Dear Sweet Woman ~
Every time I hear a woman say that she can't take time for herself or she needs to stop eating "bad foods" or if only she could get rid of her fat stomach, I want to cry. We are just so damned hard on ourselves, and I am calling ENOUGH. It’s time for your suffering to end, and the healing process starts with self-compassion--like mine did.
After a lifetime of overwhelm, perfectionism, numbing my feelings with food, and an eating disorder, I was dying inside. Over time and with a shit-ton of dedication, I finally started to see what others saw in me, and I figured out how embrace my self worth. I knew it was time to channel my passion into serving others, so In 2013, I became a Certified Health Coach, then later a Certified Professional Recovery Coach and She Recovers Coach Designate.*
I know all about being crazy hard on yourself, feeling broken and thinking you SHOULD be doing things differently (AKA better), because I've lived it.
When I was in my 20s, 30s and yes, my 40s, I was drowning in the belief that no matter how hard I tried, I would never be good enough. Not smart enough, not thin enough, not together enough. My not-enoughness showed up largely through my eating disorder. I was brain-washed by society's ridiculously narrow definition of beauty, and I couldn't possibly ever be who I thought I was supposed to be (Hello, there's only ONE Jennifer Aniston!).
My self-care was at the bottom of the list, and anyway, how in the hell was I supposed to make that happen as a full-time, stay at home, HOMESCHOOLING mama? There was virtually no Kris time. Barely time to breathe and cook healthy meals, much less exercise or work on my self-esteem.
Underneath it all, I was in pain and longing to be heard, but I really had no idea how to manage my feelings, how to be uncomfortable. I was full of self-doubt and insecurity--until I couldn't stand it anymore. I figured out that trying to outrun my feelings was only perpetuating my pain, and what I really needed was to radically accept all of my feelings. I began the practice of facing my uncomfortable feelings and moving through them with the help of positive coping skills and self-compassion. I learned to notice my thoughts and the stories I unconsciously told myself, and I changed my self-talk. I dug deep into childhood wounding and trauma and learned to parent my inner child and listen to her needs, and I grew to believe in and trust Adult Kris.
Now, I teach women how to radically accept themselves by shifting into a Recovery Mindset. We heal limiting beliefs, unlearn negative habits, and learn to make healthy choices that stem from self love instead of shame.
I've combined education, personal development, self-reflection and compassion to create the Radical Acceptance Coaching Method, where women learn to love themselves, embrace their "imperfections" (AKA their human-ness) and own their super powers.
I teach the women I work with how to step out of struggle and into self-compassion. Radical Acceptance happens along the way!
*I am a SHE RECOVERS® Coach, which means that I am trained in and my work aligns with the SHE RECOVERS® Intentions & Guiding Principles.
SHE RECOVERS® is an international movement of women in or seeking recovery from a wide variety of issues, including substance use and eating disorders, other behavioral health issues, trauma, abuse, codependency, cancer, grief, low self-esteem, perfectionism and other life challenges.