Being a human is…. A LOT.
Wellness Coaching can help us develop a way of being that feels connected, capable, and calm.
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”
By choosing Clarity, Compassion, and a Plan, we remember that we are the one we’ve been waiting for.
Clarity comes through awareness. As we notice with curiosity and without judgment, we start to see our patterns of habit and thought, some of which no longer serve us as we explore the life we want to live.
Often, self-kindness has become a foreign feeling and needs to be relearned. Even small steps in this direction energize and propel us forward, enabling us to connect with others while living the life we envision.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Do you have specific, practical needs like implementing healthy habits into daily life?
Or maybe it is more of what I gently call “Vague Clarity” - the sense that life could definitely feel better, but there just isn’t the space and support to figure it all out. Wellness Coaching is future-focused and looks at where you want to go, how you want to get there, and when you feel ready to act.
By working with our underlying mindset, our inner dialogue can be balanced in a way that serves rather than sabotages our intentions.
What actions are you ready to take?
Manage stress
Decrease anxiety
Cultivate a positive mindset
Create a strong foundation in emotional awareness
Find more ease in relationships
Adapt to life changes with grace
Improve well-being and outlook
Implement lifestyle changes
Overcome obstacles to physical, emotional, and/or spiritual health
↓↓↓ Ready to get in touch? ↓↓↓
CONTACT
“Action expresses priorities.”
“I never said it would be easy. I only said it would be worth it.”
Barbara Shirvis
National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBHWC)
Mayo Clinic Certified Health and Wellness Coach
PQ Certified Mental Fitness Coach
Photo credit: Sue Reno Portraits
My clients trust that I have their best interests at heart and the professional training and expertise on which they can rely.
Beyond that, my whole life has led me to Wellness Coaching. As with many “overly sensitive” people, early life was a challenge, filled with self-doubt and discomfort. But college was a relief and provided the opportunity to really fall in love with new ideas and people not exactly like me. After earning a Master of Music from a top New York conservatory, the Manhattan School of Music, I worked my way into a beautiful and exciting three-decade career as a professional classical singer. Traveling extensively to embody opera characters of all ages and cultures in a convincing way drew me out of my self-concerns and increased my natural empathy. Along the way, I became one half of a nurturing marriage, and a mom to two beloved sons. I still love to teach singing and cherish connecting with people who like to go beyond the superficial. In the recent past, several personal setbacks ushered me into the universal club of grief and coping, while simultaneously showing me the grace and beauty that is everywhere at once.
When a dear friend gently but insistently guided me toward the intensive, time-consuming work to become a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, my goal was “to be a better voice teacher”, and hopefully experience my own healing. As a singer myself, I easily recognized in my students the struggles with confidence, motivation, and mindset that cried out for self-love and understanding. And, as luck would have it, nearly all of my practicum hours for certification were coaching mid-life women… women imbued with wisdom and insight and a hunger to reinvent, restore, and reset. Now I embrace the soul-satisfying work of coaching anyone with an impulse to discover their full capacity.
Allying with people on their extraordinary personal wellness journeys requires constant attention to my own well-being. Beyond my formal continuing education, I stay in contact with my mentor coaches, knowing that no one is meant to grow and thrive all alone. After all, if that were so, we would all have done it already.
“ ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers -that perches in the soul - and sings the tune without the words - and never stops - at all.”
Coaching Philosophy
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
In many ways Wellness Coaching is simple:
Each of us is naturally creative, resourceful, and whole.
We all have everything we need within us.
But we are not solitary creatures; we need each other. When we feel fully heard by an empathetic listener, we can express our hearts without fear, and relegate judgment of self and others.
This frees us to find our own center and thrive in our own way.
Wellness Coaching follows the path along the universal human condition, but unfolds in a way that is exactly right for each individual.
Wellness For Singers
introducing….
Well Canto - Mental Fitness for Singers
Singer-focused Wellness Coaching
I love singers! And I GET singers….
that jumble of Scales, Schedules, Scopes, and Scarcity.
Together we can untangle mental knots, focus career dreams, and replace
nervous doubts with creative confidence.
Concentrate for 12 guided weeks.
Emerge renewed and inspired .
First, we work at the root level of our powerful minds to command more calm, ease, and flow.
Next, we build on Mental Fitness by delving into well-researched insights, techniques and practices so you can be most effective in your personal endeavors.
Finally, we customize a detailed plan to implement your goals and your carefully crafted vision.
New Cohort forming soon! Let’s talk!
TESTIMONIALS
“Although I’d never done wellness coaching before, the experience was positive and helpful. It wasn’t always easy to be vulnerable, but Barbara’s warmth and presence helped me feel safe and accepted, encouraged and validated. She often helped me reframe things in a more positive way, and consistently encouraged me to apply more compassion to myself. The fact that she is an inspiring role model, as she navigates and fulfills her own life’s potential, helps make Barbara a credible and effective coach. ”
Norma - Voice Teacher
Wellness coaching actually exceeded my expectations. I was open to the experience and was not only delighted to spend time with Barbara, but valued her perspective, how she reframed many of my points of awareness to be more useful going forward, and her genuine caring demeanor made me feel safe and supported.
She was objective, supportive, insightful, and encouraging, with a warm & caring communication style. Some of the concepts which felt most useful for me were clarifying my strengths, experimenting with small goals, reframing challenges as learning opportunities, and simply holding the time and space to think and talk. As a wellness coach, Barbara ticked all of the boxes! I appreciated the time we spent together, the tools to use in an actionable plan, and the resources to keep me on my path. Highly recommend!!
“Coaching with Barbara exceeded my expectations and hopes, and I had really solid and wonderful results. Creating the time and space to think and talk with a professional who is open-minded, engaged, insightful, and compassionate really helped me move out of a feeling of being ‘stuck in place’, mentally and emotionally. It’s as if throughout the sessions I began to remember my strengths and passions, my love for helping others, and my inherent worth as a human walking this earth. Basically, I remember who I am at my core. I highly recommend working with Barbara. ”
Dr Michelle Latour - Voice Teacher
This was my first experience with wellness coaching and I found Barbara to be positive, professional, and empathetic. Envisioning my future as I’d like it to be - with less stress and more time for my loved ones - as well as reframing challenges as learning opportunities, were the most useful discoveries. I’m grateful for Barbara’s patience and expertise; it was super helpful to work with her!
“Wellness coaching with Barbara supported me as I navigated many challenges in my final year of college. Through consistent, calm encouragement I kept my “eye on the prize”, and avoided becoming overwhelmed by circumstances. The result was that I finished my degree stronger than I thought possible. Barbara is professional, positive, and present, and I always felt I was really heard. Even now I continue to use some of the tools we explored. I regularly check in when I feel the need, and continue to grow stronger, calmer, and more productive.”