We All Have a Story

My story starts when my life ground to a halt with crippling anxiety and panic attacks more than a decade ago. I went from traveling internationally, finishing grad school, working as a registered nurse, and hiking with my dogs to completely agoraphobic in a matter of weeks.

My husband lovingly refers to this period in my life as “the hiatus” because life as we knew it stopped, quite abruptly, for some time. While I had always struggled with intermittent anxiety, OCD, and panic attacks, this was different. I was completely consumed. While that was the most trying experience of my life, and I’ve experienced other hardships - caring for and losing both my parents, having serious pregnancy and delivery complications, and living with a chronic autoimmune condition - my story didn’t end there. In fact, my career path as a nurse health and wellness coach was largely born from that hardship because a coach is what I needed - someone to support me in bridging the gap from where I was to where I wanted to be.

Unfortunately, all too often, the traditional healthcare model is designed to diagnose, treat, and provide instructions to the patient. While this medical model has its benefits, the patient, along with their personal needs, values, goals, strengths, experiences, challenges, and barriers, is often left out of the conversation. Our unique humanness is overlooked. Don’t get me wrong, a good doctor (or Nurse Practitioner), therapist, and other healthcare professionals are invaluable for our health and well-being, but for me, after the dust settled a bit, a coach was the missing piece and what I needed to support me in cultivating my vision of health and well-being. All of us want to be mentally and physically healthy, and many of us have at least some knowledge about what it takes to do so, but most of us have trouble getting there at one point or another in our lives. I’m here to see you as a unique human and to create an environment conducive to bridging the gap between wanting and actually attaining your vision of mental and/or physical well-being.

Kelli Walker, RN, MSN, Certified Health and Wellness Coach