TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH
A lovely friend of mine wrote the following for me for the local Newsletter where I live. I thought this would be a great place to start my blogging journey. This is an add on to my Bio that you can read on my About page.
A cancer diagnosis in 2015 started Tess on a learning journey towards better personal health through nutrition, movement, emotional wellbeing, social connectivity, sleep etc.,
“After I was discharged from the hospital system, I wanted to take a holistic approach to keeping well - but I discovered that making informed choices was tricky,” she recalls.
Having completed a degree in Early Childhood Education in her forties, Tess was no stranger to adult learning and threw herself into gaining new knowledge that she could share with others on a similar pathway to better health and wellness.
With an Advanced Certificate of Nutrition Health and Wellness Coaching from Well College Global under her belt, and further studies with PreKure in Auckland, Tess became a member of the Health Coaches Australia and New Zealand Association (HCANZA) in 2018 and hasn’t looked back. She has since completed further studies, including, Understanding Dementia through Tasmania University.
“The coaching process is a partnership, with accountability and goals” she says. “I am there to walk alongside my clients, motivating and championing them to achieve the specific changes they want to make in their lives.”
Accountability + Goals = Results.
“This can be in areas such as sleep hygiene, stress/emotional wellbeing, movement, nutrition, connectivity, gut health……. everyone is different.”
We’ve all made those New Year’s resolutions that quickly fall by the wayside, but Tess says that by having a personalised plan and a Coach to help keep things on track, clients are more likely to engage with their goals and make long-term, sustainable change.
Along with providing one-on-one coaching and group sessions in person and online, Tess spends one day a week at a medical centre, working with patients who may have underlying health conditions, such as pre-diabetes, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart health issues, etc.
She also shares evidence-based information through presentations, which have included organisations such as Breast Care in Christchurch, Bosom Buddies in Nelson and the Nelson Prostate Cancer Support Group.
“Small lifestyle changes can make a huge impact to people’s lives,” she says.
Seven years on from her cancer diagnosis, Tess is thriving and feels more in control of the choices she makes.
“It made me stop and think about my work life balance. As an Early Childhood Teacher at the time, I wasn’t paying much attention to my own wellbeing.”
“I now know I need to take time for myself - and I feel privileged to walk alongside others as they go on their own health journey, whether they are 15, 55 or 95.”