While battling cancer at age 25, then later facing life in a wheelchair, as well as going through a divorce, I continued to receive answers from medical and psychological professionals that simply didn’t feel right. After a lot of soul searching, I made a decision to be proactive in my health and listen to my intuition, and took steps to create my own self-healing path.
When I was going through my divorce, I began seeing a counselor and explained things about my past - I was highly sensitive to crowds, people, and TV and they often made me feel exhausted. I had explained this to doctors and counselors throughout my life but they never said much. However, this counselor immediately said, “Oh, you are clearly an empath!” I had never heard of that word before and went home to research it. My life and the way I viewed myself completely changed when I read about being an empath. Every website I looked at seemed like it was written about me specifically. Knowing this validated that I had permission to take care of myself in ways that might look different from others around me.
While I was sick, I envisioned myself speaking and helping others, because at my core I am a helper and a healer. Once I was healthy enough to work post-cancer, I started teaching and working with kids, and became very involved in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). I also had the opportunity to help numerous family members and friends navigate their own health challenges and apply what I had learned going through cancer and arthritis, to assist them in making healthcare decisions. I am a believer in listening to signs your life is giving you and after repeatedly being told from these same people that I was meant to do this, I started to believe it.
This led me to launch EMPATH Coaching to work with others to provide the gift of facilitating and validating their own healing journey through coaching, nutritional counseling, motivational speaking and more. Every experience and challenge I’ve overcome has led me to a point where I am well positioned to help others forge their path. Starting my own business has brought up so many feeling of insecurity and fear, but because I have been through these other obstacles, I know how to move forward with an optimistic attitude while trusting life. Ultimately, through self-discovery, I hope to cause a ripple effect in healthcare that spreads positivity and uplifts people to be their best selves.
Because I can conduct my business from anywhere, LinkedIn/ProFinder is a great tool to connect with prospective clients, referral sources and engage with other like-minded wellness professionals anywhere in the U.S. It also allows me to share my thought leadership pieces and hopefully pass along useful information to colleagues.