Case Study #2: Healing the Healer

The client: In chiropractic practice for ten years in Washington, Brent Bedford experienced a major wake-up call last year in the form of a serious illness. Brent and his wife have four children, which makes for a busy home life.

The issue: Brent wanted coaching on life goals and was clear that he didn’t need a practice coach at this juncture. He said he wanted to learn to be more gentle with himself, stop pushing so hard, and be less reactive in stressful situations. Brent said that the prior year facing a major health challenge was “the most difficult year I had lived to date.”

The process: As Brent requested, we immediately went to work on his personal goals. We approached this with an internal rather than an external focus. As is the case with many of my clients, Brent discovered that what you manifest on the outside is closely tied to your internal motivation, intention, and way of being. I also coached Brent’s wife so that together they could better manage their busy family life. With both Brent and his wife, the attention was on fundamentals and they each had “homework” between sessions, which included reflective exercises and body-based practices, mindfulness meditation, reading assignments, and applying new communication strategies.

The outcome: As Brent has become more relaxed it has impacted his practice in a positive way. To his surprise, Brent found that by working on himself and his personal goals he was concurrently working on his practice — even though that was not what he’d signed up for. “One indirect benefit is that although I wasn’t working on my practice, it’s taken off to a new level,” says Brent. “We’ve gotten extremely busy.”

“I have always strived and pushed hard to accomplish the goals I set for myself. I was very good at that, but I knew intuitively that I could not continue on that track without having it adversely affect my health,” says Brent. “I am more relaxed with myself and the people around me. I no longer am striving for striving sake. There is an intent to how I make decisions and communicate . . . they are no longer knee jerk reactions.”

Though Brent was already an effective communicator, his interpersonal effectiveness has improved as a result of coaching. “Shelley has given me the skills to check in with myself and communicate with patients better,” says Brent, “and I really enjoy the coaching process. In the beginning I was cautious,” continues Brent, “but as we’ve gone along I haven’t been cautious at all. It’s a neat experience to have someone to talk to and it’s unconditional. I can say anything I want. Shelley has guided me in my journey toward healing and wholeness, provided me honest and direct feedback. The coaching process has been a metamorphosis for me.”