We were recently contacted by Elizabeth Ballin - Life Coach, who came highly recommended. We asked her a few questions so our readers could get to know her better.
Tell us why you decided to start coaching
Coaching came to me when I was being coached myself. I was looking for something to do in my life that would really tap into my creativity and desire to be of service to people. My original thought was to help the expatriate community in Geneva who were here sometimes for only a few years, to feel more settled and to find ways to self-develop. Being American/Swiss I was very aware how difficult it was to feel a part of my adopted country when I first arrived here.
As I was being coached, I realized that Life Coaching was really a very good way to help anybody — no matter where they are, what they are doing or not doing — to rethink and redesign their lives in accordance to their present situation. Life Coaching works on constructing solutions and seeking strategies through discovering one’s natural and internal resources and creativity to deepen one’s understanding of what is available to them in any environment or circumstance.
My coaching includes students and adults in different stages of their life both professionally and non-professionally. I often coach people who are faced with change and who are looking for ways to find their path, such as divorce, career change or retirement. Over the past few years, I also have been working with college-bound students at the International School to help them get greater clarity on their academic choices and life purpose.
What is biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
Trying to explain to people what Coaching is and what coaching is not! Just a few years ago, most people thought coaching was someone who trained you. Coaching is not this at all! It is, in fact, advice-free! I would say nowadays, a lot of people are familiar with coaching.
There are business coaches, life coaches, health coaches, etc, and who are often employed by big companies. I think coaching has proven to be a very good way to get people to thrive and flourish no matter what area they need to be coached in. So, to get back to the question, how did I overcome the obstacle? The benefits of coaching are now being understood on a much broader scale, so it is much easier to explain what I do.
If you are looking for an English-speaking doctor in the Morges area, then we have one that was recently recommended to knowitall.ch, Dr. Sara Heyse.
Dan L. wrote this fabulous email to us, "I went to see Dr. Sara Heyse two years ago in Nyon. I had a problem which troubled me for a while and none of the doctors I saw were able to point me in a clear direction. They just recommended to take various tests and exams. When I saw Dr. Heyse, she listened to me carefully and she found the correct diagnose. She prescribed the treatment as well as mesotherapy. I followed her advice and am now recovered. I am still seeing Dr. Heyse regularly at her clinic is in Morges; I think that it is worth the trip. I feel good each time after seeing her. For me, Dr. Heyse is a very good doctor. She speaks excellent English and she is a very good listener. She enables and empowers me in my healing process. I highly recommend Dr. Heyse."
And another glowing referral from Elina V., "Dr Heyse is an exceptional physician, who meets each of her patients at a personal level and is a wonderful listener. She is a warm and welcoming doctor, who makes you feel very comfortable even when you are not at your best. The professional advice she has given me was to the point and was what I needed. I would sincerely recommend Dr. Heyse's services to others in the region. I have dealt with her in English, but I also know that she speaks fluent French."
Can you please explain your line of work?
I am writing this text in the middle of the Corona virus crisis. It doesn't feel appropriate to talk a lot about myself but rather what moves me to do this profession. I have such great respect for nature that I wanted to serve our community by advocating for the beauty of our bodies and souls. I strongly believe that if we can honour and respect the equilibrium in nature, we can live happily and in great health until our time is up here on earth. My everyday work is mainly focussed on encouraging people to listen to their bodies. When symptoms and health issues come up, it is up to us to decipher the message. What is out of equilibrium? What habits, dogmas, ideas or views do we need to change to recover our balance?
As a physician, my task is to help translate this message and to help patients to find their natural balance. During my years in practice I started applying several tools such as phytotherapy (management and prevention of disease with plants), orthomolecular medecine (with vitamins and nutritional supplements) and mesotherapy (tiny injections under the skin with natural products) to support the body. Fortunately we also have access to wonderful medication that we can prescribe when needed. I feel so grateful that I have the luxury to combine conventional medicine and complementary medicine in my day to day practice.
If you feel stuck at home (and we are glad that you are obeying this recommendation), then you might feel isolated. We have had to rethink our social life. Knowitall.ch posted a few meeting sites a few weeks ago but now our agendas are filling up with virtual parties every day. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. your experience and other sites or Apps and we can add to the article.
A few tips to make it successfull:
- Make a specific time and date (either once or on a regular basis).
- Clean your space around you.
- Get your drink and snacks ready.
- Think of it as if you were going out to meet up in a restaurant or bar. Take a shower, put on your glad rags, and put on a bit of lippie to make yourself presentable. You will feel better and it will be something to look forward to.
- Set a time limit.
- If you are living with other family members not participating, remember to let them know you are "out" and will be "home" for dinner at a specific time.
- Enjoy talking about positive things and not dwelling on your fears or problems. No-one will continue to meet up with you if you are a downer.
- If you have something to show, then get it ready or nearby your screen so you don't have to walk around with your phone making everyone dizzy, or letting them stare at empty space.
- Remember, they can see you too... so don't run off to the loo with your phone (it happens).
When Lucy recently recommended Katharine Minton to knowitall.ch, we knew others could benefit from this English-speaking counsellor, "Going through therapy with Katharine has been a life-enriching process. One reason why Katharine is such a good fit for me is that she enables me to understand better what's going on for me. I am in control and she journeys with me. She has helped me move forward with my issues. I would thoroughly recommend Katharine to others who are seeking a counsellor who listens with empathy and who is attentive, engaged, kind, and knowledgeable."
Katharine Minton offers counselling to help people with a wide range of issues such as:
- anxiety
- depression
- trauma
- grief
- issues in relationships
- personal concerns
She describes herself as an integrative counsellor using a variety of interventions tailored to clients' individual needs. The relationship with clients is of fundamental importance and she aims to create a warm, supportive and confidential environment to help people address their specific needs. The interventions she uses include:
- person-centered therapy
- cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- gestalt therapy
- creative interventions
- mindfulness
By Laraba Friedman, Balanced Healing
As I celebrated the New Year with my family, I asked each one of them what they would like to give back – the answers were:
- to continue to raise money for a friend’s education in Africa
- to lower personal plastic consumption
- to be vegan 2 x week (at least)
- to continue eradicating waste at school through a special committee
- and to befriend an older person in the community.
I was proud. As for me, I want to continue on my minimization of plastics and to create a pace where I am able to enjoy the moments without wishing them away. And… because of who I am, I want to continue my adventure to a healthier gut!
Where are you with your thoughts for 2019?
Want to join me on the path of a healthier gut (and mind)? If so, I invite you to participate in one of my Healthy GUT….Healthy YOU, 4 week workshops starting 17 January.
This course is a great way to get to know your body (and its limits) and to take note of what is over ‘committing’ in the physical and emotional sense.
I recommend people do my workshop twice a year, as it gets you back to basics and thinking about a healthier way of living. If you have already done one course then why not try it again? You do have the tools but from personal experience, it’s much easier to do it with others.
