I help you create your definitions of success & Wellbeing and live them. You can have enough energy for family, work and life. You don’t have to sacrifice your happiness.
In fact, it’s counterproductive.
How does coaching help?
As a Mindset & Wellbeing Coach, I weave together evidence-informed techniques and conversation flows that increase the three things you need in order to change: readiness, willingness and ability.
Here’s how my coaching process flows:
Discover
Asking powerful questions is at the heart of how I support you. It’s best for people who want to think, reflect and be challenged to consider new possibilities. It’s best for people who are willing to describe and imagine – in great detail – what you want (versus staying stuck on what you don’t). You have strengths, past successes, values and ways you work best. We’re going to shine a light on all of that. Because to get where you want to go, you’ll need to see it and use it.
Plan
Once we know where you’re headed and what needs to be honored and leveraged along the way, we plot your journey. Like researchers forming a hypothesis, we take an educated guess about what success will look like and when – otherwise known as setting goals. We determine the right blend of process and outcome goals to keep you motivated by creating consistent progress.
Focus
With a hypothesis – or journey map – in hand, we focus on a set of experiments you’ll try as you narrow the gap between the change you want to see and where you are today. A growth mindset is an essential asset here. There’s no failure. Only information we will use to hone your efforts and shape your next experiment. We start with small steps. Not so you can underachieve, but to propel you farther than you think you can go.
The result?
Live your definition of success.
With more productive habits and mindsets, you’re better equipped to live life on your terms. Your energy is boosted, your mind is clearer and now life options that felt out of reach are in your sights. Your health goes from backburner to firing on all cylinders, bringing it in line with other accomplishments in your life.
Learn more about coaching and whether we’d be a fit.
I offer a free 30-minute conversation so we can determine if it makes sense to work together. I’ll ask how you hope coaching can help you so we’re clear about what you need to get out of this. We discuss what a coaching engagement looks like, including time commitment, expectations and pricing. I answer your questions. If you decide it’s not for you, that’s ok. There’s no commitment beyond this call, and I can connect you to other resources, if desired.
Questions & Answers
What kinds of things can a Mindset & Wellbeing Coach help with?
I'm trained in health coaching. It's an evidence-based way to help people create sustainable behavior changes that increase their wellbeing. Whether you want better work/life integration, need help with self-care or setting boundaries, I can help you on these journeys.
Having recovered from mold illness, I bring special empathy and experience for functional medicine patients and those challenged with food sensitivities, eczema, brain fog, chronic fatigue and gut issues -- on top of their desire to live their best life.
How do I know if you’re the right coach for me?
If you’re looking for a thought partner and a co-strategist, we may be a fit. My coaching is free of judgement, shame and shoulds. I meet you where you are and help you go farther than you think.
Powerful questions are the heart of coaching – and asking good questions is my favorite thing to do. I help you generate insights that resonate, yet also surprise you. I work best with those who appreciate this and the learning it can unlock for them.
While thinking consumes a great portion of my time, I’m also pretty solid at getting things done. Because I want to be in charge of my life, I will work to create options. I gather information, think and prioritize. Then I act – sometimes in unconventional ways. I frequently think about upgrading, honing and perfecting (yes, I’ll own the perfectionism), usually in the name of efficiency, effectiveness or both. If this is the kind of support you value or you see yourself in some of this, then we might mesh well.
If you’d like to see what it’s like to have a conversation with me, schedule a complimentary 30-minute call. I would love to chat with you, see what you’re looking for and whether I can help.
If we work together, how will I know it was successful?
The easiest way to answer that is that you’ll get what you wanted. The nuance I’d offer is that my clients often go into an engagement thinking they want one thing, and come to understand their true wish may involve that initial thing, but was actually something unidentified with deeper significance.
I’d also ask you to come into coaching with full awareness that you will only get out what you put into it. This is not outsourcing. It’s guided self-improvement.
Here are some things you might say at the conclusion of our work:
• I’m no longer stuck.
• I knocked down this roadblock.
• I’ve created new habits I can sustain in support of goals that honor me.
• I’ve let go of shoulds, beliefs and habits that no longer serve me.
• I see more options for addressing my issues.
• I see “failure” as learning.
• I’m making more progress, more consistently than before.
• I know more about what’s realistic and where I can push myself.
• I’m keeping more commitments to myself.
• I’m clear about what healthy means to me and how I make that a reality in my life.
You can also see what my past clients have said.
Setting a goal and reaching it seems like something I can do on my own. Why get a coach?
You probably built everything you have by being someone people can rely on. You’re no stranger to accomplishment. But in some area of your life and health, you’re searching for help right now for a problem that feels intractable.
Our culture doesn’t make it easy. It’s information overload with a huge helping of shame. There’s always a new program to try -- exactly as written. And that’s alluring because it’s nice to think that we can simply follow someone else’s process and get exactly what we want. Especially when it’s accompanied by the promise of quick, easy results.
The truth is, lasting change takes time and no two paths are the same. What looks like a breakthrough has almost always been slowly building to a peak with dedicated, individualized effort.
We can make changes on our own – no doubt. Help from a coach bolsters our chance of success because coaching is designed to increase the three things you need in order to change: readiness, willingness and ability. It provides space to think and process in front of a second set of ears. And an anchor (or accountability, if you like that word) to execute your plans.
Will you create a custom action plan, telling me what to do?
You will have a custom action plan, but it will be something you create while I walk alongside you. My coaching programs are not prescriptive, which means I am free to meet you exactly where you are.
Research on human motivation shows that we are hardwired for autonomy. We don’t like being told what to do. The most effective approach for long-term change is for motivation to be self-driven and internal. People who are highly self-motivated make behavior changes that stick – and experience more enjoyment making the change.
My job is to offer you a framework for our discussions that includes inquiries and reflections to help you unlock intrinsic motivation, leading to greater chances of your success. Depending on need and relevance, I share resources about nutrition, movement, sleep, stress and other wellness-related topics. Thought exercises, journaling prompts and other brainstorming tools may also come into play. But I don’t offer a step-by-step, do-exactly-this process. All of my recommendations and resources are offered in a way that honors your autonomy and responds to your unique interests and desires.
What do you mean when you say your approach is evidence-informed?
The practice of health coaching is based on psychological research about human behavior and how and why people change.
There are two categories of research related to health coaching: evidence for the components and evidence for the practice as a whole.
Decades of research provides evidence for components of the health coaching practice, such as appreciative inquiry, motivational interviewing, positive psychology and behavior change models. Coaching conversations follow a general framework based on this research.
More recently, evidence for the practice of health coaching as a whole shows that it helps people combat chronic disease and improve specific health outcomes.
• Improve weight loss and help people maintain a lower weight for longer
• Lead to faster reduction of blood sugar levels in diabetic patients
• Lower total cholesterol levels in people with coronary heart disease
• Lessen feelings of depression and improve overall quality of life
• Encourage people to stick with the changes they've made long term
Why do a health coach’s training and credentials matter?
Health coaching is a relatively new profession, and the practice continues to grow and mature. Because of that, there’s a wide variety in the quality and depth of the available health coach training programs out there.
But that’s all changing. Through a partnership with the National Board of Medical Examiners, NBHWC (the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching) has developed rigorous standards for health coach education and training.
Health coaches who have mastered a specific set of practical skills, logged at least 50 practice coaching sessions with clients, and passed a certifying exam can earn the NBC-HWC (National Board Certified-Health and Wellness Coach) certification.
The best-trained health coaches out there will have the NBC-HWC credential I hold, and/or have attended schools that meet or exceed NBHWC standards, such as the ADAPT Health Coaching Training Program from the Kresser Institute -- which is the program I graduated from.
How is coaching different than therapy?
In coaching, you process thoughts, generate insights, formulate solutions, and learn about yourself. I create a space where you grow comfortable sharing things you may keep private from others in your life. These thoughts, emotions, and beliefs are shared in service to your personal development and growth as you create the change you want to see.
This flavor of conversation sometimes reminds people of therapy. Adding to the similarity, therapists and coaches use some of the same tools, such as motivational interviewing and other psychological concepts.
However, coaching and therapy are distinct from each other. Coaches are not licensed to diagnose and treat mental health issues. Therapists are. Coaches serve those who are not experiencing serious mental distress and are capable of creating positive change and progress in their lives. Coaches may work alongside therapists if serious mental distress is a factor, similar to how coaches work alongside doctors and other licensed providers.
Should it be necessary for me to recommend that you seek therapy, we will have a kind, clear and compassionate conversation about that. I have evidence-based guidelines that help me watch for the signs that this might be appropriate. Your safety and health are very important.
What’s the difference between health coaching and medical advice?
As a health coach, my scope of practice is to empower clients to create and reach goals that improve their wellness. I follow the Scope of Practice and Code of Ethics provided by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching.
Medical advice (diagnosis and treatment of disease) can only be provided by licensed providers. You should seek medical advice any time you have a concern you think would benefit from evaluation or treatment from a licensed provider such as a doctor, therapist or nutritionist.
Sometimes in coaching it becomes necessary for me to recommend that you seek medical advice. This is always discussed in an upfront, empathetic manner, and you are always in control of your decisions and choices. Coaching can continue alongside work with a provider, as long as it is safe and productive.
Ready to break free from your to-do list of “shoulds?”
Grab this free video — an excerpt from my larger workshop — to learn how.
Self-care can feel like a load of B.S. Or an unattainable luxury we don’t have time for. But when we embrace our own definition, we create what I call Heck-Yes Habits. They foster fulfillment instead of that feeling you’re falling short.
