Julinie
ONE conversation changed my life
It’s two weeks before Christmas, 1995, and I’m at a work Christmas dinner in a cosy, traditional country pub in Tewkesbury, a small town in the South West of England. I am surrounded by the physiotherapists from the hospital where I am completing my second clinical placement. Everyone is merry, relaxed and chatty.
I, on the other hand, was suffering from a throbbing migraine and feeling anxious about my upcoming clinical assessment, having nearly failed my first clinical placement just 2 months before.
From being awarded top student at my college just a year and a half earlier, I was literally scraping through my exams and clinical placements. My self esteem was at rock bottom.
I was also feeling very self conscious about my appearance. Not only had I gained 11kg and gone up 2 dress sizes since starting at university the year before, but my face, back and chest had been erupting in angry, red acne that felt like big, red mountains.
And to add insult to injury, the eczema, tonsillitis and sinusitis I’d frequently suffered with as a child had returned with a vengeance.
Little did I know that I was about to stumble across one solution to my physical and mental health problems.
Sitting to my right was Helen, a petite, quiet lady. When our meals were served, we started talking. Innocently, I asked her why she wasn’t having something from the Christmas set menu.
Her answer shocked me and completely changed my attitude to food and health from that point on. It turned out she was on a dairy and gluten free diet to eliminate her numerous health woes, many of which were the same health issues I was facing.
This conversation started me on my first step towards a truly healthier lifestyle. Over the last 25 years, I have been diving deeper into understanding how to improve my health in a holistic manner.
I am now free from migraines, tonsillitis, acne, eczema, depression and panic attacks. I am also calmer, more focused and happier than when I was in my 20’s.
Oh, and I lost those 11kgs I put on at university and my weight has not changed since. Well, apart from during my 2 pregnancies!
As much as I loved being a working mum, juggling motherhood while working as a physiotherapist put a real strain on my physical and mental health. In 2018, I was close to experiencing burnout and decided I needed to put my health as my top priority. I spent a good part of 2018 and 2019 diving deep into holistic health and using the knowledge I gained to help me improve my own health. It was the best decision I could have made!
I also used that time to become a Health Coach and earned a certification in Integrative Nutrition Health Coaching from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in 2019. I decided it was time I used my passion and knowledge about holistic health to help others, instead of just myself.
I am also a self-confessed brain nerd! Having had a successful career as a paediatric and adult neurological physiotherapist, I can honestly say I love figuring out what’s not quite working well in my patients’ brains and bodies. My specialty is working with clients who have complex health problems or disabilities.
Using a unique combination of health coaching skills, physiotherapy experience and a brain centred approach, I am here to help you improve your health and achieve your goals.
To find out if working with me can help you achieve your health goals,
contact me to organise a FREE 30 minute exploratory call.