every transition is a threshold
coherence architect
Partnering in the design of coherent and thriving interpersonal spaces, processes, infrastructure, and education - in support of the vision, mission, and core values of individuals, teams, and organizations.
Who I Am
kristen lombard phd. rn. pmhcns-bc. ahn-bc.
For over four decades I have worked at the intersection of mind, emotion, body, and spirit — as a clinician, leader, educator, consultant, and guide. That work has taken many forms: at the bedside, in the classroom, in doctoral seminars, community education, and increasingly, alongside inter professional leaders and organizations across the globe navigating change. I am dedicated to transforming the health of individuals, health care and organizational culture from the inside-out, through the principles of coherence, the sacred feminine and masculine templates, and holistic alignment.
I am fluent in deepening coherence - the living alignment between what we feel, think, and do - across human and organizational development, interpersonal processes, and relationships. This work is not bound to one field. Whether you lead a hospital unit, a school, a nonprofit, a team, or a family business, the same underlying questions apply: do the people inside this organization feel whole, connected, and aligned with the mission they serve? Are their actions - toward themselves and each other - congruent with what they say they value?
I partner with individuals, teams, leaders, and organizations to help answer that question, and to build the capacity for what it takes to live it. Together, we co-create and cultivate an environment where coherence becomes the foundation of all practices.
This work is for any leaders navigating change, health care leadership guiding their teams through transition or mergers, HR and organizational development professionals building culture from the inside, and any group asking how to thrive through change and deepen what makes them who they are.
Are their actions - toward themselves and each other - congruent with what they say they value?
I have devoted over 40 years to clinical, organizational, and educational leadership - as a psychiatric-mental health clinical nurse specialist, an advanced holistic nurse, a researcher, author, international speaker, and an interprofessional educator spanning novice nurses across the curriculum to doctoral candidates.
That foundation now meets organizations navigating their own thresholds. My experience in organizational transformation runs deep - eight years as a lead consultant with one of the nation's leading healthcare consulting firms specializing in relationship-based care and organizational culture transformation, supporting employees through the integration of newly merged and restructured health systems across large national organizations, including Catholic and other faith-based health systems, academic medical centers, and multi-state systems. I have also navigated two mergers and two layoffs myself, from the inside.
the ground I have walked
“I know this terrain because I have lived it.”
SPECIFIC WAYS I DO THIS
Bringing full presence to the room, so people feel met rather than managed
Reading what is present in the room beneath what's being said
Creating and strengthening a caring learning community
Humanistic practices of connection - with self and other
Contemplative and reflective practices that expand awareness and presence
Deepening trust - in self and in others
Embracing our growth edges
Nervous-system-informed practices that build regulation and resilience
Circle practice, for group connection and mutual support
Connecting personal joy, meaning, purpose and calling to professional life
where i can support and guide
Transitions of every kind - mergers, leadership changes, restructures, and other thresholds where identity and culture are in motion
Operationalizing stated values - translating a vision, mission, or practice model from language on a wall into lived, everyday practice
Strengthening reflective practice - building the habits and structures that let individuals and teams learn from experience rather than simply move through it
Investing in the health and wellbeing of your people - as the foundation for sustainable performance, not an afterthought to it
Building relationship-based, trust-centered cultures - where psychological safety and connection are structural, not incidental
Innovative projects and initiatives - that authentically extend your vision, mission, and core values, rather than sitting apart from them
Leadership and team development at moments of growth or strain - supporting the people asked to hold the most during periods of change
HOW WE MIGHT WORK TOGETHER
One-time or a series of facilitated sessions, retreats, or workshops
Embedded consulting during a defined transition or initiative
Ongoing retainer partnership with leadership or a team
Individual or group reflective-practice partnership for leaders
Speaking, teaching, or facilitation for a larger group or conference sessions
If you are leading people or an organization through a threshold - a merger, a loss, a season of growth, or simply the ongoing work of becoming more whole - I would welcome a conversation about what's possible together.
This work draws on a broader practice in consciousness, presence, and healing traditions. If you're curious to explore further, you're welcome to.