The Scoop: Coaches Susie and Otto Collins believe that relationships thrive when couples have healthy communication skills and live in the moment. That’s the basis of their coaching practice — and their own marriage. Susie and Otto work with clients individually or in groups to improve communication and eliminate misunderstandings in romantic relationships. Those who can’t work individually with Susie and Otto can engage with their newsletter, blog, and podcast for helpful advice.
Not all married couples work as well together in life and love as do Susie and Otto Collins. The couple has been married for more than 20 years, and during that time they have learned what it takes to build a meaningful partnership.
“We committed to learning about healthy communication and loving in every moment, so what happened in our previous marriages didn’t happen in this one,” Susie told us.
The couple felt so strongly about their discoveries that they wanted to share them with others. In 1999, they began giving talks in their local community, launched a website, and started publishing a weekly newsletter.
Susie and Otto Collins have taught couples how to improve their relationships for more than 20 years.
Over the next 20-plus years, the couple has added other dimensions to their successful practice. That includes both of them earning coaching certifications to coach singles, couples, and groups on how to build stronger relationships. They’ve also created a Facebook group called The Loving Space and a podcast, “Love Made Easy,” to further spread their message.
Susie and Otto have a consistent message: It is possible to remove struggle in life and love. Many couples think their lives and relationships are difficult, but after developing a new perspective with Susie and Otto’s help, they can start solving problems and gaining more clarity.
“What drives us is a strong desire to help the world become a more loving place. That starts with one person at a time seeing new possibilities for peace, freedom, and happiness,” said Susie.
Susie and Otto believe that many people carry pain within themselves and aren’t considering their own needs and desires. Instead, they focus too much on their partners or external forces beyond their control.
“Our guiding principle is that love doesn’t have to be a struggle. It’s possible to see love, resilience, and ease inside ourselves and others as we go about our days,” Susie said.
Individualized Sessions Put Clients at Ease
Susie and Otto weren’t disrupted by the shift to online coaching when the COVID-19 pandemic began. That’s because they had already been coaching via Zoom and phone for years. Remote coaching attracts singles and couples from around the world to Susie and Otto’s practice, and they see clients of all genders, professions, and adult ages.
Most clients who work with Susie and Otto come looking for an outside perspective. When someone examines their relationship or looks at their own life, it can be difficult to view it objectively. A thoughtful, helpful coach can provide clarity around many entrenched issues.
“Our clients want to create lives filled with love and clarity. We are most proud of how our clients find more ease in their lives and can move forward with plans,” Susie said. “We help them connect with their inner wisdom and themselves at a deeper level. They see their world more clearly and with more love.”
Susie and Otto offer a valuable outside perspective on their clients’ relationships.
When an individual or couple wants to connect with Susie and Otto, they first decide who they want to work with. While both partners share ideas and advice, they coach clients one-on-one or two-on-one.
Next, clients decide how often they want to meet. Most book one- or two-hour sessions weekly or every other week. Some clients plan to work with Susie and Otto for a short time, while others have had regular sessions for many years.
Clients also decide how they’d like to have their meetings. Depending on their location and comfort levels, Susie and Otto offer coaching in person, by phone, or via Zoom.
“We tailor how the coaching works to the individual needs of the client,” Susie said.
One client shared the new life Susie and Otto helped him find in a recent online testimonial.
“They have a unique approach to helping me address old habits that are counterproductive to having a quality relationship with my wife. At the conclusion of each session, I am encouraged that quality relationships are not forced or controlled but rather happen freely and naturally.”
Online Materials and Podcast Widen Their Reach
Not all singles and couples can connect directly with Susie and Otto for coaching. However, they can use the couple’s other materials, including a podcast, newsletter, and articles, to help address their own issues.
Most recently, Susie and Otto developed the podcast, “Love Made Easy,” to remind listeners that possibilities for love are everywhere.
Some of the couple’s recent episodes have covered common relationship issues. Titles include “The Path out of Fingerpointing,” “Healing a Relationship Divide,” “Loving Through Differences,” “Constantly Fighting About the Same Issues,” and “Finding Peace and Love During Chaos.”
In addition to the podcast, Susie and Otto post regularly on their blog. Recent posts include “The Trick to Getting Past the Same Arguments…” and “3 Ways to Put the Brakes on Recurring Fights.”
This podcast and blog, as well as the couple’s emails and videos, are free.
Susie and Otto also offer programs that couples and singles can sign up for to learn more about themselves. Those programs focus on building communication skills, overcoming jealousy and breaches of trust, and how to decide if a relationship is working.
With such a vast range of materials, Susie and Otto are proud that they’re able to share their message with such a broad audience.
“The two of us bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and open-hearted love, whenever or however we interact with people no matter where they are in the world or what shape they perceive their lives and relationships are in,” said Susie.
Susie & Otto Teach People How to Find Resilience and Healing
Susie and Otto said they don’t believe that relationships have to be filled with stress or conflict. At the same time, they think changing relationship patterns can be authentic and straightforward, as well. Their philosophy focuses on flow — a simple peace in healthy lives.
“In 2016, Susie and I stumbled across a new understanding of how our mind works to create our entire human experience we call life… and those things in my life I used to call struggles seem to have faded away,” Otto said in a blog post.
The benefits of that understanding go beyond romantic relationships, too. Financial struggles, weight issues, and career concerns may also fade into the background.
After more than 20 years, Susie and Otto are still excited about spreading their hopeful message to as many people as possible. In the future, they’ll continue to create new materials and serve others in any way they can.
“This work is so important to us that we’ll keep doing it for as long as we’re able,” Susie told us. “It’s a wonderful feeling to know that people are helped by what we create and that they are spreading love to those they meet, as well.”
