Jayson Blair Now Working As Life Coach

McLEAN, Va. — Jayson Blair knows his new profession – life coach – smacks some people in the face like a bad punchline.

"People say, 'Wait a minute. You're a life coach?' That makes no sense,'" says Blair, the ex-journalist best known for foisting plagiarism and fabrications into the pages of The New York Times. "Then they think about my life experiences and what I've been through and they say 'Wait a minute. It does make sense.'"

Blair, 33, resigned from the Times in 2003, leaving a journalistic scandal in his wake. The resulting furor led the paper's top two newsroom executives to resign. Blair wrote a book, then mostly disappeared from view.

For the past two years, he has been quietly working as a certified life coach for one of the most respected mental health practices in northern Virginia.

"He can relate to patients just beautifully," said Michael Oberschneider, the psychologist who hired Blair and urged him to become a life coach. "Sometimes you just meet people in life who have these electric personalities. Well, Jayson is now using his talents for good."

Oberschneider, director of Ashburn Psychological Services, took an interest in Blair after seeing him lead a support group for people with bipolar disorder that Blair founded in his hometown of Centreville after being diagnosed himself.

Oberschneider said he took a long, hard look at Blair before hiring him, in large part because of his past, which included substance abuse. But he was impressed at the rapport Blair had established with members of the support group.

"Very few people can go through what he did and come back," Oberschneider said. "He really is a success story."

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Blair says his empathy for his clients is his biggest asset.

"They know I've been in their shoes," he said. "I think it can feel a little more authentic."

Blair said clients rarely know his history at first, but it inevitably comes up within a session or two as Blair relates his own experiences. Never has a client refused to work with him because of his past.

"I am open about all the details of my problems and that allows people to know who they are listening to," Blair said.

The job itself can be varied. Blair might have 25 or so clients at any given time. Some might be seeking career counseling, including corporate executives from the Dulles technology corridor seeking advancement – a natural for Blair, who schmoozed his way through newsroom politics to land a premier reporting gig in his mid-20s without a college degree.

Others might have substance abuse problems, and some might simply have motivational issues.

Blair said he has thought about going to school for a psychology degree, but isn't sure if it would be the best fit for him.

"I don't really think too much about the long term," he said. "I like the idea that I can help people avoid some of the mistakes I made."

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On the Web: http://www.jayson-blair.com

Comments

[Lynn]

As an astrologer, I looked at Blair's chart which is pretty interesting. You can see the creativity and imagination (Venus in Pisces square to Neptune), which can also show the danger of self-delusion and a permeable boundary between reality and fantasy. Then there's the Moon in Capricorn which brings a need for achievement, and the Moon is squared by Pluto which adds desperation and the potential for self-destruction. All wrapped up in an Aries Sun which is squared by Mars, indicating a strong will and the ability to push through obstacles in order to accomplish his goals. There's also a square of Chiron to Saturn in the chart which shows a deep emotional wound that drove him in his early years, but this also holds the potential for healing and helping others. Putting all of this together, I believe Blair to be sincere in his rehabilitation. He's asked for no credit and no help from anyone to get there which I think shows remarkable courage and humility.

[barackobama4prez]

authentic? seriously? dude...you can't be serious.

[Skyhawk]

And from whom's self-help book will he plagarize from?

[DCCommuter]

Some people just need to stay out of the limelight. He had his chance! Interesting that low income people who screw up are screw ups, but upper income people that screw up have Mental Health Challenges.

[igorz]

Sorry, dude, it doesn't make sense at all. I am supposed to take "lessons" from a liar and con man? You can run, Sir, but you cannot hide.

[water57]

Now, the republican party steadily adding to their ranks of minorities. Steele will be able to say, without smiley that he is no the only person of color who oppose health care ( so that makes 2 ), However, he does come with some well needed salty fabrication skills.

[revko]

...Fictitious life coach

[HaltCruelty]

I'm with bluemirror on this one. Fine if he wants to be a "life coach". But he should go to school for several years like the rest of us executive coaches before he should be allowed to practice.

Having an objective individual to work with you through rough spots in life and push you to achieve your goals can be a positive thing. But there are loads of individuals with years of training in psychology, psychiatry, social work, health, business management, etc. that can add a lot of value to the experience.

[theresedefarge]

Unlike so many of the mean-spirited commenters below, I see this as a really heartening redemption story. Jayson Blair, I wish you peace and love and happiness.

[cgracec]

I agree. Everyone deserves a second chance. And perhaps - unlike some of the talentless celebrities who demand our attention - Jayson Blair actually learned from his mistakes instead of spiraling into a self-destructive, useless existence (I'm looking at you, Lindsay Lohan).

[SwingingFromCenter]

Who cares?

What, because he can't do one profession anymore, that means he shouldn't be entitled to earn a living doing ANYTHING?

[inorbit]

Is coaching people on how to plagarize?

[rosecar]

Yet Barnacle is on televison all the time.

[pghnappyrhino]

now you KNOW nobody else is going to mention that one.

wonder why?

[Flavor]

Mr. Blair I wish you the best, as you can clearly see some think that they have never done anything wrong. You see Mr. Blair, what you did got wide world notice but their are some who have done what you did but just have not got caught (yet). Everyday, employers have to deal with employees thefts, for instance taking home employers inkpens for little johnny, using company computer for personal gains, such as paying your household bill on companies computer, phone priviliges for your personal gain, fasifying 40hours of work when you know you only did a job worth of 29hours, ect..... actually big corps did not just leave us just because they can pay lower wages over seas but also they had the biggest thefts from their employee's. I met a man on a plane once and he stated that his biggest lost were not from stock lost but from thefts in the company by the employee's. He actually downsized and when he did his companies telephone bill went down of course he did not know who aunt martha was, uncle bruce, ect.... he also stated that he began to hear more typing than he could remember. Yes, all of us could use a second chance.

[Flavor]

Flavor wishes you the best Mr. blair and we all in reality have been given a second chance by someone. Some seem to think that they get it right all the time, you see you were caught and everyone knew you but daily employers have employee's who take home the Corp. ink pens, paper, on the companies computer, paying their bills instead of doing what their hired to do, phone priviliges taken that is not company buisness, getting paid for 40hours and doing only 29hours of work and what is all of this called, stealing, falsifying hours of work, utilizing company time for personal gain. Now, which one is you you just haven't got caught yet, but trust me companies have not just left the United States for less wages, some of the biggest thieves woked for them. I met a buisness man on a plane once and he stated to me his biggest lost did not come from stock lost but from his employee's so he had to down size and when this occured the company phone bill went down, of course he did not know who aunt Martha was, uncle Bruce, cousin Irene ect..... when he got the companies phone bill. He hardly ever had to order inkpens, and he started hearing more typing done, in fact he said his buisness increased. Yes, we all deserve a second chance.

[GO-BAMA]

"Life coach", "Wellness expert" .... COMPLETE BULL^*#%!!