READY TO START A NEW CHAPTER IN LIFE?
I'd love to coach you on your journey!
ABOUT ARJANNA
Hi there!
I'm Arjanna van der Plas, a formerly Silicon Valley-based Dutchie, who has recently settled in Zurich (for now at least;)).
In the past 10 years, I’ve helped many leaders, entrepreneurs, and students to design the life they want to live, overcome mental barriers, and achieve their professional and personal goals.
I’m certified as a co-active coach by CTI, the largest in-person coach training school in the world, as well as by the International Coach Federation .
Moreover, I’m trained as a yoga and meditation teacher (Yoga Tree, RYT200), which inspires me to incorporate mindfulness and somatic exercises in my coaching practice. I also draw from my background in industrial design engineering to find creative solutions for my clients’ challenges.
I am a former instructor at Berkeley Haas and the co-founder of WOMEN'S HUB Zurich together with Nele Clüver.

I'VE WORKED WITH PEOPLE AT GOOGLE, UBER, IDEO, DELOITTE, MCKINSEY, UC BERKELEY, UCSF, STARTUPS ET AL.
HERE'S WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ME:
WHY COACHING?
GAIN CLARITY
What are your dreams, your passion, your unique life purpose? It's often surprisingly hard to come up with the answer on your own, but when you do know, making big life decisions becomes a lot easier.
Let's explore together what a fulfilling life looks like for you.
ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
So you know that you want to quit your job, or find the love of your life, or have a healthy lifestyle. You've actually known that for years, but how to turn that intention into action?
Let me be your sparring partner, accountability buddy, and cheerleader to make your dreams happen.
OVERCOME INNER CRITICS
Your mindset makes a big difference in achieving goals. We all have little voices in our head that tell us that we're not smart, strong or worthy enough.
Let's get to know these inner critics and explain to them that they don't have to fear your success.
HOW I WORK
You're unique, and so is your coaching trajectory. However, there are a few things that I can say about my approach to coaching.
I'm a coach. Not a mentor, and not a consultant. That means that I believe that you have the answers, and I'm simply here to mirror, champion and challenge you, and provide you with tools and exercises that might benefit you. Your coaching trajectory might be action-oriented or introspective, down-to-earth or deeply spiritual, based on what is beneficial for you in the moment.
With most of my coachees, I do bi-weekly 60-minute coaching sessions via Zoom, for 3-6 months.
And if you're a nature lover like me, you might enjoy a walking coaching session!
FAQ
What is coaching?
That’s a good and surprisingly difficult to answer question. Here’s my take on it: as a coach, I’m basically here to help you find your own answers. I’m not here to give you advice on what I think you should do, and I’m not going to dig into your history and find out why things are a certain way. I basically serve as your guide in the forest of your dreams, fears, emotions, thoughts and questions, exploring what’s there and pointing my flashlight at things that seem to be important to you.
I often refer to the Disney movie
Inside Out to explain what that might look like. In the movie, the main character is Riley, an 11-year old girl who moves to San Francisco. Most of the movie actually takes place inside her head, showing her emotions as actual characters that steer her decisions and behavior. This is an image that you might recognize yourself: when you’re facing a difficult decision, there seem to be many voices in your head that have different ideas about what’s best for you. One voice might tell you to follow your dream, while the other thinks it’s best to avoid conflict, and yet another keeps emphasizing the fact that you’re a useless, talentless being. Making distinctions between these different voices, and deciding which voice you want to listen to, can be immensely helpful in defining your vision, achieving goals and changing habits. Depending on what works for you, I have different tools and methods for how to do that.
What are good coaching topics?
What are the costs of a coaching trajectory?
For private clients I charge $175 | E145 | 155CHF per coaching session, payable through Paypal. I also offer walking coaching sessions of ~2 hours for people in the Zurich area for $350 | E290 | 310CHF per session. For corporate coaching I offer different packages based on the size and mission of the organization.
Why do people hire a coach?
Nobody ‘needs’ coaching, and yet everybody can benefit from it. Coaching can help you get clarity on what you really want and need, set goals and achieve them, and overcome your inner critics.
Do you also offer workshops?
Yes I do, thanks for asking :) I offer workshops and trainings for groups on different themes, for example on confidence, practical mindfulness and leadership. You can read more about my recent workshop offerings here. I am also happy to co-design a workshop with you, so feel free to reach out.
CONTACT ME
Questions? Comments? Ideas?
Let me know!