Stephen Kotev

Stephen Kotev helps leaders to find their voice, align with their values, and act on their aspirations. Through his shoulder-to-shoulder coaching style and leveraging his decades of experience as a Conflict Resolver, Stephen partners with leaders to explore what really matters so that they can achieve their most deeply-held leadership goals. Stephen has provided mediation, coaching, negotiation, and facilitation services, training, and somatic education to private and government clients in the Washington D.C. area and across the globe. Stephen has worked throughout the Federal Government and has provided services to the National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, Smithsonian, Department of Navy, TSA, DOI, DHS, FDA, HHS, SSA, CFPB, DHA, ACF, USGS and the EEOC. His private sector clients range from UPS to small businesses and conflict resolution organizations. The majority of his practice focuses on workplace disputes involving leaders/supervisors and those who report to them. At this nexus he regularly encounters leaders who are deeply challenged by their circumstances and taken to the very edge of their leadership capacity. Stephen enjoys coaching these clients through their decision-making process to uncover new opportunities for engagement and resources for support and improvement. Most importantly, he values the deep learning and insights they gain about the patterns they are ‘stuck’ in and the ways they can more effectively coordinate and take action with others. Stephen has parlayed his decades of experience in the Japanese martial art of Aikido and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to enhance his work as a Somatic Educator. For over two decades he has studied how embodiment can help us better manage conflict and is master embodiment teacher, Dr. Paul Linden’s senior student in Embodied Peacemaking. He has also completed the rigorous Foundations Training in Emotional Leadership through EVRYMAN and sits in a weekly Men’s Group that utilizes the EVRYMAN Method - which combines somatic understanding, emotional physiology and our biological need for human connection and psychological safety to help men connect more deeply to themselves and who they want to become. Stephen helps leaders understand how the Fight-or-Flight response shuts down your thinking, fills you with fear, and prevents you from functioning at your best. Through simple and effective practices focused on breath, posture, and vision, he can help you better manage these negative responses so that you can truly embody your values and beliefs. Stephen is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) from the International Coach Federation he holds a M.A. from George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, a certificate in leadership coaching from Georgetown University, and a certificate in conflict coaching from Dr. Tricia Jones of Conflict Coaching Matters LLC. He currently holds a black belt in Aikido and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Stephen is known for his practical, engaging and highly interactive teaching style and is sought out for his insight and innovative ways of tackling difficult disputes. He can be found at www.StephenKotev.com