Dr. Paulette Bethel

Dr. Paulette Bethel is the founder and CEO of Step Beyond Coaching & Consulting, where she guides individuals and organizations through transformational identity work. She is a dynamic force in the fields of trauma-informed coaching, identity reinvention, and culturally fluid leadership. A retired U.S. Air Force Officer, Dr. Bethel went on to serve as CEO of one of Hawai “i” s largest nonprofit agencies supporting children and families involved in the foster care system. Prior to that, she ran a successful private practice, Brighter Pathway International, LLC, which provided counseling, employee assistance, and consulting services to city and county agencies, supported one of the nation’s largest Head Start programs, and conducted international trainings across Europe for the U.S. Army. Dr. Bethel holds advanced degrees in Counseling, Public Administration, and International Education & Entrepreneurship. Her research on transformational learning experiences of executive coaches and her lived experience as a military leader, mother, culturally fluid woman, and late-discovered Not Parent Expected survivor fuel her passionate work supporting others navigating identity disruption and reinvention. She is a sought-after speaker, featured columnist for Culturs global magazine, and founder and CEO of Step Beyond Coaching & Consulting. Dr. Bethel continues to coach, write, and empower individuals and organizations to rediscover who they are—and who they’re becoming. She is also a proud wife of a fellow retired Air Force Officer, mother, and grandmother—roles that remain the heart of her joy and strength.