Wellness is multi-dimensional, and encompasses multiple areas of life that lead to an overall state of well-being. The National Wellness Institute in 2018 identified six dimensions of wellness: Emotional, Occupational, Physical, Social, Intellectual, and Spiritual. Addressing all six dimensions in our lives is what truly brings us wellness, peace, and a sense of fulfillment. While you may initially find yourself seeking coaching for a specific problem, such as difficulty socializing with peers (Social), or needing help with switching careers (Occupational), you will likely find that at some point in our work together, all six dimensions will be addressed. Often we do not realize that our stress levels are impacted by so many factors, and we find it difficult to address them until our major stressors are relieved. In fact, trying to address everything at once often produces a great deal of anxiety, and can lead people to avoid working on any of their problems altogether! I believe that taking things slow is perfectly acceptable, and that progress is progress. People often find that once they make changes in one dimension of wellness, their confidence increases, and their ability to make changes within the remaining dimensions increases accordingly. Things may be slow to start, but after a few successes, it is "off to the races!" Click each area below to find out more of what I offer in each dimension of complete wellness.
Emotional Wellness provides us with a feeling of inner peace, the confidence we need to achieve our goals, and the ability to exist in a general state of relaxation. Through coaching, you will learn how to address your problems directly instead of avoiding them, how to prioritize and make time for your emotional wellness, the importance of being mindful, and how to stay focused on your goals even in times of stress or conflict. It is important to note the distinction between coaching and in therapy. In therapy, we learn why we are feeling anxious, depressed, or otherwise unwell by working through our past experiences and learning how they shape our thoughts, feelings and behaviors today. In coaching, we focus on the here and now. We learn what is preventing us from achieving wellness today, and create step-by-step plans to make small changes to address our problems and continue moving forward, even when life seems to keep pushing back at us. Coaching is a great next step for people who have already undergone traditional therapy but feel as though they still would benefit from outside support to continue making progress and achieving new goals. It is a great first step for everyone else who is seeking guidance and support to make changes, achieve new goals, improve their focus and concentration, and become the best version of themselves possible!
For some of us, "work is work." And that can work! But for many of us, fulfillment and happiness in our careers is of critical importance. When we consider how much time we spend working, it makes sense that the happier we are with our work, the happier we will be in other areas of our lives. Changing careers, especially in our current climate, is often an anxiety-provoking and difficult process. We may not have many people to talk to about it, or we may not have people who truly understand or appreciate our unique career needs, or why we would consider changing jobs or careers. Too often the people closest to us simply cannot be neutral enough to support us in a problem-solving approach. They may be afraid to say something that may offend us or hurt our feelings, or may be placing their own fears or hesitations about change onto us. Coaching provides us a neutral space to explore options without the pressure of "word getting out at the office" and with someone who understands the unique pressures of moving through career fields in a difficult climate. Coaching is also valuable for those who are not looking to change careers, but are struggling with juggling work-life balance, experiencing difficulty accomplishing work tasks due to disorganization or fatigue, or are experiencing burnout and are unsure what the next step may be.
Physical wellness is more than just eating well and trying to exercise, or an absence of disease. It is also a sense of respect for our bodies, and a deeper understanding of the connection between our physical health and our level of functioning in the other domains of wellness. Coaching can help people find the balance between physical activity, recuperative rest, relaxation, and nutrition. When we are chronically sleep-deprived or malnourished, our emotional wellness suffers. Our interactions with our friends and family become more challenging, and we may experience increased difficulties with attention, concentration and organization. Learning strategies to ensure good sleep hygiene, making time for physical activity, learning how to eat well even when you're super busy, and understanding when it is necessary to rest are critical to improving our physical well-being. As a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach, I have a wealth of knowledge on ways to incorporate healthy eating and balanced exercise into an increasingly busy life. I specialize in helping my clients learn to prioritize time for meal planning, finding forms of exercise that they enjoy and can fit into their busy schedules, and learn to gradually increase activity for long-term health benefits! I have coached hundreds of clients virtually to help them achieve their body composition and strength goals, and I can't wait to help you!
Nutrition Coaching
Monthly Package at $149 includes: Setting custom Calorie and Macronutrient targets based upon your goals (Weight Loss, Weight Gain, or Weight Maintenance), activity levels and starting stats
Education regarding how to track calories and macros using a variety of methods, from apps to portion control! You may use your own app and I will teach you the most accurate methods, as well as how to manage meals out, estimations, diet breaks, vacations...you know, life.
Weekly data collection and reviews of macros, weigh-ins, measurements, and/or progress photos, sent by me to you via e-mail, with a video review for you to watch at your leisure
One 30-minute live Google Meet call per month to set SMART goals, talk about any anticipated obstacles or hurdles, and create an achievable plan to hit those goals
Additional 30 or 60 minute live Google Meet calls can be purchased separately at any time for those times where you need more face to face support!
In between data review days, I'm available via text, e-mail, and shared Google Docs/Sheets for communication.
Fitness Coaching
Monthly Package at $149 includes: A custom-built personal training program that takes into account
Your Goals, such as increasing strength, improving cardio endurance, building muscle mass, changing specifics about your body composition, improving performance specific to your favorite sport or hobby, etc!
Your equipment: whether you train at home with dumbbells and bands exclusively, have access to a state of the art fitness facility with all the world's machines, or something in between, I can design a program that best utilizes what you have access to. I'll never make you buy something you can't afford or don't have room for, and you'll never have to use something you aren't comfortable using in a gym space
Your time: whether you can make time to train twice a week for 30 minutes, or are looking for 5 one-hour sessions, we can make it work. The best program is that one that you will stick to!
Your body's strengths, weakness, past injuries, or your Physician's and/or Physical Therapist's recommendations
Delivery of your training program via Google Sheets, but I can also help you get your program set up in your favorite workout app of choice.
Weekly review and updates to your training program, so that you are utilizing progressive overload to gain strength and endurance in a data-driven, safe, and structured way.
One 30-minute live Google Meet call per month to set training schedules and goals, talk about any anticipated obstacles or hurdles that might get in the way, and/or use the time for live virtual personal training or form feedback
Additional virtual personal training sessions via Google Meet can be purchased separately as well
In between training plan review days, I'm available via text, e-mail, and shared Google Docs/Sheets for communication.
Nutrition and Fitness Coaching
For $199/month, you get everything above! Your weekly data reviews will cover both your nutrition and training goals
You also get one 60-Minute Google Meet call per month, since we'll have more to cover.
You can still purchase additional Google Meet calls for Life Coaching or Virtual Personal Training sessions
What you will never get from me:
Forced use of apps you don't like or don't want to use. I may be old school, but text, e-mail, and shared Docs are things we all already have and use. And let's face it, NO ONE wants another QR to scan or password to remember.
Endless contracts. I do simple monthly recurring payments. If you want to stop coaching, you tell me, and I cancel your payments. Want to resume again? Hit me up! That's it. I'm here for you when you need me, not for when you don't, and certainly not for when something unexpected happens and you can't afford it for a bit.
Spam! I do a lot of writing here on my website and on my Substack. If you want to subscribe, go for it. But you'll never get unsolicited e-mails from me of any kind.
AI. Nothing I ever create, ever, will be done by using AI. I built this website myself, I maintain it myself. My articles are my own, typos and all. Your training programs will never be created by a bot. In fact, I don't even use templates. In my years of coaching hundreds of clients, no two clients of mine have ever had the same training program.
Supplement-pushing, fad diets, endless pushing/marketing of products just so I can get a little money. I have no sponsors, I have no corporate overlords, I have no tolerance for BS of any kind.
What you will always get from me:
Kindness, honesty, and authenticity. If there's something I think you need to hear, I'll tell you in a way that it's well-received. And if I ever misread you, and unintentionally offend/upset you, you can tell me, and I'll apologize and keep it in mind for next time.
My full attention. This is what I do. I have no other jobs, no other sources of income, other than occasionally selling extra plant seedlings and plant pots (because I'm Italian and simply cannot just make ONE of anything). I never take more clients than I can handle, and I will actively engage with you all week long, not just on your review/call days.
Science-backed support. Period. While I too love a good Tik-Tok recipe or "fitness hack," I know that the basics DO work. My goal is to help you achieve your goals in the simplest, most direct, cheapest, and most sustainable way possible.
A good laugh. Change is HARD, but it doesn't have to be boring! Memes, gifs, and movie quotes are embedded into my language, and I strive to make our conversations feel like chatting with a friend.
Social Wellness encompasses our ability and desire to make friends and stay connected with those around us, as well as the maintenance of these relationships. The Covid-19 Pandemic has significantly highlighted the importance of social interaction, and has shown us all how physical isolation from our friends and loved ones can negatively impact our well-being. For our children and teens, socialization difficulties account for many complaints about school, and the added pressures of social media have seriously complicated the issues. Parenting a child or teen in today's climate of social media obsession is extremely difficult, especially when we consider that these are pressures most of us never faced as children. Coaching can help parents and children support positive social interaction by learning social skills, understanding social cues, learning how to balance social media pressures (especially when friends have different rules and privileges), and how to maintain relationships. Coaching can also support teens in an often overlooked social skill that became more necessary as things went virtual: communicating with adults and authority figures via technology. Learning how to send professional e-mails, understanding the nuances of when it is okay to text versus e-mail versus call, and knowing when and how to advocate for oneself are all critical skills that are not typically taught in schools. And while making and maintaining friends isn't always easy for children and teens, it is especially true for us as adults. I cannot count how many people I have worked with who have described the difficulty in making friends as an adult, outside of work, and especially when so many of us were forced to begin working from home! We so often grow apart from our friends as we age, and forget the importance of the social dimension of wellness. Coaching can help you take a closer look at your social circle and support you in adjusting it to improve your wellness. For some of us, this means growing our social circles and finding new places to connect with people. For others, it means taking a difficult look at the people in our lives who contribute negatively to our social well-being, and learning how to set boundaries, advocate for ourselves, and create a social circle that is supportive and positive.
Intellectual Wellness encompasses anything and everything to do with learning. From supporting our children and teens in staying focused, learning good study habits, and accessing outside help and support when necessary, to continuing to learn and challenge ourselves intellectually as adults. Pursuing new interests and learning new things helps us remain engaged and mindful and gives us another sense of purpose and meaning to our lives. Too often we stagnate in the routine of every-day life, filling our free time with mindless scrolling on social media or watching yet another re-run of our favorite TV show. We just don't think we have time for a hobby, or the energy to start something new. But being bored and unchallenged can be detrimental to our well-being, and coaching can help us take a hard look at how we are spending our time, finding pockets of time that can be used more productively on something that is more enjoyable and contributes to our intellectual wellness. For teens and college students, academic coaching can be a valuable tool to success. Coaches are able to support students in planning out study and homework schedules, staying on top of deadlines, finding and utilizing school-based supports such as advisors and tutors, and supporting students in advocating for themselves, taking the burdens and worries away from parents. Coaches can support students in narrowing down their career options and staying organized and focused while applying for internships, jobs, or graduate programs. And of course, coaches will focus on supporting students and life-long learners in ensuring that there is a healthy balance between their intellectual pursuits and the other dimensions of their lives.
Spiritual Wellness encompasses religion and faith, but it is certainly not limited to those concepts. Being "spiritual" means believing in connections, whether it be between people, between ourselves and the environment, world, or universe, or having a belief that doing the right thing and being well will bring positive reward. Personal values and belief systems define who we are as individuals, and our beliefs are often challenged and shaken by outside events or by interactions with other people. Coaching supports individuals in exploring their spiritual belief systems, supporting them when they have an experience that challenges their beliefs, and continuously redefining and growing their definitions of spirituality. Coaching provides a safe space to discuss our experiences with spirituality with no fear of judgment, allowing us to continue to grow and solidify our definitions of who we are as human beings.