Deirdre Walsh – Integrative Health Coach

Live each day with health, joy and meaning

 I believe that living life to the fullest includes living with energy, vitality and purpose. As a coach I partner with delightfully open souls to help them answer the questions: “What will my next act look like? How can I nurture my health to support this vibrant, joyful stage?” I help people step into that space with renewed health, intention and wisdom.

We work through a thought-provoking creative process that helps you realize what’s truly important. Coaching results in you taking action every day to reach your optimal health with joy and purpose.

Becoming a coach marked the beginning of a new act in my life. For many people the queasy feeling of change can be sparked by a diagnosis of a chronic disease, kids leaving home, a grinding halt to a career, or the dislocation of divorce. For me it was when I said goodbye to both my parents. They had been guiding lights for me and when they were gone I felt adrift. But when the grief lifted a space opened to start anew.  I was blessed with a loving family, great friends and wonderful life. I found the things that worked for me to heal the exhaustion, to regain my focus and to get engaged with life again. I met many incredible people on my journey who taught me so much about the power we have to change our nutrition, exercise, sleep, environment and relationships to heal us and support us. 

My Background

I trained at Duke Integrative Medicine – a program aligned with the wisdom of Dr. Andrew Weil. I’m one of the first integrative health coaches in Canada. I was drawn to integrative health because it’s the type of care that I want for myself and my family. It puts you at the center of your own health – you are an informed participant in your health, you draw from the best information about medicine and self-care, and you learn how to nurture your health in every aspect of your life. 

I picked Duke Integrative Medicine because I wanted training in a solid program delivered at an academic health center. All the resources they share with us have been vetted by world-renowned medical leaders. Duke also requires coaches to be trained in mindfulness meditation, which has been a gift of joy and peace for me. I completed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, Levels I and II, based on the work of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. 

Integrative health also adds something that’s been missing from medicine. Coaching is a central part of the approach. It gives you a way to connect to your health as a person, not just a disease or number of pounds on a scale. The coaching process provides a place for you to be heard and to speak your truth. It guides you to integrate your spirit with your experience, abilities and strengths.

In my first act, I worked for twenty-five years in the health care industry as a health researcher and management consultant. I have looked at the health care system from many angles – developing patient programs, looking for organizational efficiencies, analyzing health policy, and assessing clinical research for physicians, hospitals, insurance organizations, home care agencies and pharmaceutical companies. I have a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and have supplemented my learning with courses in information technology tools for health.

My Approach

My approach to coaching is to help clients understand their strengths, motivations and most deeply held values. Then I challenge them to move forward positively and build on their learning. My guiding principles are:

• Awareness and Mindfulness
• Setting an Intention for Success
• Stepping into Creative Vision
• Building on Strengths
• Learning through Action
• Managing Nagging Conflicts and Doubts

Contact me at deirdre@deirdrewalsh.ca or at 905-823-9158