ABOUT ME

​I love improv. I discovered it during a particularly acute season of personal and professional transition. The level of trust, focus, vulnerability and openness it takes to improvise well was deeply instructive on my journey of healing and self re-discovery. Coming from a background in human behavior research and behavior modification coaching, I couldn't help but see the overlap between the disciplines it takes to be a strong improviser, and the disciplines it takes to grow internally and be the people we intend to be:

> Commitment to the present moment
> Trusting the process of building something big one piece at a time
> Listening beyond your comfort zone
> Looking past failure (in yourself and your scene partners)
> Cultivating faith in your own instincts
> Finding the courage to be publicly playful

I also love mindfulness practice. It has significantly impacted my ability to lead, parent, neighbor and wife. Yes - each of those words is a verb!
Combining the fun of improv with the quiet power of mindfulness is the work I'm on this planet to do. I couldn't be more delighted by it!   

It's been an honor to introduce thousands of people to these concepts. Perhaps the most joyful part of my work is seeing the ways in which mindful improv transcends corporate environments, and impacts the marriages, family connections and social relationships of the people I have the pleasure of working with. We are whole people, and maintaining meaningful, healthy relationships is a critical part of our quality of life.

 My workshop participants tell me that their experiences are transformational and life-changing, and that's not a one directional experience. Quite often, pondering and engaging the questions asked by workshop participants, coaching clients or audience members deeply impacts me too.

If this work resonates with you, there's room for you on my calendar & I can't wait to talk with you!

​Love and Gratitude,

Andrea Flack-Wetherald

---

BIO

Andrea Flack-Wetherald is a Canton, Ohio native and has lived in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband, Kyle, since 2010. They were blessed to become the adoptive parents of their two children in July of  2019 after 2.5 uncertain years in foster care. They currently live in the North Side with their lovable dog, Farley and a feral backyard rabbit who seems hell bent on befriending him.

Andrea earned a Bachelor's in Social Work (BSW) from Bluffton University. After graduation, she worked at The University of Pittsburgh in the Center for Research on Health Care on a joint study between The University of Pittsburgh and VAPHS (VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.) During this time, she worked as a behavior change coach to the veterans randomized to the intervention group. This work gave her the opportunity to receive significant training in Motivational Interviewing and the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change. Her work today draws largely from the highly transferrable, evidence-based methods learned during the years spent on this study & other scholarly sources more specific to evaluating and affecting sustainable change in a corporate setting.

Andrea completed the full suite of long form improvisation classes offered by The Steel City Improv Theater, and continued improv training at Unplanned Comedy Warehouse. She has also performed regularly on several house teams at the Arcade Comedy Theater. She has written and produced live sketch shows in Pittsburgh and in New York City.