I recently finished a 30-year career as an award-winning health journalist. Health has always been a passionate professional interest for me but I could see the writing on the wall for the end of my career as the media landscape changed dramatically. And so, last year I decided to retrain as a health coach specialising in mental health and addictions.
Why health coaching? I have lived experience of diagnosed depression, anxiety, addiction and ADHD. I got sober from alcohol over 9 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 whanau. 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.
I knew what I wanted the next part of my career to look like, and health coaching seemed the perfect professional framework to put my experience, skills and passion into.
How mental health coaching can bridge the '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 intense, to say the least. To be honest, I don’t know how I 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 I now 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.
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.
"I want people to see that it is possible to live a rich, healthy life while you have mental health conditions. "
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 whanau, 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 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.
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