Can success break you?
I am a survivor of the glorification of being busy and a nervous system prone to worry and over-achievement. My story is an example of what stress and dysregulation can do, but it is also a testimony to the power of a psychosomatic approach to recovering from burnout.
For many years, I was a high-profile catering and corporate event manager. I spent countless hours planning the logistics and then supervising the execution of the colossal effort it takes to gather, feed, and entertain conventions of thousands of people. Creating million-dollar programs for some of the biggest corporations in the world was an exciting career, but it was also very stressful and demanding. My type A personality helped me climb the corporate ladder very fast, and by age 30, I had a position most people didn’t attain until their forties. The downfall was that I rushed into it. I had to work and go to college full-time. As a sophomore, I was already managing a large staff, forecasting revenues, and creating half-million-dollar budgets. I was the embodiment of a “go-getter,” a determined young woman going for her American dream…but one day, that dream became a nightmare.
Is this what life is all about?
After being completely “burned out” from the industry, I asked myself that question. My hectic lifestyle put self-care and eating on the back burner. I put work and others first, while I skipped meals and neglected my health. I was always tired but also wired. Sleeping became difficult, and towards the end, I was feeling depressed, often crying at night for no apparent reason. I could not keep a healthy relationship because I was always working or thinking about work. Sounds familiar? I used coffee to keep me awake and wine to help me relax at night.
On the weekends or during my lavish vacations, I would play hard. That was my idea of “decompressing”. “I deserve to have fun” was my excuse. But I was empty again by Sunday night. Finally, the problems moved into my physical body. I became so tired and weak that I ended up going to the doctor. At age 33, I was diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance so acute that the doctor said it’d be hard for me to conceive a baby if I wanted to. I was moving into pre-menopause! My stress “speed-aged” my body…
I was shocked! Why was this happening to me?! I had no answers. Thankfully, my doctor was a good one, and even though she had no answers to my questions, she advised me to “do something because I was too young for hormone replacement therapy.”
I went on a quest to find my cure. I chose a holistic path. I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I was trained in many dietary theories and studied various practical lifestyle coaching methods. I combined this training with a Kripalu yoga certification to provide additional tools for stress relief and mindful living. Later, I added breathwork and mindfulness to my tools, completing training with Max Strom plus Somatic Parts Work and Applications of Polyvagal Theory from trauma-focused institutes. Drawing on this knowledge, I realized that ALL my symptoms were the result of an overwhelming and chronic triggering of the stress response. This led to emotional, adrenal & gut imbalances that affected my every organ.
After a decade of work with burned-out women, I’ve found that the missing link is not knowing how to activate their body’s innate ability to self-regulate. I see the changes that come when they understand the repair roadmap. This repair happens when they engage with their nervous system and inner emotional world to generate energy, peace, and resilience. That is why I focus on somatics and the subconscious in all my services.
Change begins when you are “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” and it ends when you know and understand your inner world.
I look back at my experience with gratitude, and today, I see clients with the same story of exhaustion in my coaching work. I can help clients who are suffering from a tired nervous system reverse the chemical imbalance caused by an on-set stress response, addressing fatigue, autoimmune flairs, inflammation, gut issues, anxiety & emotional swings, sleep, weight gain, and brain fog—all symptoms of burnout.
Accreditations
- National Board Accredited Health and Wellness Coach
- Integrative Nutrition Coach
- Trauma-Informed Yoga and Breathwork Certified Teacher
- Polyvagal Informed Certification for Applications to Mind-body Therapies (Nervous system/ vagal health)
- Somatic Parts Work and Internal Family Systems (Inner Children Work)
Is somatic coaching for you?
My focus is on people who are open to going deep, those fed up with covering symptoms, or those whose doctors are dismissing with a “your tests look normal.” I understand that a massage, a yoga class, or spa treatments are not long-term solutions to burnout. Surviving the downfall of the “glorification of busy” has made me a loving and no-nonsense coach. I believe in simple and depth-reaching solutions. It is my intention to use this knowledge to help my clients. Your goals for a vibrant life are my inspiration and challenge.
Learn more about my training and my unique approach to reversing burnout.
Are you curious about how burnout repair coaching can help you? Let’s talk. Schedule an initial consultation with me today.
