Mac McShane

Mac McShane lives, works, and plays in the mountains around Aspen in a house that he and his wife Cynthia built looking out at magical high peaks in the Roaring Fork Valley. He was born on the coast of Connecticut and gradually traveled across the US attending various universities along the way. He earned an undergraduate engineering degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan, a Masters of Education in Community Education from the University of Massachusetts, and a Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Denver. Along the way he had careers in submarine and hovercraft design as a Naval Architect, a leader of adolescent mountaineering trips, a teacher at the high school and college level, a clinical psychologist working with adults and children, and a child custody evaluator among other varied jobs. Drawn to questions of "why is it so hard for humans to continue to grow and change?" and "what does it mean to have a life well-lived?" Mac moved from clinical and consulting psychology into leadership development and executive coaching. He is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach who works with various companies and individuals in both government and private enterprise throughout the US and globally. When his only son, Ben, was killed in a tragic back country ski accident, Mac turned to writing as a way to both survive the loss and search for a way forward. He shares his journey here through prose and poetry, hoping it will help others dealing with tragedy and loss and inspire us all to continue developing into the best we can be in this time of turmoil and division. Together, we can make a difference for ourselves and the world.