Just a little about me....
This week I thought I’d share a little bit about me, beyond what you may have read in the About section.
As far as employment history goes – my background is 15 years in the IT industry. So, this is a pretty big change!
My interest in natural (or dare I say it “alternative”) therapies probably stems back for at least 10 years. I put the “alternative” in there not as a “either this OR that” but more because some of my personal beliefs about life are in that realm – I have always believed that there is more to life than just the physical reality and my first dabble down this path was when I was living in Montreal, Quebec and found an interest in natural therapies, crystals and energy work.
I struggled in school with attention and focus, and through most of my 20s with various emotional and mental health issues (including depression and anxiety). A lot of my mental health issues stemmed from my belief that there was something wrong with me, because I was trying to function like everyone else and couldn’t. At age 29 was diagnosed with ADHD (which I will talk more about in another blog entry). This diagnosis was a pivotal moment for me, because it gave me answers about why I behaved the way I did, why I struggled in the areas I did, and the knowledge that there was actually nothing wrong with me.
It was a conversation with a friend who was studying Ayurevda at AIHM (where I decided to go to study) that changed my path career wise. I loved what she was telling me about what she was learning, I read the book she gave me, and I started to take on board some of the changes from a dietary and lifestyle perspective. And it was when a number of health issues that I had been experiencing for many years (adult acne, IBS, ADHD, depression) ALL started to improve that I decided I wanted to become a complementary health practitioner. I would never have thought that any of the issues I had were interconnected, but the changes I made improved them all. After a couple of years thinking about it, I finally decided to just go for it and enroll to study Naturopthy. During my studies I also learned Swedish Massage which I loved so much that I decided to go to TAFE this year and complete my Diploma of Remedial Massage.
It is my personal experience with finding my way through the adult diagnosis of ADHD, depression and anxiety, my lack of self belief and self worth and overcoming these things to be living a life where I am happy, and creating amazing things that gives me a strong focus and passion on helping others experiencing mental or emotional difficulties and helping them through their own journey to turn things around.
My little fam bam
I am also a mother to two children –Alex who is 6 and Archer who is just over a year old. Motherhood has been no walk in the park, especially during my single parent journey during Alex’s first couple of years, and then juggling school and work throughout my second pregnancy and through Archer’s first year. It is through this journey of motherhood that I developed an interest in child health, which is my other area of focus.
I am super lucky to have a husband who is so incredibly supportive of me, and his support means that I can do this work and study - we met when I was going through college and he was there for me to make sure the home was running smoothly while I had my late nights and weekends in the student clinic to get my studies done.
Like most people who end up in this field, it is my past experiences that have shaped who I am and motivated me to try and find ways to help others who may be in a similar situation. It might not be exactly the same, but those who have struggled with their health (physical, mental, emotional) and are yet to find a way to move forward. If this is you, or someone you know, then I’d love to see you!