Burnout. Overwhelm. Stress. Exhaustion. 

Not all people are facing clinical issues that are best addressed with therapy, but many people are struggling to live their best life possible. If you are searching for ways to improve your well being and find more joy in your life, consider Health and Well-Being Coaching.

Health and Well-Being Coaching at Evergreen is a collaborative process focused on empowering individuals to make sustainable lifestyle changes. Dr. Lauren Messina is a Diplomate with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and a Wellcoaches © Certified Health and Well-Being Coach. 

Coaching sessions are tailored to your unique situation, values, and priorities. Coaching sessions are person-centered and individualized. These sessions can be particularly helpful for:

• New parents who are exploring ways to prioritize self-care while managing the demands of parenting.
• Individuals dealing with stress who need help identifying stress triggers and developing personalized coping strategies.
• Burnt-out women who could benefit from rediscovering passions and reframing their narrative from feeling “not enough” to embracing their inherent worth and strengths.

Coaching with Dr. Lauren Messina combines an evidence-based understanding of lifestyle changes with a deep knowledge of coaching psychology. Coaching psychology, unlike traditional therapy, focuses less on delving into past issues and more on leveraging strengths and opportunities in the present to create forward momentum. This shift is particularly beneficial for those who want to feel more empowered and less overwhelmed. 

Coaching sessions leverage the following strategies:

• Motivational interviewing to help you find the internal motivation to achieve the changes you desire. Rather than being told what to do, you are gently guided to discover your reasons for wanting change. 
• Appreciative inquiry encourages you to reflect on your strengths and previous successes, building on what already works well in your life. Appreciative inquiry draws on positive aspects to design future actions that align with your strengths and preferences.
• Positive psychology emphasizes what is going well in your life and seeks to cultivate resilience, optimism, and a sense of purpose. When you are feeling burnt out or stressed, it can be easy to focus solely on the negatives. Dr. Lauren Messina will work with you to help shift this mindset, which doesn’t mean ignoring the difficulties but learning to appreciate the positives in your life, which can lead to increased resilience and overall wellbeing.
• Behavior change principles provide a practical framework for turning insights into action. We will break down overwhelming goals into smaller, achievable steps. We will focus on incremental changes that build momentum over time. Small shifts can create a ripple effect, leading to more profound changes in your physical, mental, and emotional health.

Ultimately, coaching is not just about reaching a goal but about transforming your approach to life’s challenges and opportunities. Through this process, you can expect to gain greater self-awareness, develop new habits, and reconnect with your sense of purpose—all while being guided with compassion.

“Doing one thing differently is often the same as doing everything differently.” – The Midnight Library

FAQs about Coaching

What’s the typical format of sessions?

Typically, the first session is 75 minutes and after that, sessions are 30 minutes. Dr. Lauren Messina often works with clients weekly to start, and then spaces sessions out once some momentum is established.

Is coaching reimbursed by insurance?

Most insurances do not reimburse for coaching sessions. As of January 2024, Medicare recognizes and covers services delivered by board certified health and wellness coaches.

How do I know if I need therapy or if coaching could be right for me?

Let’s talk about it! In a free 15 minute consultation where we have the chance to hear more about what’s going on for you, we can make a recommendation on the best way forward.

If I start working with you as a Coach and it becomes apparent that I actually need therapy, can we switch?

That’s something we’d talk about in depth as we figure out the best way to work together. It’s possible to make the shift from coaching to therapy, or therapy to coaching, with a clear understanding of the nature of the two fields and what sessions typically cover. Each service has their own paperwork to complete, different lengths of sessions, and different intended goals. So, if we made a switch from one service to another, it would only be for good, clear reasons and with the intention to stick with the new path forward.