This video is part of our Educational Series at Trailhead Health, where our community of amazing Doctors and Practitioners share their experiences to help answer your health related questions.
So Jen, as a fertility health coach what can clients expect from you? Is there a fixed curriculum you follow with them through their journey or what is it that they can expect?
I love first and foremost, I love this work. I love working one-on-one with people. As a partnership, what I really love about it is that we have some guidelines as to how we're going to work. We're gonna work together twice a month whether it be in person, so we're sitting across from each other. I really like that when we can look eye to eye. Or with people that are out state I work through Zoom or Skype or or even or over the phone. We work twice a month and basically I'm going to start by listening to your story. I get to hear where you are in your life, and what you want to shift, and what you want to come easier, what are your big hopes and dreams. Then I feel really humbled and grateful that I get to to hold that energy and help support you through making those shifts and changes in your life.
Then through that, each time that we're together, we're sitting across from each other or having a conversation about what's going great, what challenges are coming up, what stressors are coming up, and we're taking all of that information. I am just really allowing, really listening to my guidance and to my intuition and I'm choosing for you what next right steps are for you to take based on the information that is at hand.
Even though we have this guideline, and we get together a couple times a month, and we're specific about the goals that you want to meet, everything is tailored to you and what's happening in your life or you and your partner's. The shifts and changes that we make are really never going to be this laundry list. I'm never, ever going to give you a list of ten things that you need to do by the next time I see you. We're going to pick one or two things that you're going to work on and that's how we create really big change and lasting change by just choosing small bites, a couple weeks at a time. Then we work together for six months. As we work together through that six months those little bites of right action of shift and change add up to a really big change by the time we have reached that six-month mark.
How many of these clients continue beyond that? They say, "No I still need the support."
Many of them. Commonly we keep going. Either another three months or another six months. It's really common to keep going through that program and having that support because I think it's really hard to get unbiased, neutral support through lifestyle change and nutrition. When we are having those conversations with family sometimes there's a lot of charged energy around that and to have someone just totally be your partner around that I personally think is invaluable. I think so.
Sometimes with my client I might some of the changes that we might make during the those two weeks or homework I should say, some of the homework they might have is doing a meditation each day. It's a five-minute meditation. Sometimes some of the things I might give them are eating more good fats for breakfast. Having some avocado along with some egg or some turkey sausages or something like that. Sometimes it's shifting how they're moving through life. Shifting their schedule. It can be such a myriad of different things but it's all tailored to that person that's sitting right across from me.
In your opinion, the person who's come to you, who's reached out to you, looked you up on your website or has been referred to you by another friend or colleague, how committed are they to making that switch?
To make the changes in their life? They're really committed. Are they really open and really committed. I think the hard part is knowing what changes to make because as soon as you start doctor googling, right, it's like, "Oh, I should be doing this and this this and this." And that gets super overwhelming and really unproductive. Because if you get a laundry list of things to do, it's going to stress you out and you're not going to achieve it, and that's gonna make you more frustrated. So by taking little nibbles at a time with change that helps us achieve those greater goals that we want to achieve.
That makes a lot of sense. It is very true that it's not just commitment but then knowing what to do. And knowing what change to make and that's where you really come in. That's where you're holding that commitment and then being able to make that change, that's the core of what you do, right?
And then holding people accountable for that too you know in a kind and gentle manner. Gentle but firm, right? Where are we at with this and how did this go and you know his life still kind of circulating the same way? I think we need to focus on this a little bit deeper level this next time then. And you know what? All of our lives are crazy, right? I really do believe there's choice and all of that. It gets comfortable to sit in those things that maybe don't serve us well, right? Because change can be sometimes scary. To have someone sit across from you and hold your hand through that, I think is really, really powerful. And knowing that there's no judgement within that. That's not my job. My job is to be there and hold space and be your Switzerland, right? But also tell you where things need to change.
