our feet. Using applied — or "process" — improvisation, we put you directly inside the situation that's holding you back, without a script telling you how to react. What you actually do in that moment, when there's nowhere to hide behind rehearsed language, is the most honest data either of us will get about what's really in your way.

Most clients find their sharpest insight — the blind spot they didn't know was running the show — inside the first session. Everything after that is building the specific skill that replaces it.

Who This Work Is For

All of our coaching clients, just like you, come to us at turning points in their lives, seeking new tools, new approaches, and new insights.

Personal & Life Coaching is for you if:

• You're at a turning point — a relationship, a job, or an old version of yourself that you're ready to leave behind

• You want to stop reflexively performing for others and start showing up as your authentic self, on purpose

• You're processing something — personally, relationally, professionally — and ready to move into the new reality, not just talk about it

• You've outgrown who you've been and actually know it

Business & Leadership Coaching is for you if:

• You're stepping into a bigger role than the one you've been comfortable in

• You go quiet, defensive, or overly rehearsed under pressure and you know how much it costs you

• You need to build trust with a team fast, without pretending you have all the answers

• You're preparing for a specific hard conversation and can't afford to get it wrong

You don't need improv or acting experience for our coaching sessions. All you need is a willingness to let go and show up for seeing who you really are once we strip away your script.

What Sessions Look Like

Every 75-minute session is built around you. No curriculum, no workbook, no generic script.

The first 15 minutes: We talk. Where you are, what brought you here, what you want to shift.

The final 60 minutes: We move. Using applied improvisation drawn from Augusto Boal, Paulo Freire, and 30+ years of professional practice, we work your actual situation without a script. What happens next usually surprises people — in the best way.

In-person at our studio in SW Portland, or virtual for clients anywhere.

What Clients Say

"David's sessions are revelatory and super fun. I'm confident that the training will benefit me professionally and personally."

— Hope Delcarlo, Corporate Attorney, Elemental Law

"Working at Change Through Play is a life-changing experience that I believe everyone should enjoy at least once in their lifetime."

— Javid Booker, Team Lead, Revant Optics

Investment & Packages

We require a minimum of two sessions — not because we're pushing you to spend more, but because one session only opens the door. The second session is where the real work begins.

All sessions are 75 minutes and can be used weekly, bi-weekly, or at whatever pace fits your life. Packages never expire.

Ready to Begin?

Pick your path below. After purchase, you'll be directed to our scheduling system to book your sessions on days/times that work for you.

Coaching vs. Training: Which Do You Need?

Everything above is 1:1 coaching — private sessions built entirely around you or your specific leadership challenge.

If you're looking for group or cohort-based programs for your organization — team workshops, all-hands training, multi-session leadership cohorts — that work lives on our Corporate Training and Leadership Training pages.

Same method. Different format. Pick based on whether you're solving this for yourself or for a room full of people.

We look forward to working with you — and watching the change begin.