Coaching

My work, as your coach, is to support you in take steps toward reaching your vision and impact for your life.  Typically, health is defined as a state of (dis-ease) outcomes.  This definition relies only on what your medical chart says.  In my coaching approach, wellness is conceptualized as a strategy for living, loving, and leading life.  From this perspective, we can tackle questions like: How are you preventing and/or managing illness? How are you working, living, and playing in congruence with your values?  Further, as defined by Dr. Carmack, well-being is how we sense of our story (Carmack, 2014).  In our coaching work, we can spend time uncovering how you sense your story.  I can help you reflect on how well is the story you are telling yourself, others, and the story you are telling the world.

Flow of the "Well-Being Ultimatum" Framework (Picture Above)

It is typical that one of my coaching begins on right side of the Theory of Change where we focus understanding and articulating your vision for impact on the individual , intra-personal, and societal level.   However, things are always flexible, and if you are ready to dive into a specific domain or life challenge, we will do that.  Then we would consider which one of 6 Koshas of Wellbeing (Physical, Financial, Social, Mental, Purpose, & Emotional) where you'd like to focus on, and which has brought on most blocks to your health and wellness, and overall well-being.   When working with organizations as clients, we would consider the domains right under the Koshas (Engagement, Power, Productivity, Performance, People and Purpose).  The outputs/measures help us monitor whether you are making progress toward your wellness goals (i.e., is healthy eating, self-compassion scale, stress reduction, etc.).  The activities are specific actions you, the client, is committed to taking.   I will support the client to identify actions that are SMART (Smart, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Based) .  The inputs are described as self-care strategies, accessing other services/supports (medical providers, physical trainer, etc.), and social connections. Lastly, the priorities section is related to where the client wants to focus their actions: on self (self-care, self-other (relationships) , or societal (i.e., impact on others).

For far too long, our health system has treated physical health symptoms, rather than supporting individuals and communities to understand and support wellness efforts to address behaviors (i.e., tobacco use, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, stress management, etc.) that impact negative health conditions .  By reflecting on the 6 Areas outlined by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, clients might come to understand the link between these behaviors and the health conditions they are impacted by. 

Coaching sessions are guided by Three Powerful Questions that relate to setting intentions and having a long-range view of behaviors related to ourselves, with others, and in society.  When clients have spaces to pause, reflect, and consider implications of the present moment as it relates to the future, they can develop insights into what actions can catalyze their overall well-being.