Hi, I'm Paulette Crowley - Good Health Coach
I have lived experience alcohol addiction, depression, anxiety and ADHD. Today, I live a full, rich and healthy life despite these conditions and want to help others learn to do the same.
My history means I have extensive experience of navigating health services, and learnt the importance of being informed to be empowered. My 30-year career as an award-winning health journalist gave me research skills to wade through screeds of confusing and conflicting information about health conditions. I became my own best advocate and now like to help others in this way.
I have also helped many people to address problematic relationships with alcohol over the years, as part of my own sobriety journey.
I knew what I wanted my next career chapter to look like: I wanted to continue to do this work in a professional capacity, and health coaching was the perfect way for me to do this.
That’s how Good Health Coach was born.
My Story
From mental health challenges to mental health fitness
Health has always been a passionate professional interest for me - I've reported on it as a journalist for many years - but recently, I decided to train as a health coach specialising in mental health and addictions. Health coaching seemed the perfect professional framework to put my experience, skills and passion into.
Why health coaching? I have lived experience of diagnosed alcohol addicition, depression, anxiety and ADHD. I got sober from alcohol 10 years ago and worked hard at my mental and physical fitness over the years with health professionals. Today I live a full, rich and healthy life with my now very manageable mental health conditions.
I also have an understanding of the impact of mental illness on people and their whānau. I was brought up in a family of people who experienced mental health and addiction challenges. In my recovery journey, I have helped many people address problematic relationships with alcohol and mental health issues.
How coaching can bridge the mental health treatment gap
A recent experience of helping a family member through a severe, intense mental health episode has brought home to me just how important mental fitness is, and how broken the system is in our country. Looking after my family member was incredibly stressful. To be honest, I don’t know how any of us survived it. I felt extremely isolated because I didn’t want to risk the family member’s privacy by asking for help to support me. But I’m so glad we did reach out because now we all have immense resilience, which is what I want to share with other people as a health coach. It’s a service I could have and would have used if I knew it existed.
"I want people to see that it is possible to live a rich, healthy life while you have mental health conditions."
Seeing the “treatment gap” in the health system spurred me on to be able to do something to help people develop their mental fitness, rather than turning to the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff model of healthcare, which clearly doesn’t work for the vast majority of people. I believe that coaching is a way for people to easily access the help they need before they get so unwell they need major medical interventions. That’s something I want to be a part of.
Sharing mental health struggles instead of hiding
My empathy for people with mental distress, and their families and friends, is huge. We need each other. Dealing with mental health issues alone is impossible, and damages not only the person and their whānau, but also society. We all have a right to be the healthiest we can be.
From my own experience as a woman with mental health challenges, I also have an understanding of what it is like to not have a voice. I have spent years masking and avoiding revealing my challenges for fear of discrimination, which was largely a wise move given attitudes at the time.
Today, I am proud to be a strong, healthy woman living well with challenging conditions and I’m proud to be a role model for those still struggling. I am now open about my experiences because I know that sharing them is far more powerful than hiding them. I want people to see that it is possible to live a rich, healthy life while you have mental health conditions.
Contact me to find out how I may be able to help you with coaching.
