The Update

Reconnected ready, and coming back to share again.

It’s time to dust off my keyboard and begin sharing thoughts, ideas and inspirations about mental wellness and living an authentic life. The last blog post I wrote was in February of 2018 and after almost 6 years, 1 global freaking pandemic, 1 business closing & another business reawakening,and many personal renewal cycles ago this space will offer new thoughts and insights as well as recycled and revised topics that relate to mental wellness and authentic living. There is no one guru. Not one blogger or influencer that has the magical answer to unlocking your best self. Nope, you hold that key. I hope you hear my voice in the words I write and that they resonate with a part of you that helps you along your journey.

This blog is “The Update”. So much has happened since February 2018. Globally we have seen the best and worst in our fellow humans and perhaps even in ourselves. My hope is that we all continue to grow through “this thing called life” 💜Prince. I wholeheartedly believe that by being intentional, we can continue to thrive through what we have survived. By taking time to let go of things that were not serving my authentic self and allowing for stillness and quiet, I have been able to reconnect with the today version of me and am grateful to be on the continued path of growth. 

Many who read this may know me from previous work either as a colleague, a therapist, a facilitator, or a trainer. This is how I saw my professional self prior to 2020 as well. During the pandemic I, like almost every human I know, did a deep dive into myself and got really quiet. I met and fell in love with my introverted side, a side that didn’t get much attention for the first half century of my  life. I explored this new me, wondering what happened to that person who was always on the go, loving to get together with people, enjoying the crowds. And over time, when I felt safe, that part emerged too, but only to learn that the introvert is not going anywhere. And so once again, I pivoted. 

First, Life’s Journey Counseling. As the world began to open again I made the decision to keep my psychotherapy practice 100% telehealth.  I absolutely love the feedback from my clients that this is not only convenient, but allows them to be in their most natural states during therapy. I love being able to see parts of my clients lives (their environments, their pets, their inner & outer world) that being restricted to my office didn’t allow for. And since I did telehealth before the pandemic so it feels so natural to me. I am so grateful for the life-balance this affords me. This allows me to fill my cup and reenergize so I can continue to be fully present & my best self for each client. 

The majority of my day-to-day colleagues are now located across the world, primarily in the US, as part of The Therapist Network. This professional network, initiated during the pandemic and linked by an online platform, addresses the inherent isolation therapists often experience. Within the network, there are diverse consultation groups. These range from general consultations, which I lead and attend, to sessions on leadership and business principles. Additionally, there are inclusive topic groups such as 'Challenging the Dominant Narrative,' 'LGBTQIIA+,' and 'Boundaries.' Engaging with these groups, alongside skillful and professional therapists, has played a crucial role in expanding my worldview. It invigorates my professional journey and keeps me fresh.

And I have rebuilt yet again. As I continue to diversify the energy I have for working with people I formally joined 3 of my other professional passions: coaching, consulting and training together all under the umbrella of Life’s Journey Consulting. When putting together my resume, I had a few aha’s:  1. I have gotten old! And 2. I have been so fortunate to take opportunities to learn and therefore have a lot of professional experience. I have done business trainings since my career first began out of college in the 90’s. The background of these trainings is diverse, always meeting the needs of the client who was requesting the training. I have also had the opportunity to consult with business leaders in many facets to develop teams, programming, and processes to align with the business’s mission and values. In doing this consulting work, I have particularly loved understanding the people, the culture and the mission of the business in order to develop processes and trainings around the organization's specific needs. I started my coaching career in 2017 when I enrolled in the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy to learn coaching skills as well as the foundations of functional medicine. I use my coaching skills to coach clients in various aspects of life, spanning from health and relationship coaching to leadership coaching. Witnessing clients set and achieve their self-defined goals is incredibly rewarding, as they strive to become the best versions of themselves. When asked the difference between coaching & counseling, I explain that as a counselor I work with people to develop insight into the ‘why’ of their behaviors in order to rewrite and build their authentic lives while as a coach we narrow the focus on the ‘how’ in building who they want to be. It’s a great balance and allows my diverse skills in working with people.

So that's the update as some chapters close and I begin writing new ones.  Thanks for being here and reading along. Whether I’ve never met you in person or you’ve been along this crazy ride called life with me for a long time, I am deeply grateful for those who I connect with in any way. Thanks for being a part of this evolving and exciting Life’s Journey.