Dr. Sandy McKenzie isn't, strictly-speaking, a homebody, but years of constant travel have dampened her desire to stray for too long from her East Ridge condo.

"I used to get on a plane on Sunday afternoon and be in a different city and hotel room every night," the motivational speaker, counselor, and executive coach said from her living room. "At first, I thought, 'Ooh, what fun,' but it got to be miserable. Now I try to do one out-of-town speaking engagement a week, but then I was doing four or five. Finally, one night I was in a rental car driving from Cleveland to Cincinnati, it was dark and sleeting, and I said to myself, 'If I get home, this is it.' And I had Hawaii lined up for the next month. But it just wasn't worth it."

So, after jetting to and from Kuala Lumpur, Australia, and more domestic destinations, she's pleased to spend most of her time at home these days, in an apartment that's as cozy as it is cosmopolitan.

"It's my hideout. It's my office, too. This is where I have clients come in for counseling. So I get to do all the things I really love here: rest, occasionally watch some mindless TV, be alone, and, at other times, help people be the best they can be."

Meeting for counseling sessions in her living room rather than at an office puts her and her clients more at ease, according to Dr. McKenzie. "People have no reason to feel hesitant about telling me anything. We talk, we open up, we share things, we cry. It's non-judgmental, and it's safe. We're just two people talking. I've tried to create a place where people can be themselves and have fun."

The room is conducive to conversation. Plush furniture that's easy to relax into, a neatly-arranged stack of motivational books on a side table, framed Oriental art, a Cable piano, and the doctor's discreetly-displayed diplomas from the University of Tennessee and the Covington Theological Seminary are all reflected in a wall mirror that seemingly doubles the size of the room.

When she's not meeting clients, entertaining, or relaxing at home, Dr. McKenzie works in her office, reading and writing motivational articles. "I write for fun," she says. "When something gets published every once in a while, it's really a treat." Her articles have been published in New Look magazine, among others.

She sees what she does as the continuation of something that started a long time ago. "Helping people raise the bar for themselves with a little encouragement is fun. I've been doing it since I was a kid. I ran into a girlfriend from high school a few years ago, and she told me, 'You were always giving me advice. When I was 15 and afraid of getting a job, you told me I could do it.' And she did. That's what I love doing, helping people build up their self-esteem and their confidence.

"The question has been asked, what would you do for free if money were not an issue? I'd do this. Do what you love, and it's not work. Now I get to work in my living room. I'll never get rich, but that's okay. I can do this when I'm 85. I hope I'll be a wise, gentile lady people will want to come to see when I'm 85."

Visit Dr. McKenzie's website at www.sandymckenzie.com