About Me
Life coach, mindfulness meditation teacher, team-building facilitator, and recovered chronic pain sufferer.
I know that recovery from even the scariest symptoms is possible, no matter how long you’ve had them. I’ve lived through it myself, and it’s become my passion to help others work through the fear, frustration, and hopelessness that accompanies chronic pain.
A Short Version of My Long Story
Several years ago I had surgery for a significant rotator cuff tear. At the time, I felt like my life was cruising along nicely. But suddenly, I had to face the prospect of missing work, a long and painful recovery process, and putting my life on hold. My response to this unexpected and unwanted development was anxiety and fear.
During recovery I found myself constantly worried that my shoulder wouldn’t heal properly, despite reassurances from my surgeon that I was doing well. It wasn’t long before I started experiencing pain in my “good” shoulder… and then my neck… and down my arms.
And my anxiety grew.
My doctor diagnosed me with cervical stenosis and recommended physical therapy. It didn’t help, and neither did an epidural injection to my neck.
And my anxiety continued to build.
The more anxious and fearful I became, the more symptoms I developed—to the point where there was literally no part of me, from my scalp to the soles of my feet, that didn’t experience strange and alarming sensations.
This continued for over a year, despite the many specialists I was seeing, therapies I was trying, medications I was taking and diagnostic tests I was enduring. Nobody could tell me what was wrong with me, and not a single treatment gave more than very temporary relief.
My mind was constantly rushing to catastrophic conclusions, and I found myself addicted to consulting “Dr. Google” for every new symptom that arose. (A terrible idea, I should add.)
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Sound familiar? Or maybe a bit triggering? Well, take a few deep breaths. Because things got
much better ​for me, and I believe they can for you, too.
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​My recovery started over a cup of coffee with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. This friend was a chronic pain sufferer for decades but had recently experienced dramatic healing. Not from taking a wonder drug, or from a new form of massage, or a change of diet. The cure came from doing the inner work and coming to terms with stress, difficult emotions, and even past traumas.
This was my introduction to a whole new way of looking at the mind-body connection, and the role of the mind in creating real pain—and many other symptoms—as signals that some things in our lives need attention. This phenomenon goes by a lot of different names, including Mindbody Syndrome, TMS, neuroplastic pain, and psychogenic pain, to name few.
The doctors had determined there was nothing physically wrong with me. I just needed to get my emotional and psychological house in order.
Why I Do What I Do
My recovery process was a real DIY job, built from reading books, listening to podcasts, watching videos, and trying out countless exercises I found in these resources. It wasn’t the straightest pathway, but it did get me back to doing everything I was doing before the surgery—with a new sense of gratitude and adventure! I hike, I run, I go out with friends, and I enjoy active vacations with my family.
It also offered a new perspective on past experiences, like my eight-year bout with chronic migraines that started soon after I changed jobs, bought a house, and had a child in the span of several months. In retrospect, the headaches were a big WTF from my brain. They subsided only when I adapted to the pressures of a new job, home ownership, and fatherhood. Had I known then what I know now, I estimate I could have spared myself nearly 1,000 headaches!
Healing from chronic pain and the emotional struggles related to it was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. Even though I was never in serious physical danger, my brain and nervous system didn’t know that and kept trying to convince me that I was gravely ill! The relief I experienced once I opened up to an alternative explanation for my symptoms, and actually recovering from them, was profound. I decided that helping others in similar circumstances would be one of the most meaningful things I could do with my life.
I referred to my healing as a "DIY job," and at times it was frustrating. So as a coach I’m dedicated to taking as much of the guesswork as possible out of the process. I’ll work with you to create a personalized healing plan based on a growing body of clinical research, coupled with my own experience. I’ve made my share of mistakes so you don’t have to!
Feeling better, with the family in Iceland.
Training & Experience to Move You Forward.
I hold certifications as both a Holistic Life Coach and Mindbody Syndrome Practitioner through the MindBodyFood Institute—an internationally-accredited training organization and one of the only coaching programs focused specifically on working with Mindbody Syndrome/TMS.
In addition to this training, I have over two decades experience designing and facilitating programs in mindfulness meditation, peer-to-peer coaching, and group dynamics/team building. My coaching approach emphasizes contemplative practice, deep reflection, and building connections to enhance well-being and self-awareness.
