Why am I a Life Coach?
A Punching Bag Saved My Life.
As an active young person I didn’t understand why I was self harming with eating disordered behaviors and always felt like I was not enough. My periods of depression would be offset by anxious over-achievement and most people did not realize the pain I was in. When I finally sought out help, the doctor provided a drug and said to check back in three months. I needed so much more and was literally heart-broken by feelings of abandonment.
Years passed and I did great things while living a secret life in pain.
My twenties flew by in a daze of long-distance hiking, international travel, working in ski towns , having fun relationships and living a pseudo full life. Then in graduate school I met a person I desperately wanted to know-and realized I did not have the emotional or mental capability to form a truly intimate relationship. I hit rock bottom.
I found a therapist who put a punching bag in front of me and said to start hitting.
I laughed and made jokes to ease nervous energy. But I punched. And the laughing turned into crying and the crying turned into full body sobs as I beat the shit out of a foam filled bag.
More than tears came out that day. Repressed memories of childhood, shame about sexual experiences, fears about my body and my health, deep-seeded anger and confusion all flooded the room.
That day began my journey of healing. She took me on a journey of self-discovery that opened up an entirely new chapter of living. I appreciated her non-conventional counseling because it was personalized. We built a relationship founded on trust and honesty so when she challenged me to look at destructive habits and toxic patterns I knew she was doing so with empathy and positive intent.
I learned who I was as an adult and how my past had shaped me. I found my voice and ways in which to communicate my needs and desires. My relationships flourished into meaningful ones. I found support and recovery through a fellowship program for my eating disorder. I followed my dreams. I became a teacher.
Teaching was one of the hardest things I have done and one of the most extraordinary. I built rapport with students by being honest and compassionate. And as I listened, they told me things they didn’t even tell their best friends, for fear of being judged, banished or ashamed. I understood. I had been in their shoes, even as an adult, many times over.
I started work with a life coach because I no longer needed the intensity of therapy. I needed help navigating the stress and joys of my job, getting a divorce, training for competitive sports and finding sustainable support for my eating disorder. My coach stretched my beliefs, challenged my stories and built a podium for which I could rise.
Now, I have found a whole new way to move through life - with more love and appreciation of my humanness than ever before. I also found that my energy shifted and dreams transformed - following a path into creating my own coaching practice.
I understand that I needed help to find my best self - and I now practice coaching in ways that I experienced. I get to create personally curated sessions to meet my clients needs - it is a powerful and exciting gift to guide others in their life journeys