Mystic Mag has the pleasure of talking with Melinda Smith, a certified holistic coach and NLP Master Practitioner. With her extensive expertise in these fields, Melinda has been helping individuals achieve personal growth and transformation. She combines her knowledge of holistic coaching and neuro-linguistic programming to empower her clients and guide them towards positive change in their lives. Melinda’s passion for holistic wellness and her commitment to helping others has made her a trusted and sought-after practitioner in the field. We are excited to learn more about her journey, her approach to coaching, and the impact she has made on the lives of her clients.
As a holistic coach, what does it mean to approach coaching from a holistic perspective? How does this approach differ from traditional coaching methods?
What sets holistic coaching apart from traditional coaching methods is its focus on the whole person rather than solely on specific goals or challenges. While traditional coaching may concentrate on achieving external success or tackling specific problems, holistic coaching recognises that true fulfillment and happiness come from aligning all aspects of our lives with our core values and purpose.
In my practice, I endeavor to foster a caring and encouraging environment where clients are seen, heard, and valued for who they are and we work on their mind, body and spirit. I encourage them to embrace self-compassion and self-care as part of their personal growth and I help them to nurture their physical well-being, cultivate mental and emotional resilience, and nurturing their spiritual connection.
Holistic coaching incorporates various modalities and techniques to support clients’ growth, such as mindfulness practices, visualization exercises, energy work, and somatic awareness. By utilizing these tools, it allows for a deeper understanding of ourselves and enables transformative change.
Ultimately, my approach as a holistic coach is rooted in the belief that each person has the unlimited capacity to heal, grow, and thrive. By addressing all parts of their being, I empower my clients to create a life that is harmonious, fulfilling, and aligned with their true self.
What type of services do you offer?
Life coaching, Hypnotherapy, NLP, guided meditation, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or tapping), Reiki, somatic movement, breathwork and inner child/shadow work. Each client receives an individualized service and programme as each person is unique and will deal with things in their own way. My practice is to meet them where they are and provide the techniques that will best aid their healing and recovery as an individual.
How does NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) contribute to your coaching practice?
I use Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to enhance the effectiveness and depth of my coaching practice.
NLP techniques enable my clients to develop a heightened level of self-awareness by exploring their thinking patterns, beliefs, and language. We delve into the subconscious mind, uncovering hidden motivations, limiting beliefs, and empowering resources. This allows my clients to make conscious choices and break free from patterns that no longer serve them. Through NLP, I equip my clients with powerful linguistic tools and techniques to enhance their communication, both with themselves and with others. By mastering the art of rapport-building, active listening, and precise language patterns, clients can improve things such as their relationships and resolving conflicts etc.
It allows me to equip them with techniques to move to a more resourceful state when they need more confidence, motivation or calmness for example.
NLP is renowned for its ability to facilitate rapid and lasting change. By combining NLP techniques with coaching methodologies, I can guide my clients through transformative experiences that lead to deep personal growth and behavioral shifts allowing them to tap into their inner resources, overcome limitations, and unleash their full potential.
As an internationally accredited and certified coach, what are some ethical considerations or guidelines that you adhere to in your coaching practice?
I am wholeheartedly committed to upholding the highest standards of ethics in my work. The cornerstone of any successful coaching relationship is confidentiality. I respect the privacy of my clients and maintain their trust by ensuring that all information shared during coaching sessions remains strictly confidential. I create a safe space where clients can freely express themselves without fear of judgment or disclosure.
I recognise that my role as a Coach is to support and empower my clients, not to impose my own beliefs or agenda upon them. I respect their choices, goals, and values, respecting their unique journey and helping them tap into their own inner wisdom.
I establish clear boundaries and ensure that clients fully understand the coaching process, its benefits, and any potential risks. Informed consent is essential, enabling clients to make well- informed decisions about their participation in coaching. I am mindful of respecting cultural, social, and personal boundaries, ensuring a safe and inclusive coaching space.
I am committed to ongoing learning and growth. I stay updated with the latest coaching practices, techniques, and research to provide the most effective and transformative coaching experience for my clients. I participate in regular supervision and engage in continuous education.
My primary focus is always on serving the best interests of my clients and ensuring their progress towards their goals. I will refer clients to appropriate professionals or resources when their needs fall outside the scope of my abilities – I always prioritize their overall welfare and growth.
I try to create an environment that encourages growth and can foster trust. I feel honored that my clients have trusted me with these parts of themselves that they may not have shared with anyone and I take that responsibility very seriously.
I am also a member of the NCH (National Council for Hypnotherapy) and the IPHM (International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine) and adhere to their code of ethics.
As a holistic coach, how do you support clients in achieving a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle?
My approach encompasses the entirety of a person’s being – mind, body, and spirit.
When I take on a new client, I always begin by taking a comprehensive assessment of the different areas of their life. We explore things like the relationships in their life, their career, their health, any personal development, and their self-care practices. This gives us a good foundation to know what areas to work on and allows us to check back in at a later date to see what progress we have made.
We set goals together. I look at what is important to them, their core values and what they want to achieve. We can then set a clear vision for a balanced lifestyle. These goals help to provide focus and direction.
I create a personalized plan to address their whole being and we work on identifying specific steps and strategies that will nurture all parts of themselves including their physical, mental, and emotional health.
We work on their mindset to build a supportive mindset and self-awareness. I guide clients in cultivating empowering beliefs, releasing limiting patterns, and embracing a growth-oriented mindset. I emphasize the importance of self-care and holistic wellness practices and we explore things such as mindfulness, meditation, exercise, nutrition, and stress management techniques tailored to their unique needs. This allows my clients to nurture their physical vitality, mental clarity, and emotional well-being.
I serve as an unwavering source of support and accountability throughout the coaching journey. I encourage them to celebrate their progress, overcome obstacles, and stay committed to their goals. Regular coaching sessions provide a space for reflection, exploration, and adjustment, ensuring clients stay on track towards their desired lifestyle.
My aim in adopting this holistic approach is to empower my clients to cultivate balance, find fulfillment, and embrace a lifestyle that celebrates their whole being.
What inspired you to become a holistic coach and NLP master practitioner? Can you share a personal story or moment that led you to pursue this path, and how it has influenced your coaching philosophy and approach?
I worked in sales for 20+ years mainly in recruitment and the part I enjoyed the most was the career coaching. I loved getting to know my clients and talking through their challenges etc. I would help make suggestions and question them to help them go deeper with their ideas around their career choices and their attitude towards their skills etc. I would call my candidates going in for interview and help boost their confidence etc. I had wanted to go into coaching for many years but life just seemed to get in the way.
Then I found myself in a sales role working really long hours with an extremely narcissistic boss who would regularly scream at me in the middle of an open office telling me how bad I was (despite over delivering on all of my targets!). I finally moved to another sales role but the anxiety started to creep in and I was feeling more and more exhausted. Add in the onset of the Menopause and I ended up experiencing full on burnout, being riddled with anxiety and being unable to function. This led me to leaving my role and sales altogether. My identity has always been tied up with my career. I had been in leadership roles, led teams and had lots of responsibilities but now I felt completely washed out.
After undertaking a healing journey, I retrained as a Life Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, then a Holistic Coach and more recently as a Clinical Hypnotherapist. I was determined that I would utilize everything that I had been through to help others. I had known for some time that I needed to look after myself but just kept on pushing through. After burning out it made me realize the importance of taking time out for self-care even in the busiest of schedules and being kind to yourself when things get tough. I was lucky enough to have a very good support network around me that helped me get back on my feet and I wanted to make sure that I could offer support and help to someone who was in need of help if I could.
Now the healing and the inner work that I have undertaken allows me to hold a safe and sacred space for my clients to explore their challenges.
