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What is Integrative Nurse Coaching?

Integrative Nurse Coaching uses traditional coaching principles along with the education and skills of nursing practice. It is based in the Theory of Integral Nursing (Barbara Dossey), the Vulnerability Model (Bonnie and Richard Schaub), and the Integrative Functional Health Model.

Integrative Nurse Coaches are skilled in the arts of deep listening, mindful presence, awareness practices, and creating optimal healing environments. We are trained in the Integrative Nurse Coach 5-Step Coaching Process, the Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change, SMART goals and goal setting, the GROW model, Appreciative Inquiry, Motivational Interviewing, and Nonviolent Communication. These compliment the traditional nursing skills of assessment, education, nursing diagnoses, planning, care management, interventions, and evaluation.

Integrative Nurse Coaching is an interactive, client-led process where we focus on setting and achieving goals. After the client’s goals are clearly defined and articulated, I help the client get out of his or her own way so he or she can actually achieve those goals. In most cases, people already have an idea of what they want, and even how to achieve it, but for whatever reason, they haven’t seen the kind of progress they’re really looking for.

Most of us have goals we haven’t fully achieved on our own, because we’ve gotten stuck or sidetracked along the way. We humans can be masters of self-deception and self-sabotage, so the value of coaching is in having someone help you get out of your own way, and get rid of the patterns that interfere with you living the life you really want. If you could achieve all of your goals on your own, you would, and you would have a long history of doing so. It is not a flaw to ask for help, it is human. Living in a cooperative society means we need each others’ help to thrive; coaching is a wonderful and honoring way to do just that.

In our coaching sessions, people can explore and delve into the areas of their life they really want to work on. We look at all aspects of life and how they interact: the physical body, mental patterns, emotional states, spiritual questions, self-care, nutrition, social life and relationships, finances, career, health and disease states, sleep, self-esteem, behaviour patterns, communication, activity levels, intimacy issues, and more. Everything is inter-related when we look at life from a holistic perspective, so that means everything could be important. It is up to the client to determine what he or she wants to work on.

Who might benefit from coaching?

Anyone could benefit from coaching, but the people for wh om coaching is a really good fit are people who have already spent some time developing their own self-awareness. Coaching is not a process of “fixing” or counselling, though Integrative Nurse Coaching does stem from a counselling model (as opposed to executive coaching, which stems from more of a sports coaching model). In counselling, people tend to spend a lot of time digging into past problems and issues. This can be beneficial for people who need to understand themselves more deeply, but for people who already have a decent amount of self-understanding, this may cause they to get more “stuck” in the past.

Instead of focusing on the past, coaching focuses on the present and the future. It starts in this present moment, and attempts to move forward. We do not do that by ignoring the past, but by using the past to help propel us forward. I use contemplation, reflection, and awareness practices to help the client remain centred and focused on the issues at hand, but I also expect my clients to work with me through the process. Sometimes being coached can be exhausting; it is not like getting a massage, where the client can be passive and simply have something done to them, it requires work! I work with my clients to make sure any changes that are made are ones that are right for them, and if I had to guess, I’d say that about 98% of the answers come from the clients themselves, and only about 2% from my own wisdom and experience. However, that is why changes made through coaching are much longer lasting than ones that are prescriptive.

There are no magic pills or one-size-fits-all solutions with coaching. For example, as an RN, I know that smoking is unhealthy and I understand the damage it does to the body. However, if a client comes to me and wants to work on relationship or career issues, and is also a smoker, I am not going to insist that they stop smoking or try to explain the dangers of smoking to them. Most people know those things already anyway. My job is to approach the client without judgment and support them however they need to be supported at that moment. It does not mean I will ignore anything relevant or enable destructive behaviours, but I will approach the client as a unique individual with priorities and goals that may not be what I would choose for them. It is not my job to be the boss of my clients, rather I want to empower them to live a life that is fulfilling and satisfying for them, and according to their own definitions of those terms.

So, to really answer the previous question, the people that benefit the most from coaching are motivated people who have some degree of self-awareness, and some goals that they’d like to work on. These are people who want to make changes, but either don’t know how to change or have some fear and/or resistance to changing. My primary role is not to motivate my clients (though I frequently help with that), the way I see it, my primary job is to get my clients where they want to be in the most comfortable, gentle way possible. By honouring my clients and their individuality, I help them achieve their goals and maintain the new lifestyle they came to me to create. There are always changes and diversions along the way, so I help my clients “roll with the punches” and remain true to their own priorities no matter what life throws their way.

Why might patients come see you as opposed to other practitioners?

I believe we find people to work with that have something we need or relate to. It is different for everyone, but the relationship between a coach and coachee can be one of the most important factors relating to the success of the process. There needs to be an incredible amount of trust anytime we are looking at making changes in our lives, because that is an incredibly intimate process. I treat my patients as I would treat my family: there is no experimentation or quick fixes. I listen deeply and actively to both what my clients say and what they avoid saying. I use all of my skills, training, intuition, and care to help my clients find solutions that will really work and be realistic over the long-term. I do not “fix” my clients, but I am responsible to them to make sure that they get the most value out of their time with me. That does not mean that we just blindly push forward though, often there is greater value in stillness than in hectic motion. I use my clinical skill and judgment to guide my clients through the process, and in the forefront of all of this is integrity. The recommendations I make to clients are ones that I would suggest to my loved ones if they were in the same situation. It is very important to me that my clients are getting value from their sessions. When there are things I don’t know about, I tell my clients that, and then help them find the answers in the best way I can.

There are many wonderful practitioners in the world who help clients with a wide variety of modalities. I believe clients come to me because they respond to my integrity and personality as well as my unique skills and training. The most common feedback I receive centers around my compassion, kindness, and gentleness, but the most profound feedback I often receive is gratitude from clients for being able to hold space for them to dive deeply into their fears, anger, and other emotions that they’ve never been able to fully express. This is an incredibly intimate and humbling experience for me, and my clients remark that being able to open up and “go there” with another person holding space and honoring their process is something most of them have not experienced before.

As for my credentials, I began practicing natural health and healing in 2000, so for over a decade now I have been studying people and helping them heal from a holistic perspective. I have worked with subtle energies, focusing on emotional, spiritual, and social/ relationship issues. I have delved into the subconscious using many varieties of hypnotherapy to clear negative thought patterns, replace them with positive patterns, and clear old traumas from the body and mind. I have been coaching people on spiritual issues since before the word “coaching” became popular in this context. For many years, my specialty was helping people come to grips with the “big” spiritual questions: Who am I? What gives my life meaning? What’s my life purpose?

Additionally, because I have been in this field for so long, I have done a lot of searching and have used a wide variety of natural home, health, and healing products. When I recommend a product line for my clients, you can be assured that it is one I have used personally, have found to be safe and effective, and have also recommended to my friends and family. I have chosen companies that I believe have good integrity, manufacturing processes, and (of course) products. Not only am I protecting my clients this way, but I am protecting my professional reputation; there are too many questionable products with brilliant marketing, and I don’t want to buy into something that is just marketing hype. I would rather be cautious and make sensible recommendations that are safe and well-researched than experiment with someone’s health and wellness.

In 2008, I became a Registered Nurse because I wanted to learn more about how the body worked. My acute care nursing experience has led me to work with people on all stages of the developmental spectrum from birth all the way through their nineties. I have watched how our medical system deals with chronic and acute illnesses, and how simple things like breathing techniques, relaxation, and nutrition can make gigantic differences in people’s health and well-being. As an RN, I understand the complexities of dealing with the medical system, and I help clients navigate through their healing journeys. I understand the need and value of both naturopathic and Western medicine, and I help my patients choose solutions that are realistic and appropriate for themselves and their families. I have worked with professionals from a large variety of specialties, and have a broad understanding of both natural and medical interventions. In addition, my Masters degree (Advancing Nursing Practice) from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland, UK) gave me a greater understanding of research, so I am better able to analyze (and help my patients analyze) the wide amount of information published on the internet and through the media.

Why did you choose to focus your practice on coaching when you’ve studied all these other modalities?

Coaching incorporates everything I’ve studied, and is the most gentle and natural way I have found to help my clients achieve their goals. I do still work frequently with aromatherapy, Reconnective Healing, imagery, and meditation, but I can do all of this from within the context of coaching as and when it is appropriate for the individual client. My specialized nutrition knowledge along with all of the other modalities helps my clients be healthier physically as well as mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

How does Integrative Nurse Coaching work?

We start with our initial 90-minute goal setting session. In this session, we will explore your goals, the motivation behind your goals, your readiness for change, and the obstacles you’ve identified that are preventing you from achieving your goals. We will go over any paperwork you’ve completed (health history, wellness assessment, stress type questionnaire, etc.), and make sure that your current concerns and your goals are aligned. Well-developed and meaningful goals tend to produce better, more lasting results, so our initial session focuses on what you want, so we can find ways to make it happen.

The format of the following sessions will depend on your needs, your progress, and your challenges. Since coaching is a highly individualized process, every session will be client-led and personalized; however, there are many different “tools” we can use to help achieve your goals in the most gentle, easy, and effective way possible.

Other than talking, what modalities might I experience throughout the Integrative Nurse Coaching process?

Stress is usually a factor for our clients, so we focus on stress management with almost every client. However, everyone will have different needs when it comes to stress. Some of the common modalities we use are:

• Breathing Exercises
• Guided Imagery
• Awareness Practices
• Meditation
• Aromatherapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Self-hypnosis
• Reconnective Healing/ Reiki

These modalities are used as a means to support your goals, not as goals in and of themselves. We use the modalities to allow you to access your own inner wisdom, so you can find the answers that are right for you. Not only will you be able to achieve your current goals, but you will learn the skills you need to achieve your goals in the future.

Is there a specific area or client population you specialize in?

Yes. I specialize in working with families who struggle with food intolerances/ allergies, chronic illness, and fatigue. My women’s and children’s acute care nursing expertise, functional nutrition training, and personal experience eliminating food allergens has led me to delve into this area both personally and professionally. My clients make lasting lifestyle changes and learn to manage their stress, increase their energy, and shed excess weight by creating safe, nutritionally-sound, healthy habits.

Click here to visit Ariana's Integrative Nutrition Coaching website.

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From one of our clients (name withheld to protect confidentiality):

Coaching with Ariana was so helpful to me - especially when I had several projects on my plate. Sifting through and prioritizing was exactly what I needed - and she was great at that.....and the support and reflection were spot on! Ariana is a great coach because she blends her inner guidance with practical knowledge, and her professional background is a definite plus! For anyone who needs life management / time management / or health issues addressed, I think Ariana is a great coach for any of these things!