Thoughts are things—not

who you are.

Marija Tafra, M.A.Ed.

Structured, psychologically grounded coaching for life transitions that require clarity, courage and compassion.

University of Michigan

2001 - 2006

years working with youth

+ 0

Master of Education

Bachelor of English & Psychology

Hi! I’m Marija Tafra

I’m an internationally-accredited life coach, a former educator, U.S. expat, and mom of three girls. I help teens, emerging adults and expat youth get unstuck, build resilience, and move forward with clarity and confidence — and I also support women pregnant after loss navigate grief, fear and hope at the same time.

Before discovering coaching, I was skeptical too — like many, I wondered whether coaching was truly transformative or just motivational talk.

But then I felt coaching work—on me —while facing and recovering from major neck surgery. Coaching works because it:

Offers an action-oriented, future-focused approach that emphasizes growth, rather than dwelling on the past
Teaches you tools to actually make the think positively mantra come alive
Uses a structure that includes identifying small, intentional shifts that ripple into meaningful progress

This, coupled with the hardships I have overcome in life—navigating bullying as a teen, growing up with a severely handicapped sister, pregnancy after second trimester loss—have shaped how I work with my clients: in a space of deep empathy, zero judgment, and respect for each person’s unique journey.

I am here to help…

you choose how the light falls on your page.

Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside, awakes.

– Carl Jung

Who I work with

Late Teens (15-18)

Being a teen is overwhelming—school stress, social pressure, and figuring yourself out all at once. Coaching helps you feel less stuck, more confident, and better equipped for real life.

Emerging Adults (18-30)

Early adulthood comes with big transitions and pressure. Resilience coaching helps you find clarity, confidence, and calm as you move forward.

Expat Youth (13-30)

Starting from zero is tough. With guidance from an expat coach who’s walked the path herself, you’ll navigate change and build a life abroad that truly fits—short- or long-term.

Women Pregnant after Loss

Pregnancy or considering pregnancy after loss can be excruciatingly difficult. With a coach who understands the journey, you will learn to better manage negative thoughts and emotions to get through pregnancy milestones with more hope and calm. I also offer coaching services to partners of women pregnant after loss.

These are the most common topics my clients address through coaching with me:

Academic

Emotions & well-being

breaking bad habits
confidence
coping with fear/negative thoughts
loneliness & belonging
managing transitions/uncertainty
procrastination
self-compassion vs. self-criticism
work/school vs. life balance

Identity & Relationships

boundaries & assertiveness
cultural assimilation
communication w/partner
confidence and self-esteem
peer pressure
people-pleasing
perfectionism

Career

burnout
career orientation
networking, interviewing, CV/LinkedIn audit
purpose & direction
procrastinaiton
professional development (i.e. career/role change)

How it Works

This is a discovery call during which:

You will learn more about life coaching
Discuss with me the specifics of your situation
See if we are a good fit
Ask any additional questions about coaching

This is purely informational (also with 100% confidentiality) without any pressure to commit. I promise!

(30 minutes)

1.

Free Consultation

2.

Intake Session

3.

Coaching Core

4.

Closing Session

During our first (intake) session, we will review and discuss where you are currently, while reflecting on your responses from the intake survey. The goal of this session is to get a clearer understanding of areas you wish to focus on as well as to define your overall coaching goal.

(60 minutes)

Each coaching session will have a clear beginning, middle and end, all of which will address the overarching goal(s) for our coaching engagement.

Clients set the agenda at the start of each session by articulating what aspect of their goal they wish to explore and identifying what they would like the takeaway from that session to be. Here, coaching will focus on deepening your self-awareness, calling on your strengths and identifying possible solutions to potential obstacles.

Each session will end with you establishing:

what you learned
what actionable steps you could take
who your accountability partner will be (if not me)

Together, we will take what was once overwhelming, confusing or unattainable and break it up into smaller, manageable steps.

(45 minutes per session)

At the end of our coaching engagement, we will reflect on your progress and celebrate your growth. Based on this, we will identify how you can continue to use the skills you learned and strengths you have empowered in order to self-coach without me.

(60 minutes)

Clients About me

''College orientation coaching helped me realize new things about myself (including my personality) that changed the way I thought about potential future careers. Although I am still not 100% sure which career I want to pursue, I’m sure that I will enjoy whatever I decide to do.''

''I decided to coach with Marija because I needed someone to guide me through things I didn’t feel comfortable discussing with others. Marija’s great questions made me think in ways I hadn't before and allowed me to open up and relax in order to resolve some inner questions. The greatest impact of coaching is that I learned how to stop reacting impulsively and to listen before responding, enabling me to better handle situations in which I feel insecure.''

Resilience coaching for teens and emerging adults navigating life transitions.

info@salixa.hr