About Cathia

A native Charlottean and former Manhattan dweller, she is endlessly fascinated with people, relationships, and systems, and believes, as Socrates, that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Cathia Friou is a writer and MFA candidate in creative nonfiction at Queens University of Charlotte. She is the author of the memoir Rock Paper Scissors: Scenes from a Charmed Divorce and The Art of Co-Parenting, a guide outlining the six principles of shared parenting during divorce. A self-described “possibilitarian,” she is an ardent devotee of self-awareness and courageous conversations.

Cathia is also a BCC credentialed coach and a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, a program based on the pioneering research of Brené Brown exploring topics like courage, shame, vulnerability, and worthiness. Additionally, Cathia is a certified mediator.

As a graduate of the North Carolina and Colorado Outward Bound Schools and having walked 200 miles along the Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain, Cathia is an adventurist at heart. She possesses an insatiable appetite for Jungian psychology, TED talks, and cartoons appearing in The New Yorker. She is also a documentary enthusiast and photography buff.

She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Certificate in Executive & Organizational Coaching from New York University, and a Certificate in Documentary Arts from the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) at Duke University. Her final project for CDS was a creative nonfiction essay exploring the experience of female incarceration. Cathia has two adult daughters and lives with her husband in Charlotte.

 
CLIENT FEEDBACK

“Cathia’s coaching has been invaluable. She has helped me reflect on who I am as a leader and what is most important to me and the company. The self-awareness I have gained has sustained me as a leader dealing with major change, and her encouragement for me to stay true to myself has given me a renewed sense of enthusiasm.”

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CLIENT FEEDBACK

“Cathia’s coaching has been a vital part of my executive career. She is engaging and personal, and she challenges me both as a leader and a person. Cathia has coached me through major life and work challenges causing me to grow in areas that could have remained unchanged. Her coaching sessions feel like an espresso shot of courage and strength.”

“Cathia Friou is truly authentic and has a powerful message about self-awareness and courage. I had the pleasure of hearing her speak about Daring Leadership at the ICF-Charlotte meeting. Cathia highlighted the research of Brené Brown who has delved into the depths of vulnerability, courage and shame. Cathia has an engaging presentation style and is most definitely an expert in her field.”

“The experience of Cathia’s coaching has been incredibly beneficial to my career. I have learned to better focus my goals, utilizing skills I possessed but had not yet fully appreciated. I am already a leader in my industry, but there are still many ways I can grow. In fact, the way in which I take the next large step has been refined, honed and better planned out by having Cathia in my corner. I will continue to seek her council as the growth in my career accelerates.
Cathia – thank you!”

“A trusted coach and mentor, Cathia is very personable and engaging. The self-reflection work gave me a better understanding of who I am and how I think. She helped me identify my strengths and exposed me to other useful tools, all in line with my goal of making a successful transition from professional sports to the business world.
Thanks Coach!”