About Stephanie
Hi there, I'm Stephanie, a certified life coach, health and wellness coach. My deepest love is to support others to find their center, their path, and their purpose. I have a deep passion for our environment, sustainability, and living in harmony with nature.
I'm passionate, intelligent, goofy, bubbly, caring, and hard-working. I am genuine, loving, loyal, dedicated, and a trustworthy confidant to my clients, family, and friends. I'm relentlessly curious and yearn to understand each new topic as fully as I possibly can. I am also way too critical of myself and catch myself wanting to do everything perfectly. So yes, I'm a recovering perfectionist who still has a lot of work to do.
My life's journey has taken me across oceans, borders, language barriers, and many twists and turns. Today, I live in Boulder, Colorado, where I feel more at home than I have ever felt. My husband Brad, our dog Lucy, and I love mountain life. Hiking is my absolute favorite thing to do. I love being surrounded by nature, breathing in the fresh air, and filling my soul with Mother Earth's exquisite beauty.
I also love to bring nature into our home. At the moment of this writing, I have about 50 house plants (that's reasonable, right?). If you're a friend of mine on social media, you might have seen evidence of this. Please support my love (read: addiction) with encouragement and feedback. We plant people must stick together.
So now that you know a little bit about me, let’s take a little walk down memory lane to see what brought me to this point in life.
Let’s get Personal
Early Days - Switzerland
I was born in the United States but spent my younger childhood in Switzerland. I have very fond memories of those early days. Even though I was very young, I savored precious moments with my family, like preparing and enjoying meals together. One of my favorite spots was the kitchen. I was always at my mother's side, ready to "help" with the "super important" tasks. Switzerland is also where my love for nature and the mountains was born. My memories of hiking with my father always make me smile. Growing up surrounded by the unspoiled nature of the Swiss mountains was wonderful. Here's little me in the kitchen with my big sister at our small stove. Mom would give us cooked rice and butter to "make our rice" on our tiny burner and baby pot. Clearly, we were creating some groundbreaking recipes there!
On the Move - Bahamas
When I was 13, my Mom, siblings, and I moved to the Bahamas. I spent the remaining years of my childhood and also finished high school there. Moving from the punctual, snowy, old-world Switzerland to the slow, sunny beach life of the Bahamas was quite an adjustment. My siblings and I found ourselves at home there remarkably fast. We learned to adapt to the new language (English and Bahamian 'Island-English') and, of course, also 'Island Time (a.k.a. nothing is ever on time). We grew to love the ocean and our new way of life. Here I am with my little brother soaking up the sun, and it's clear he is much better at it than I am.
Education & Experience
Going off to college brought me back to America; I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and got a taste of the South. I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. After undergrad, I was eager to move on to grad school for Clinical Psychology. Shortly after starting my studies in a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program, I experienced intense health problems. My symptoms were so severe that it forced me to put my education on hold. I've always had a 'sensitive stomach,' but I was experiencing debilitating digestive issues. I was also suffering from excruciating migraines. This affected my daily life so severely that I developed intense anxiety and was housebound.
I knew in my heart that I had to make serious changes in my life! So I went on a soul-searching and body-healing journey. I took an honest look at myself and my life and finally asked myself what I really desired for my future. This led me to dig into health and nutrition studies to empower myself. I wanted to find the balance my body needed through my nutrition and lifestyle choices. With time and patience, I found my way to that place; through lots of books, research, and support. Now I am in a much better place with my health and my goals. My journey has inspired me to work hard to help others find the answers they're seeking in their lives.
Becoming a Health Coach
My search for learning and understanding led me through several study programs to gain as much knowledge as possible. In the first online study program, I earned my Certificate as a Nutritional Consultant in 2009. It sparked my curiosity and interest in this world of self-empowerment and self-healing. Then I enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and gained my Health Coach Certification in 2011. During my time with IIN, I got a taste for coaching, and I instantly knew that I wanted to learn more about it. I craved to expand my life coaching knowledge to assist my clients in more broadly than just their health and wellness. I wanted to be able to support them in their soul-searching times and even their day-to-day struggles.
Becoming a Life Coach
I further developed my coaching skills with the International Coach Academy (ICA) in 2014. This is where the coaching bug really bit me, and I just knew that this was my sweet spot. I loved connecting with clients, seeing their growth, and celebrating their wins with them. The ICA's Certified Coach Training Program is an in-depth and well-rounded course. It spans over a year and a half and is approved by the International Coach Federation (ICF). The ICF is the world leader and main certifying body in the coaching world. I am certified through the ICF as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC). Want to know more? I've got more info on coaching and my coaching style. You can also read my Client Testimonials, where some of my former coaching clients have shared their experiences of our time together.
What About You?
Now that you know a little about me, why don't you come and tell me about yourself?Interested in working with me? General thoughts and questions? I’m all ears…
Don't forget to connect with me on my Social Media Platforms.
