7 ways my mentoring approach creates real breakthroughs

Recently someone asked me what makes me different. Why she should work with me and not someone else. Great question! I figured more people might be wondering the same so that’s why I’m sharing this with you today.

Here are seven reasons why clients—from Olympic athletes to corporate leaders to sensitive creatives—say working with me stands apart.

When clients describe our work together, certain themes come up again and again. It’s not just about the insights or the results they get—it’s about the way those results happen. My approach is a little (or maybe a lot) different than most.

I don’t use a standard framework or try to fit you into a box. And I don’t believe in limiting theories that exclude all else.

Every person is different, and so is this process. Because I use an intuitive approach that is tailored to you, this is perhaps the most customized mentoring on the planet. No one else is like you, which means that no one else will receive the same transformation, either.

1. I go straight to the core

You don’t have to spend months circling the same story. I have a gift for sensing what’s really underneath a problem or issue and naming it clearly. Whether it’s an old wound, a hidden fear, or an energy block, I’ll get straight to the root of the issue so you can finally shift. In fact, I believe endlessly revisiting the past is detrimental for your growth and happiness. (You can read more about why you should stop revisiting the past here.)

Because we’ll be able to go straight to the core our time together is most efficient and effective. Or as a client put it:

“Iris is extremely intuitive, razor sharp in her observations and very plugged in. She can clearly articulate what is needed right now. I don’t know anyone who can get to the core of things as fast as she can and who can so clearly show where things are off.”

2. I blend business and spirit

Many coaches focus on performance and strategy, while others focus only on energy and healing. I bridge the two. With my background in corporate marketing and entrepreneurship plus years of intuitive and personal development work, I meet you in both worlds. The result is transformation that’s both soulful and practical.

When I completed my MBA, I thought I would work in the corporate world my entire life. I never would have guessed that the tools and strategies I learned there would serve me in supporting clients professionally.

3. I help you turn sensitivity into strength

If you’ve ever felt “too sensitive,” overwhelmed, or drained, you’ll discover how to protect your energy and channel your empathy as your greatest asset. What once held you back becomes the key to your success. I lived this journey and know all the pitfalls as well as the power of owing your sensitivity. Being highly sensitive has truly become my superpower—though I’ve loathed it for years. The change occurred when I learned how to embrace my sensitivity while learning to manage it so it didn’t deplete me.

This means I can help you skip years of struggle and go straight to the freedom of embracing your sensitivity as a gift

4. I bring contagious presence and joy

My grounded energy, my laughter, my presence—all of it creates an atmosphere of ease where breakthroughs happen naturally. Clients say just being in that energy feels healing. It helps you feel safe, lighter, and more alive.

One described it as “finally being able to breathe again” while another said they felt “permission to be fully alive.”

5. I connect you to something greater

Whether you call it intuition, spirit, or wisdom, I help you tune into the deeper truth that’s already within you. Many describe feeling reconnected to themselves, their purpose, and a bigger sense of possibility.

As Shakespeare wrote:

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

If you too believe there is more than meets the eye, then I might be the right mentor for you.

6. I marry intuition with practical action

Insight without action falls flat. Every session ends with clear next steps you can implement immediately. That’s why clients often experience quick, tangible results—new opportunities, stronger boundaries, creative breakthroughs—sometimes after just one session.

Like the client who received an unexpected raise and a dream job opportunity within days after our energy work. Or the workaholic who by session four had taken a day off from work to spend with her kids. She said “If you had told me this in session one, I would never have believed you.”

7. I work on all layers

When something feels off, it’s rarely just one thing. People don’t get burned out just because they worked too hard. Or when you’re unhappy in your relationship that will trickle through into other areas of your life.

I consciously work with you on all layers that are relevant. We’ll uncover what’s going on in both your personal and professional life and how one is impacting the other. And we’ll get clear how you are doing physically, emotionally, mentally and energetically. Because when you make a change in one area, that will ripple through in everything else. For you to feel balanced and happy, we need to look at the big picture and take a holistic approach. (As in looking at the whole that makes up who you are!)

Working with me isn’t about one-size-fits-all formulas or endless advice. It’s about reconnecting you to your own strength, clarity, and energy in a way that’s both profound and practical.

That’s what makes this work different—and why clients often say, “I feel like myself again.”

You probably know that life is about the journey, not about the destination or the end goal. But no one said that journey can’t be fun!

Or as one client said, “You should warn people that they might actually start to enjoy their life.” I promised her I would, so I put a disclaimer on my transformative mentoring page 😉

Ready to experience the difference?

If you’re tired of approaches that only scratch the surface, and you’re ready for transformation that’s both profound and practical, let’s talk.

I invite you to a complimentary 20-minute Clarity Session where we’ll get clear on:

• What’s really beneath the challenges you’re facing.
• Whether my approach aligns with what you need right now.
• How we might work together to create the breakthrough you’re seeking.

No pressure, no sales pitch—just clarity.

Schedule your Clarity Session here or read more about my transformative mentoring program.

PS This 1-minute video shows concrete examples of challenges I helped clients with.

Iris van Ooyen guides people home to themselves. As a life transformation mentor with 20+ years of experience, she offers hope with a compass—helping you find your way back to who you truly are when life’s demands have made you lose touch with yourself. She’s the author of Radiant: How to Have All the Energy You Need to Live a Life You Love. Contact Iris to come home to yourself—and love your life again. 

Follow her on LinkedIn and Instagram.