Frequently Asked Questions
What is Integrative Health and Wellness Coaching?
Integrative health and wellness coaching relies on evidence-based, safe, and effective healing modalities that can be integrated into any lifestyle as part of both preventative and treatment goals. Integrative health and wellness coaching offers an expanded view from conventional health and wellness to encompass holistic therapeutic practices that inspire whole-person healing and long-lasting lifestyle change. Integrative health and wellness strategies include holistic mind-body interventions, alternative and complementary forms of healing like mindfulness meditation and guided imagery, and a focus on life purpose, belonging, support, spiritual connection, meaning, positive psychology, and the integration of multiple ways of knowing that leads to vibrant life. My style of Integrative health and wellness coaching includes forming and maintaining a healthy relationship with the natural world as part of an optimal health and wellness plan.
Coaching sessions are client-centered and harnesses the philosophy that the client is the expert in their life. You are in the drivers seat guiding the process. An Integrative health and wellness coach conducts thoughtful inquiry that helps inspires lasting change through helping clients uncover needs, tap into intrinsic motivation, overcome hurdles, lean into support, and strengthen desires for reaching new health and wellness goals.
What is Guided Imagery?
Guided Imagery is a method of heightening awareness of the mind, emotions, and sensations in the body with the goal of noticing patterns between how thoughts affect the body, how emotions affect the body, and vice versa. It involves the use of therapeutic images and symbols including visual, mental, spiritual, impressionistic, or by way of other sensory qualities like smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Images are the language with which our mind affects the body. For example, negative images can raise blood pressure, increase tension, and change our body chemistry. Through a thoughtful guided imagery exploration, empowered health and healing can occur. Imagery is an ancient tool that has been around for millennia and embraces the healing potential that already resides within us.
Exploring mental imagery and the imagination with a qualified guided imagery facilitator has been associated with:
Healing mental, emotional, and physical disturbances
Changing harmful conscious beliefs
Resilience
Uncovering and transforming hidden sabotaging beliefs
Clarity in decision making
Understanding dreams
Aligning with life path
Learn to trust oneself
And so much more
What is herbal medicine?
Herbalism is the practice of connecting with and utilizing medicinal plants as part of holistic preventative and treatment plans for various conditions and states of dis-ease. Herbal medicine is associated with improved health and wellbeing outcomes when used in conjunction with proper nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness practices. Herbalists hold plant medicine in regard as a sacred source of healing energy, and it is considered a practice in reciprocity with the land.
Why nature-based healing?
Nature-based work can be done indoors by connecting with natural items, plants, pictures, imagining different aspects of the natural world, and offering opportunities for creativity. When in nature, we can walk or sit, either way the senses will be able to establish a reciprocal connection to the surrounding environment. Forest bathing is a nature immersion therapy that has been shown to improve emotional wellbeing and alleviate anxiety (Yerbury & Lukey, 2021; Stier-Jarmer et al., 2021). Nature immersion experiences are hands-on, experiential, and learning-based, with a focus on connecting, reforming, and rebuilding relationships. Research has shown that nature-based education (NBE) can support children with health disparities, and found nature contact to increase emotional wellbeing (Sprague, Berrigan, & Ekenga, 2022). Research on Psycho Evolutionary Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) proposes that the natural environments influence anxiety by easing symptoms and fostering positive emotions and feelings that have a restorative effect (Berto, 2014). Berto (2014) suggests that “natural environments elicit greater calming responses than urban environments, and exposure to natural scenes mediates negative mood state and enhances positive emotions” (p. 394).
Forest bathing has been associated with influencing emotional temperament (Wen et al., 2019). Leslie Davenport MA, MS, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist and leader in climate justice, who suggests that similarly to the effects of human-to-human nervous system regulation, biodiverse natural environments may have similar abilities (Davenport, March 10, 2022, personal communication). Research showed forest bathing for two hours to significantly enhance participant’s emotional state, attitude, feelings, physical and psychological recovery, and adaptive behaviors (Wen et al., 2019). A mixed model ANOVA revealed that nature connectedness and mood improved post-immersion for all participants, but no heartrate changes were reported (Lim, Dillon, & Chew, 2020). Spending time immersed in natural environments can be associated with emotional wellbeing and improved mental health outcomes for adults with anxiety (Jimenez et al., 2121; Nisbet & Zelenski, 2013, Fisher, 2013). A “nature-guided” approach to wellness utilizes sensory stimuli from the environment to inspire increased sense of connection, positive affect, happiness, and subjective emotional wellbeing (Trostrup et al., 2019).