{"id":12385,"date":"2016-03-25T22:11:09","date_gmt":"2011-03-25T22:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=1545"},"modified":"2011-03-25T22:11:09","modified_gmt":"2011-03-25T22:11:09","slug":"kira-freed-personal-coaching-for-extreme-weightloss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/expert-interviews-and-podcasts\/kira-freed-personal-coaching-for-extreme-weightloss\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Certified Life & Wellness Coach, Kira Freed – Personal Coaching for Extreme Weightloss"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"1. What inspired you to become a life coach and a wellness coach?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had a challenging childhood that instilled in me a passion for freedom and self-empowerment. When I was in my 20s and 30s, I used that drive for freedom to stay unattached and separate from everyone and everything. I moved from one state to another every few years and didn\u2019t allow myself to get close to anyone.<\/p>\n

Then I attended an event with a motivational speaker who talked about identifying one\u2019s essential gift and using it for the highest possible purpose. I had an epiphany in which I realized that I could harness my passion for freedom to free myself of limitations. Ever since then, I\u2019ve sought out opportunities to go beyond what I, and others, believed was possible. <\/p>\n

When I first learned about coaching, I sensed that it was the perfect profession for me because its foundation is supporting others to become their fullest, most authentic selves.<\/p>\n

These words are posted in my home: I want to live a life as big as my capacities. <\/em>This declaration is a guiding force in my life, and I welcome opportunities to work with people who seek that same level of self-expression and fulfillment.<\/p>\n

2. What is your primary goal as a coach when it comes to dealing with an individual?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My primary goal\u2014as well as my commitment to all my clients\u2014is to support them to make the best use of their inner wisdom and resources in service of achieving their goals. My innovative style of coaching incorporates an empowering psychological model that can \u201cturbocharge\u201d coaching.\"\"<\/p>\n

People generally come to coaching with specific goals they want to attain. They may hope it\u2019ll be a straight shot to achieving those goals, but it\u2019s not always that simple. Many people (as well as our culture in general) subscribe to the notion that obstacles are sabotaging parts of us that must be outsmarted, overridden, or completely ignored. The psychological model I draw on suggests that these obstacles carry wisdom and positive intent\u2014and that developing a relationship with them is the most fruitful way to work toward goals and achieve lasting success. By uncovering their positive intent, we\u2019re able to factor their wisdom into strategies for achieving goals. As a result, moving forward doesn\u2019t require leaving behind or working in opposition to any aspects. Instead, clients\u2019 different aspects work in harmony toward a common goal.<\/p>\n

My primary purpose as a coach is to support this process and, by doing so, to empower clients far beyond what they thought they could ever achieve.<\/p>\n

3. What has been your proudest moment as a coach?<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my clients has generously granted me permission to share his story because it\u2019s such an exciting example of the results that people can achieve through coaching. At age 52, this client weighed 278 pounds when he contacted me for wellness coaching. He\u2019d tried all sorts of weight-loss strategies, none of which had been successful. I coached him over the course of about five months, and as of now, he\u2019s lost 88 pounds and is still losing. With only about 25 pounds to go, he has every confidence that he\u2019ll reach his target weight. I coached him using a combination of nutritional education, exercise strategies, and support in developing a relationship with his inner obstacles (see #2 above).<\/p>\n

\"\"In his words, \u201cBefore I began working with Kira, I was intimidated by the prospect of making drastic changes to my life. As our work progressed, I learned that the changes I wanted to make in my life weren\u2019t going to be like a violent jerk. Kira promised that it would be a gentle process, and it has been everything she promised it would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis experience has gone beyond food, diet, and exercise. It\u2019s gone into the realm of healthy living. I used to believe that the best I could do was to maintain the status quo as far as my level of health\u2014I had no idea that I could regenerate. Coaching has given me a second chance at life.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a coach, nothing is more rewarding to me than hearing those words.<\/p>\n

4. Many people view life coaches exactly as they view psychotherapists. What are the main differences between what you do and what psychotherapists do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Coaching and therapy are different professions that use different approaches and require different types of education. Psychotherapy frequently focuses on the past and on what isn\u2019t<\/em> working that needs fixing. In contrast, coaching focuses on what is<\/em> working and how to create more of it. According to the International Coach Federation, \u201cCoaching concentrates on where clients are now and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most important differences between coaching and psychotherapy include:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n