Coaching for Health & Wellness

Autoimmunity & Other Health Concerns

Learning about a new health condition can happen in many ways. For some, it follows an unexpected event like a heart attack. For others, it may be experienced as a gradual onset of disruptive symptoms. Either way, finding out can be alarming, upsetting, and leave you feeling hopeless or stuck. I provide coaching to those struggling with autoimmune or other chronic health conditions and are looking for support and accountability while making the dietary and lifestyle changes necessary to heal and thrive again.

The CDC reports that 6 in every 10 adults in the U.S. live with at least one chronic health condition while 4 in every 10 cope with two or more.  Major chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes are leading causes of death and disability.  The CDC also reports that many chronic conditions are influenced by lifestyle factors.  This is good news because it means we have the power to make choices to reduce our likelihood of developing illness and help us live healthier lives.

Millions of Americans are impacted by more than 100 different autoimmune diseases.  According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, autoimmunity develops when “immune cells make a mistake and attack the very cells that they are meant to protect.”  Some of the most commonly known types include: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Celiac’s Disease, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Type 1 Diabetes, Chronic Lyme Disease, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Research continues to explore the factors suspected to contribute to autoimmunity and why women are disproportionately impacted.

Even in the absence of an autoimmune disease or chronic condition, you might be experiencing other health concerns that are disruptive to your ability to be comfortable and enjoy daily life.  Examples of other health concerns include fatigue, digestive disruption, headaches, sleep difficulties, challenges with achieving ideal weight, and more.

Together, we’ll explore your goals for healing and the path forward.

Stress Management

Our bodies and minds are highly connected in many ways. I provide coaching to those looking to explore their own connections between stress, adversity, or high sensitivity, and how these might have manifested as physical pain or created life disruptions.  Together we can examine sources of stress on the body and mind and explore possible adaptations that may help you mitigate some of the dangerous impacts of stress on your well-being.

We all experience stress—and it’s not always a bad thing.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, stress can be natural and motivating, but it can also be chronic, long-term, and lead to a variety of health concerns or conditions.  There are effective ways to decrease stress due to lifestyle factors and improve our responses and resilience when faced with the types of stress that we can’t control.  This work takes some self-exploration, dedication, and support.

The connection between emotional and physical health is a fascinating one and we are always learning more, as the mind and body share complex interconnections.  The mind-body connection is being studied extensively with regards to the development of approaches to treating chronic pain.  At the very simplest, mind-body research tells us something basic about our approach to holistic wellness—it requires time and attention spent on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Together we’ll examine ways that stress impacts your wellness, skills and strategies to enhance your ability to manage various stressors, and possible connections between your emotional and physical health concerns.  With the services below, I’ll support you with your goals to improve stress management and increase your ability to experience life with greater peace and ease.