Local counselor starts dynamic life coaching business
BY LAURIE GORDON
SPARTA — Local high school counselor, coach and private counseling practitioner Tony Lombardo has started a new business as a Life Coach. His mission is to assist people in developing and achieving their goals, personal transformation through goal setting and behavioral change.
Lombardo draws on his various backgrounds as a counselor, coach, athlete and experience with human development and uses a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Timely) and SMARTER goal approach (Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic, Time Phased, Exciting, Recorded). “This goal development system and my years of experience set me apart from other life coaches,” he said.
As he helps people with their various concerns, Lombardo said, “The exercises will be written exercises based on in-depth discussion and self-reflection. I will use the SMART and SMARTER goal setting process to assist in the process.” He added, “Once you put pen to paper it becomes real, and you are now accountable to yourself. You need to believe in yourself; that is an integral part of the process.”
Lombardo said that people seek a Life Coach for various different reasons. “As a life coach, I help with guidance, direction, suggestions of methods and approaches to situations the person may not have thought of,” he said, “I also offer support.” Life Coaching differs from therapy. “The coaching process addresses specific personal projects, general conditions and transitions in the client's personal life, relationships or profession,” Lombardo explained, “The Life Coach examines what is going on right now, discovering what obstacles or challenges might exist and help to selecting a course of action with the client to help make life be what they want it to be.”
Lombardo was born in Brooklyn then moved to Long Island, NY. He graduated from Deer Park High School in 1963 then from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) with a BA in 1992. He went on to earn his masters degree at Drew University in 1993 then his teacher's certification from Centenary College in 1995. He then earned his Master of Education, Counseling degree at William Patterson University in 2004. Lombardo is a Nationally Certified Counselor and also a United States Track and Field Certified coach. He is now in his seventh year as a school counselor at Sparta High School following a stint as as a counselor at Newton High.
Additionally, Lombardo has a private practice doing mental health counseling. Though this he helps people with anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder resulting from such things as family dysfunction, divorce, parent/child communication, work-related stress, relationships and stages of life issues.
Since 2010, Lombardo has been the Head Coach for Boys Cross County at Sparta High School and was also appointed head Coach for Boys Track and field in 2015. “I also volunteer my time coaching winter track and field with the Polar Bears Youth Track & Field club in Fredon.”
Lombardo enjoys doing triathlons (swim, bike, run events), and hopes to achieve a podium finish in his age group at the New Jersey State Triathlon Championship on July 19, 2016. “I also consider myself a mountaineer,” he said, “This includes back country skiing, rock climbing, ice climbing and combining all three disciplines to climb mountains.”
Lombardo's Life Coach business is something he is doing in addition to his work at Sparta High and in private practice.