Who’s on Your Healing Squad?

When we heal with nature in mind, we take an integrated approach that considers every aspect of a unique individual’s needs. Our health is deeply affected by what we consume, how we behave, and the environment In which we live. I champion a nature-inspired guide to healing chronic pain, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, and countless other ailments contributing to a global pandemic of suffering. It’s an approach that is locally attuned and specific to meeting an individual’s needs and experience—wherever they are in their life at any given moment. Grounded in well-researched and applied behavioral psychology and integrated nutrition, my method considers a whole person’s being and place in the natural world; is relayed through personal experience, experimentation, and exploration; and it all comes down to love.?

In a fully-integrated approach to wellness, I believe that the traditional medical industry, alternative and functional medicine practices, Ayurveda, yogic practices, mindfulness, and spirituality all coexist in understanding, diagnosing, and treating the human condition. I am not a doctor, and I come with my own education and experience, recognizing there are many ways to approach this work and that some may benefit from participating in this journey alongside a psychotherapist, health coach, counselor, support group, or a friend if that’s available to you. It’s important to always consult with a physician first before trying any new emotional processing approaches, physical exercises, or nutrition changes.?

A Healing Squad is a curated group of people that you personally identify to help you on your healing journey. They help you stay accountable, unpack hard-to-diagnose ailments, support treatment plans, and offer loving support as you navigate your approach to health and wellbeing. Very importantly: you are the Captain. You are the ultimate decider of what will serve you best by listening to your body, understanding your unique experience, and speaking your truth. Consider the Healing Squad a deep principle of community where each member has a role to play in the overall success for helping an organism thrive.

A physician in the medical industry can help run tests, scans, and offer the advanced treatment of common ailments that plagued our ancestors with antibiotics, vaccines, and medications needed for complicated issues such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Schizophrenia, or when surgery is needed for a broken bone. A psychotherapist, psychologist, or counselor can help provide a container for safe emotional and mental processing and help guide behavioral changes. A personal trainer can help focus on the body’s performance and strengthening. A dietary nutrition can help deliver a tailored meal plan personalized to your body’s needs. A health coach like me can help you put all these pieces together to understand how it’s all connected, be your advocate, and offer guidance as needed for deeper reflection and practice. Having a friend or family member in your Healing Squad can also be beneficial as it’s always nice to have someone in your corner, who can be there in your day-to-day life that understands your journey and is supportive for your progress toward continual healing.

The approach I take and offer through tailored programs are not going to prescribe the “best” diet, exercise program, educational path, or career focus. I avoid fads and instead focus on research—then application. No plan will be the same for everyone. I won’t be encouraging you to start an exercise program to get a target weight. It’ll be about creating a whole lifestyle of wellness, which will always change depending on you and your body’s changing evolution. I won’t be recommending the latest diet trend, encouraging a vegan diet, or complete abstinence from sugar. You can find ample science backing any kind of diet you want to eat on the internet, and I’m not here to encourage you any which way except to learn how to assess what your body needs, what is locally sourced and available to you, and is as close to whole foods as you can get with minimal processing. We’re going to take a completely bio-individual approach, meaning that by providing the resources and pathways that I’ve studied and found helpful, you’ll be empowered to craft the lifestyle that will be most effective to your unique needs. And this practice will also be grounded in doing everything intentionally and mindfully—from eating to moving, becoming aware and slowing down in the moment, to finding safe and healthy ways to process stagnant energy and work through emotions.

The bottom-line understanding here is that by becoming aware of how your unique experience is shaping your life, and asking why time and time again before making a final diagnosis and treatment plan, we can live a fully integrated, holistic life free of suffering. And very importantly, each challenge will look to nature for successful strategies, while also finding opportunities to deeply connect with the natural world. It’s also essential to recognize that as a person will continually change over time, each program will have feedback loops, regular assessment, and the ability to adapt to changing conditions to honor our dynamic, changing reality. May we together embrace the myriad of nature-inspired ways to solve problems and (re)connect to the world around us so that we recognize our deep interconnectedness.

Feed your curiosity by visiting healwithamore.com/schedule.