Healing from Within: Introducing Fortify Soul Coach Nicole Rabin
At Fortify Wellness, we are passionate about guiding individuals toward a more balanced and fulfilling life. Our Soul Coach, Nicole Rabin, brings a wealth of wisdom and experience to this mission, helping others navigate personal growth, healing, and transformation. In this interview, Nicole shares her journey, insights on coaching versus therapy, and how she empowers clients to reconnect with their inner selves.
1. Can you share your journey into wellness and what motivated you to become a certified coach?
I've always been a seeker. I love asking myself deep questions and then finding meaning and truth within them. So, I began there - with myself; one book at a time, one course at a time. I started studying with spiritual teachers to learn how to cultivate healing practices. At the time, my intention was to heal and transform myself, and stop getting stuck in my patterns - not to become a coach. However, I fell in love with the process of the work and realized how transformational it was for me. The more I practiced, the more I wanted to share it with others. I don't see it as work, I define it as being on a mission. I found purpose in integrating all of my formal coursework in spirituality, consciousness, oncology, meditation and mindfulness - as a true experience of the mind, body and soul.
2. How do you define the roles of a coach and a therapist, and what are the key distinctions between the two?
A coaching model is one of equal partners, helping one of the partners to achieve their life goals. The hierarchical model of therapist-patient is denounced here. As coaches, we want to build community and spread a mission of healing by being in service to others. We embody the message and are driven by self growth. Essentially, we walk it, talk it and breathe it because we have done our own inner work first. Therapy at times tries to "fix" the problem. In a coaching model, the client is seen as empowered, resilient and whole as they already have everything they need to meet their goals. Nothing is missing except awareness and change. Coaches are not indirect nor passive, and we approach sessions from a humanistic and compassionate place. Unlike therapists, coaches are not therapeutic experts on the psyche; this means we are here to assist people in their own healing and growth. Lastly, we have the freedom to reach people across the globe and are not bound by licensure.
3. In what ways can therapy and coaching complement each other to benefit a client? How can utilizing both be helpful?
Although they are different approaches to healing, they are both impactful. No two practitioners are alike; a coach might have a softer approach, reflecting your own thoughts back to you and allowing you to come to your own insight. They might share an experience of their own that feels helpful in the moment. While a therapist has a bit more structure, they might offer you a diagnosis or a formal approach. Because therapists have more therapeutic expertise they offer more traditional methods.
4. What is your primary coaching specialty, and what methods do you employ in your practice?
My deepest and most enjoyable work is inner child work. Mostly because it was the deepest inner journey I took with myself. Everyone was once a child, and everyone has wounds within themselves. The wounds come from earlier places within us that have not been touched upon or paid attention to. Often we are not aware of the pain inside us and how it shows up in our present relationships. I have a deep capacity for sitting in pain with people. My method is mostly conscious awareness - identifying patterns that perpetuate pain. Looking at cultural and familial conditionings and how to break patterns that no longer serve, as well as cultivating spiritual practices and how to come "home" to yourself in the present moment.
5. How do you approach working with clients to tailor your coaching strategies to individual needs?
I actively listen to break down inner blocks. I go beneath the words they are saying, go to the deeper feelings and see what their unmet need is. We all have unmet needs. When I locate that and bring it into their awareness, I can go deeper. Once we identify where it comes from within them and how to sit with the pain - we can talk about implementing and integrating healing practices. If they are willing, we touch on past pain and find patterns that have been interfering with their growth and healing.
6. What role does self-care play in your life, and how do you ensure you maintain your own wellness balance to prevent burnout?
Self-care is a priority in my life - a non-negotiable. Every morning I sit for a pre-dawn meditation. I schedule an early morning run, and I carve out 5-10 minute intervals throughout the day to close my eyes and reset my mind. My practice is like a mosaic, each little piece has a purpose and fits together. It is not true when people say "I have no time" - there is always time! I practice a mind-body-soul approach because they are truly interconnected. And each part plays an essential role for being present. I completely embody the work, and it begins with myself before I can take it into the world and eventually with others.
7. What advice would you give to someone deciding between starting with therapy or coaching on their wellness journey?
Try both, without judgment. See which approach you like better. Sometimes we make our decisions before we even try something. Finding a coach or therapist is like finding a pair of jeans! It takes a few styles to see which fits us best! And we might be surprised at which one we pick in the end. Give yourself time to "try people on". You'll know who is a match for you. For example, you might have seen a therapist for many years with traditional methods, and at some point in the future you might want to try working with a coach that integrates spirituality.
Nicole Rabin is a Certified Master Coach, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Certified, and holds a Master of Arts from Columbia University.
To find learn more : https://nicolerabin.com
