What kind of coaching do you do?

That is a great question! The kind of coaching I do is deeply individual for each person I work with. It is about helping you get to know your own nervous system and finding ways to create internal space that allows your body to be open to wellness. We can not force ourselves to get better (and striving more often makes things worse!) We can only provide safety and relationship within our internal structures, our various parts, physical bodies, cellular patterns, visceral responses, and then invite our system to try new ways of functioning that are healthier for us. As our bodies learn that these options can be safe and are not going to overwhelm us, we grow in our capacity to be vulnerable and welcome more. 

I love to blend a wide variety of influences into my practice. Some of my favourites are soul work, polyvagal practices, Internal Family Systems (IFS) parts awareness, the Remembering Process, mindfulness meditation, somatic and body work and nervous system exercises. It is always important to consider body, mind and spirit, as we do our work and to approach things with a trauma informed perspective and a holistic mindset. I also believe strongly in using intuition and feeling into each person’s specific nervous system and situation. That is what makes the work I do unique.

I see my role as that of a guide, helping each person to tune back into their own internal wisdom. For those of us with trauma histories, this can be a scary process, as we have often learned to shut down in the face of danger. Having a companion on the journey, who has walked the path as well, can make a huge difference!  

I also have a long history of working with clients as an mentor, advocate and educator in mental health, and I am happy to provide practical support services such as:

• Planning for doctor visits

• Looking at how to chart food and sleep patterns

• How to pace activities 

This time is your time, and you are ultimately the leader on how you want to spend it.  

It is important to note here that I can not offer medical or legal advice and I do not practice therapeutic interventions. I can not treat mental illness or suicidal ideation and I don’t offer counselling services. If you require a referral to a mental health professional, please ask your primary health care provider. If you need urgent support, call your local emergency or crisis line number. 

How often do I need to come for sessions?

Many people benefit from weekly sessions when they are getting started, to learn more about their situation and to gain some momentum with their practice. However, understandably, not everyone has energy or financial resources to allow for this. We can work together to plan what works best for you, which could be biweekly or monthly sessions, or even just an occasional meeting. One approach that I have found works well is coming more frequently for a short while and then taking a break to practice what you have been learning, and repeating this over a longer period of time. There is no prescribed frequency, and “ideal” is whatever works best for you.

How long will it take for me to get better?

I am sure this sounds like a rather unhelpful answer, but the truth is that I just don’t know. Every person and nervous system is unique. Everyone has their own complex history, relationships, traumas as well as individual resources and strengths. Some shifts can happen fairly quickly when you start noticing your internal process. And some patterns may take more time to lessen their grip. I can say that any change process takes time, and the practice of befriending one’s own system and creating a safe space can not happen overnight. Those of us with complex histories may need extra time to move slowly. When we try to push ahead too quickly, we are not honouring our bodies and what they need, and we often end up with increased anxiety and more issues. I will generally ask you to do some homework in between sessions so that you can create more relationship within yourself and build more space on your own. Doing this work as often as you can will help you see even more benefits.

What might a coaching session look like?

The most amazing thing about 1 to 1 coaching sessions is that they are entirely unique to you. I do not have a prescribed course of action or a list of exercises that we will do in a certain order because we want to consider your specific needs each week. A typical first session might start with sharing where you are at and what excites you about working with a personal coach. I want to hear about where you are at now, where you want to be moving forward, your desires and your fears. How long you wish to share is up to you, however I usually suggest we use part of the session for information gathering and then move towards something experiential so that you can feel what it is like to touch into your internal system together. This could be a short practice session learning to orient to the environment, how to feel a certain part of your body more specifically, or something more complex, depending on where your system is at and how much experience you have with these types of practices. I will usually suggest some homework for in between sessions, so you can work on some things yourself. How much you practice on your own is up to you.

Each follow-up session generally starts with some time for life updates and then moves into more practice, building on what we learned in the previous session(s). I will usually ask if there are specific things you wish to cover to be sure that you feel the session is as helpful as possible.  

I was just diagnosed with a chronic illness and I feel overwhelmed. Where can I find resources to figure out what to do from here?

Where to start? Receiving a chronic illness diagnosis can be a VERY stressful experience. Believe me, I get it!! It often takes many doctor visits and months (or years) of tests and trials before the moment finally comes. Then there are often few options for what to do moving forward. Many chronic illness diagnoses come with limited treatments that are available and medical care can be expensive.   

One of my roles can be to help you sort through all the initial information and make a plan for moving forward. It can be immensely helpful to have an experienced coach to assist with things like questions to ask your doctor, where to find specialists, how to gather information for a disability claim, and more. 

If you want to find some free resources, click HERE to head over to my Blog Page, which has articles on topics you might be interested in. Or visit the Resources section for book recommendations and some links to other sites.   

How much does it cost to have a coaching session?

Coaching sessions are $130 per 60-minute session or $190 per 90-minute session.

The same rate is charged to listen to audio files, read lengthy emails and diagnostic charts or have conversations with other medical professionals or stakeholders. This is billed in 15 minute increments.

Please click HERE for more detailed information about booking, cancellation policies and contact information. 

For those with limited finances, I do keep a few spots for reduced rates. Feel free to email me about this option, what is needed to qualify and the approximate length of my subsidized session wait list.

How do I schedule a session?

Click HERE to go to the Booking page and fill in the contact form or email info@numacoach.com.

PLEASE NOTE: Mellissa is not taking any new clients at this time.

Can we keep in touch between sessions?

In most instances, I will suggest some homework for you to focus on in between our scheduled sessions. If you have a brief question please feel free to send it and I will do my best to send a short response. Since I am not in the office every day, it could take a few days to get a reply. Due to time constraints, I can not read or respond to lengthy emails or listen to audio files between sessions. If you wish to share this information during your session, or book an additional session to do so, that is always an option.

If you are in a crisis state and need immediate assistance, please contact your local medical professional, proceed to your nearest urgent care facility or call the emergency number for your area.

What did Mellissa’s recovery journey entail?

Click HERE for an explanation of my health journey and history.

What are Numa’s operating hours?

I work Tuesday and Thursday 9 am-3 pm and Wednesday 3 pm-9 pm Mountain Standard Time. I also work an occasional Friday. This allows for appointments that work with most time zones worldwide. If you have a specific request outside of these operating hours, send me an email and we can work out details. I try my best to answer all emails within 2 business days. For example, if you send an email on a Thursday afternoon, I would likely respond by the following week Wednesday.