A: On one hand, I worked for five years in the field of mental health and learned so much from the nurses and doctors that cared for the patients. I also learned about the gaps in care that patients experience. On the other hand, I’ve always personally used an integrative approach for my own health. When I found the integrative health coaching program, I realized it aligned perfectly with my own experiences professionally and personally. Integrative health coaching allows me to do what I love: work one-to-one with clients, provide a holistic lens to health, partner with my clients, and build my own business!
Q: What kind of clients do you like working with most?
A: I love working with clients who are in a stage of change or transition, whether that change is related to health, profession, or life happenings. Clients who show up ready to engage and explore are ideal, as are clients who are open to using different approaches to reach their intention. For example, I had a client who came to coaching because she had lost her husband and wanted some support while she learned to navigate a new period of her life. She used therapy and coaching in tandem, which provided a wonderful support network as she processed and moved into a new stage of life.
Q: What health patterns do you like to work with most?
A: Health coaching is wonderful because it has broad applications. I’ve enjoyed partnering with clients who are intentionally focusing on mental, emotional, and/or physical aspects of their health, clients who need a space to process their options around changes and transitions, and clients who want to engage in more creativity, flexibility, and fun! Currently in my own life I am working on building my personal business, engaging in joyful and intentional movement, working on my own personal development/biases in regards to racial justice and health equity, and, in the longer term, getting a certificate in herbalism.
Q: What is your favorite beverage?
A: It’s a tie between Earl Gray tea with milk and a seasonal maple latte my neighborhood coffee shop makes!
Q: How do you spend your free time?
A: In the spring, summer, and fall, I spend a lot of time gardening, beekeeping, hiking, and spending time with friends outside. In the winter I tend towards more introspective activities including reading, visiting local museums, cooking, doing crafts, and drinking hot chocolate after a snowy walk with my dog.
Q: How do you celebrate living in your body?
A: I adopted a dog this summer and she’s definitely helped me realize that finding movement I enjoy is a wonderful way to celebrate living in my body. Other ways I do this are having coffee dates with friends, cooking meals with my partner, prioritizing self-care (always a work in progress), and spending time in nature.