About Us

Larina Kase, PsyD, MBA, Founder and President

(Please note that the following is Larina’s personal story—You can find a bio to use for promotional purposes here.)

Back in college at Cornell University I switched my major many times. I was fascinated by human development, psychology, business management, art, and environmental psychology… and I still am.

I went to graduate school to pursue my doctorate in psychology and I discovered cognitive-behavioral theories to change. This approach fits well with my personality: It is action oriented, present-focused, measurable, and it gets results fast. While working on my doctorate, I missed the business world so I worked with a corporate psychology firm and completed an MBA program in management and marketing.

I then went on to pursue post-doctoral studies at The Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at The University of Pennsylvania where I was fortunate to learn alongside many of the top cognitive-behavioral change experts in the world.

My passion for bringing psychology out of the counseling office and into the workplace grew and I founded PAS Coaching in 2002. In addition to this psychology and business training, I’ve been an entrepreneur and creative person all my life (that’s what happens when you have an entrepreneur father and artist mother). This is why I greatly enjoy working with entrepreneurs, executives, and service professionals. My clients have been some of the most incredible, successful, inspiring people I’ve ever met.

In my view, success includes achievement, a sense of meaning and purpose, and fulfillment and happiness, so this multi-level definition of success is what I help my clients to achieve.

The research-based cognitive-behavioral change techniques I use have helped hundreds of clients, inspired audiences, and are regularly cited in the press—you can find my ideas in media such as Inc., Entrepreneur, SELF, The Chicago Tribune, and The Los Angeles Times. I wrote a book about these ideas (The Confident Speaker) which became a New York Times bestseller. Every day I feel fortunate to be a business owner, work only with my ideal clients, have creative outlets (writing and coming up with marketing ideas), and enjoy time with my family.

Harrison Monarth, Executive Speech Coach

Harrison Monarth is a leader in the field of persuasive communication and coauthor with Larina Kase of the New York Times Bestseller, The Confident Speaker. One of the most sought-after speech coaches in the United States, he regularly prepares CEOs, senior executives, political candidates and other leading professionals for high-stakes presentations and speaking opportunities.

Harrison has coached leaders from major organizations in financial services, technology, medical, legal, hospitality and consumer industries, as well as real estate, nonprofit and politics. His client list includes Merrill Lynch, Northwestern Mutual, Intel, Cisco Systems, Prudential, RE/MAX, the American Heart Association, Coldwell Banker, Hertz, and many other leading corporations, as well as political candidates and Members of Congress.

Known for his intensive and caring coaching style, Harrison easily gets clients to open up and embrace the powerful communication strategies and techniques he teaches. He gently pushes his clients to excellence, as he shows them how to communicate with maximum impact, verbally, nonverbally and with optimized vocal tonality. Internationally, Harrison’s coaching has been in demand by individuals and organizations in Berlin, Budapest, London, Paris, Stockholm, Moscow and Vienna.

Training and consulting specialties: executive presentation and speaker coaching; storytelling for executives; presentation skills training; intercultural communications; public speaking for professionals; persuasion skills training; managing audience emotions, media coaching.

Robert A. Isaacson, MA, MSS, Executive Leadership Coach

Bob Isaacson is a well-known business and executive coach, keynote speaker, writer, management development consultant, and clinical social worker. His vision is to help people create extraordinary lives and businesses. Bob coaches and consults with CEOs, high-level corporate executives, business owners, entrepreneurs, managers, management teams, nonprofit leaders, and professionals. His focus is on "entrepreneurial leadership."

As an executive coach and management development consultant focusing on entrepreneurial leadership, Bob has assisted management teams to skyrocket company performance, marketed and promoted a variety of services, generated strategic plans, resolved group conflicts, built strong work teams, as well as developed parenting, work-family balance, and stress management initiatives. He works with businesses, nonprofits, churches, universities, and governmental organizations.

Bob's monthly columns, "Just Ask Bob: Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Life & Business," are published by several national and Philadelphia-area periodicals. His articles on entrepreneurial leadership, team building, motivation, emotional intelligence, and leadership coaching have been well received by the public.

A 1975 graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, Bob has two advanced masters' degrees. One is in Clinical Social Work from Bryn Mawr College (1986) and the other in Management & Administration from Antioch University (1979).

Bob is Vice President of Corporate Affairs for the Philadelphia Area Coaches Alliance. He is a past President and founder of Access Behavioral Care, Inc., a behavioral health care company, as well as a past President of the Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work. Also, Bob is a member of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce, the International Coach Federation, and Rotary International. Bob resides with his wife, two daughters, and dog in Havertown, Pennsylvania.

Laura Ellick, PhD, Executive Coach to Working Mothers

Dr. Laura Ellick greatly enjoys helping clients develop new ways to balance work and home life. “When I can help someone prevent burn-out, and improve their work satisfaction,” says Laura, “that also enhances their time away from the workplace. The benefits are wider reaching than most people anticipate.” As a certified personal trainer, Dr. Ellick recognizes the importance of using exercise as a method for managing day-to-day stress and achieving a sense of balance in life. She helps clients use fitness to improve their ability to handle the demands of work, children, and home.

With a particular interest in helping women, Dr. Ellick coaches mothers in their transition back to the workplace after maternity leave. “Part of a woman's anxiety during pregnancy revolves around putting the pieces into place for after birth regarding job hours, daycare, sick days if baby (or
babysitter) is sick,” she explains. Dr. Ellick helps executive women and new mothers learn how to set appropriate boundaries and communicate their needs before, during, and after maternity leave to reduce stress and facilitate the transitions.

Dr. Ellick received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from St. John's University in Jamaica, NY. She currently lives on Long Island. In her spare time, Dr. Ellick enjoys spending time with her husband and two young boys, and her hobbies include volleyball, biking, and reading.
 

Heike Miller, Certified Online Business Manager

As a virtual business manager Heike supervises the support team for PAS Coaching. She also serves as a key strategic ally for Larina, helping with everything related to Internet Marketing and client communications. She brings her background in PR, communication management and business administration and specializes in Internet Marketing strategy.

Heike speaks English and German and is based in New Zealand. She received her Postgraduate Diploma in Management from Waikato University in 2009, her Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (Communication) from Massey University in 2007, and her Graduate Diploma in Public Relations Waikato University in 2003.

Continuously seeking professional advancement, Heike regularly takes specialized courses on topics such as Social Media Marketing, Blog Design, Teleseminars, Ecommerce Virtual Assisting, and Copywriting.

Jackie Finch, Virtual Support Associate

Jackie manages email communications and client support for PAS Coaching. She brings over 25 years experience in C-Level management support, as well as office administration, to her role as a professional virtual support associate.

A Certified Social Media & Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant, and a Certified Virtual Events Specialist Jackie is a member of IVAA, the International Virtual Assistant Association, VANetworking, VA Chamber of Commerce and holds a Notary Public License in the State of Washington.

Jackie's entrepreneurial spirit, enthusiastic personality, determination, and organizational skills provide clients with superior customer service. Jackie lives in Everett, WA and when she's not working on the business, she loves to write, travel, read, and spend time with family & friends.