Coaching: giving families practical tools and immediate strategies to handle the challenges they're facing now.
We bring over 30 years of combined professional knowledge in behavioral health.
About Us
Lisa Howell — Coach:
I've spent my professional career helping children and families as a clinical social worker. The mental health field focuses on the individuals, often leaving the family on the sideline. Everyone I have treated is connected to someone who cares. Those caring connections are essential to recovery; healing never happens in isolation.
When families are supported and informed, outcomes improve. That’s why I am offering coaching, not treatment. Caregivers don’t need a diagnosis or a treatment plan. They need support and reliable information—and space to ask, "Am I crazy?" and hear, "No, this is just a crazy situation. Have you tried this...?"
I’ve learned that professional expertise doesn’t shield you from the confusion and stress of caring for a loved one. In hindsight, as a family member I could have used a coach. I thought I asked the right questions. I thought I understood what the doctor was saying. My emotional turmoil got in the way. A coach could have helped me consider more options, prepare me with more questions, and feel more confident I did the best I could.
That’s the heart of ClearPath Family Solutions—to give families the support, clarity, and confidence when they need to care for someone they love. It’s hard when all you want is for someone to get better. Every diagnosis is different. Sometimes we need to lean in; sometimes we need to step back.
Betsy Oakleaf— Coach:
I’ve worked with individuals and families across all ages in my career as a clinical social worker. Most recently, I served as a family navigator at a psychiatric hospital, supporting the families of inpatients. A key part of that role was my lived experience—knowing firsthand what it’s like to help someone you love who’s struggling with their mental health.
As a family member, I often felt isolated. Sitting with therapists and psychiatrists, I sometimes felt blame, as if I were the cause of my loved one’s struggles—until I could prove otherwise. That experience led me to change careers. I earned my Master’s Degree in Social Work and became a licensed clinical social worker. I wanted the tools to help my own family. Now, I offer the kind of support I once wished for myself.
People caring for someone with mental health challenges deserve respect, not blame. When we don’t understand what is happening or what to do, we may react out of fear or frustration. In these moments, we don’t need to be told there is something wrong with us. We need guidance and support, not a diagnosis.
I’ve seen how families shift when they feel supported and informed. With the right tools, they become calmer, more grounded, and better prepared. That’s why we created this service: to provide coaching informed by both lived experience and professional insight.
