What does it mean to counsel or coach someone from a holistic perspective?
I believe that all parts of our selves are interconnected. If we improve in one area: physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, we improve in all. Each healthy choice we make increases our overall wellness – making it easier to continue making healthy choices and live a healthy balanced life. For example, if we eat healthy food we will have more energy. With more energy we are more likely to engage in physical activity. With physical activity we tend to sleep better. This all leads to improvements in other areas of our lives such as: personal relationships, work, and inner growth. It begins to look like an upwards spiral of wellness towards your ultimate goal.
Unfortunately, this is also true when we make unhealthy choices. If we don’t engage in physical activity we may not sleep well. With poor sleep we are more likely to make poor food choices. Poor food choices can lead to feeling unhealthy and fatigued. These unhealthy choices can have a negative impact in other areas of our lives as we may be feeling fatigued, irritable or stressed – somewhat like being on a downward spiral.
In order to live a healthy balanced life we need to focus on healthy choices and build on the synergy they provide us for living well. Often, even though we know intellectually that we should be making these healthy choices, we don’t always do it. So how does one hop on the upward spiral and stay on?A solid foundation is required in order to stay the course – an action plan so to speak! Ever hear the saying, “Fail to Plan – Plan to Fail”? This is where working with a counsellor or coach can help you achieve your goals.
As a counsellor and coach I help people decide what is important to them and what they want to achieve. We will explore your values so that all of the work we do together is in harmony with your ideal life. Your ideal life is explored by discussing what you value, what you want to achieve and what success looks like to you. Success for each person is different and once you identify that vision you can start moving towards it everyday!
With your vision in place we will start to develop small measurable goals that will help you get to your long-term goal. Small changes lead to significant results! Each small goal should be something you can see – something you can measure such as: number of visits to the gym, hours of sleep, positive comments to a spouse or child, mindfulness practice and so on.
As a counsellor and coach one of my main goals is to help you become aware. Aware of what you want, aware of what is preventing you from achieving your goals and aware of how your behaviour will help you reach your goals. I can provide you with information that might be helpful as you work towards your goal. You may have the opportunity to focus on how thoughts or feelings affect your behaviour and interactions with people in your life. We will check in to see what is working and what isn’t working. Often I will provide you with additional resources that can help you achieve your goals, should you choose to use them.
For some people learning new skills such as: positive ways to communicate, healthy ways to express anger, learning to identify self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviours or focusing on self-care, can make a significant difference in overall health and happiness. Counsellors and coaches do not judge people for something they have done in their past or for current behaviour. We are here to walk with you in your journey, providing hope and support along the way. Bumps and setbacks are inevitable in life and having someone you can trust and count on can go a long way in keeping you on your upward spiral of health and wellness.
Because I believe that our whole self is interconnected I find that people who want to achieve whole self wellness will benefit from working with other helping professionals such as: naturopathic doctors, medical doctors, chiropractic doctors, massage therapists, physiotherapists, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, spiritual leaders, nutritionists or any other helping professional that can assist you with your health. To summarize, the benefits of meeting with a counsellor or coach who supports from a holistic perspective is that you will have the opportunity to:
- Be an active participant in deciding on the changes you want to make
- Ensure the changes you are making fit with your values and your long-term goals
- Set short terms goals in a way that you will know when you have completed them
- Have someone who can help you become aware of how your choices are either preventing you from or helping you to achieve your goals
- Learn new skills
- Have someone who will support you in your new healthy behaviours during difficult times
- Look at your overall wellness and lifestyle as opposed to providing a quick fix for only one concern
In the end the change you make and the success you achieve will be from your own effort and commitment to wellness. I will be there with you, but I cannot change for you. I wish you all the best in feeling well and achieving the best life you can have! I look forward to working with you should you decide that you would like to explore the benefits of counselling or coaching.