ABOUT ME
I'm an Integrative Health Coach dedicated to helping people navigate their own paths to a healthier, happier and more fulfilled life. I follow an approach that is founded on the belief that true understanding of one's challenges comes from lived experience, not just theory.
My life has been a journey through numerous physical, mental, and emotional challenges and a subsequent healing journey that have given me a unique perspective. I consider my past obstacles and traumas as the experiences that ultimately provided me with the insights and resilience that I use today to serve my clients. My focus lies on meeting people exactly where they are, helping them see their own starting point so they can begin to map out where they want to go.
MY YOUNGER YEARS
My life path was shaped significantly by my childhood experiences, which left deep marks on my mind, body, and soul for over 40 years. Raised as an only child by a hard-working single mother, I was given a foundation of love and healthy nutrition, but also a counterproductive emotional overprotection. While she tried to shield me from pain, it left me struggling to face life's challenges on my own.
My father (or any father figure as a matter of fact) was largely absent. His intermittent appearances and departures left me with deep feelings of rejection. This caused me to develop strong people-pleasing tendencies as a way to avoid being disliked or abandoned again.
These early challenges were severely compounded by further significant childhood traumas. Left to deal with those traumas in isolation - without any help or support, and only receiving judgment - I developed significant trust issues and built powerful, yet often unhealthy defense mechanisms that would accompany me for decades.
FEELING OUT OF PLACE
A recurring theme throughout my life has been the feeling of not fitting in. It started in childhood. Having a foreign passport, I was often considered a foreigner, even in the country I called home. Equally, I wasn’t accepted as local in the country of my passport.
This feeling of not fitting in, combined with a fear of failure and a deep-seated worry of disappointing loved ones, drove me to try to please others instead of myself. I followed the path that seemed to suit others, not me. First through studies I wasn’t interested in, and then into a 15-year corporate career that - albeit being successful and a source of great personal growth - ultimately felt unfulfilling.
While growing as a person and a professional during that time, my personal values began to change, and I could no longer identify with the environment - again feeling out of place. A desire for change led me to leave my safe corporate job. My subsequent entrepreneurial journey was unsuccessful, coinciding with the pandemic. This marked the start of a difficult, five-year "finding phase" that included mental, physical, and emotional challenges, leading to an onset of depression.
The series of difficult ventures led me to become a stay-at-home dad, and that old, intense feeling of "being an outsider" resurfaced powerfully. I began to dread the simple question, "What are you doing?" and I felt I no longer fit the societal expectation of a "successful" man, and my self-confidence plummeted. I felt stuck in a daily routine that left me drained and without a sense of purpose.
GROWTH
The turning point was not a single situation, but the accumulation of events that brought me eventually towards rock bottom - I needed to seek help. It has always been difficult to ask for help, as it meant being vulnerable, risking judgment and having others do something for me. Through psychotherapy, I managed to get control of my depression before it got too serious. It gave me energy to look forward and embark on a new journey, a journey envisioning helping other people.
A pivotal experience in my healing journey was a deep, immersive healing retreat, which brought fundamental change by giving me immense insight into my past traumas and how they connected to my unhealthy behaviors. Through this process, I learned to stop changing direction when faced with an obstacle and instead use my fear as a compass to understand what was blocking me and continue on the right path forward.
ME TODAY
Today, I use the skillset gained from my experiences to serve the wellbeing of others. I was in a sense fortunate to go through difficult stages in my life. Through a strong sense of self-awareness, I was able to understand my own triggers and eventually become fully present, not only for my loved ones, but professinally for my clents as well. I have learned to listen to the needs of my own body and mind, a key pillar of holistic health.
My integrative health coaching philosophy is centered on this principle: enabling each of my clients to truly see themselves and understand their own inner needs. I see my path to healing as a lifelong journey. It is this continuous process that allows me to connect with my clients authentically, understanding their struggles not as theory, but as a path I myself am walking. My life's diversions have all contributed to this desire and ability to help others find their own clear path forward.
My History
Education
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach
Master of Hospitality Management
Diploma Chemical Engineer
Experience
15 years of Corporate Experience in Global Roles
3 years of Start-up Experience
Deep experience coaching people across cultures, fostering understanding and growth
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
Discovery Session
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