Over the years I have talked with countless patients about how their physical symptoms might be connected with stress, specific situations, past experiences, emotions and more. I have listened to stories of medical journeys and how frustrating it is that “they can’t find anything wrong.” Talking about how the mind and body might be connected is never an easy conversation in an urgent care exam room or anywhere someone is hearing these ideas for the first time. I have learned to plant seeds of possible connections for people to consider at a later moment.

In offering Health Coaching services in this practice for what have been called mindbody syndromes or neuroplastic symptoms or tension myositis, I can connect with clients who are interested in exploring this approach. It continues to be a fascinating and rewarding challenge for me to bring together my background in medical anthropology with a nurse practitioner’s and massage therapist’s interest in the physical and a consulting detective’s interest in “obvious facts.” Mainly these clients find me through practitioner databases of related professional organizations, but anyone is welcome to make an appointment to discuss how this approach might relate to their situation.

Becoming a certified health coach through the National Society of Health Coaches (NSHC) gave me a new framework for appointments to support people with a mindbody approach as well as others making changes in their lives. NSHC “is the only certifying body designed specifically for licensed health practitioners credentialed to coach those with moderate to high health risks, chronic conditions and disease. Our program is among the leading health coach certification programs, focusing on holistic health.” Their health coaching model has worked well with my training and studies in mindbody approaches that are discussed on this page.

While I encourage people interested in this health coaching approach to email me with questions or request a fifteen minute phone call or online Screening Visit, I also recommend people to look at some of the outside resources listed on that page, so they have some larger context of this still unusual perspective.

All of my health coaching focuses on meeting clients in their current terrain and finding ways to help them bloom where they are planted. Everyone gets homework. And botanical metaphors.