Please read Sandy’s Mission Statement for the support group below for more information:

Long before becoming a Freshlife Wellness Coach, I have always observed a correlation between the quite profound, long-term physical, emotional, and psychological effects of long-term illness. I noticed a focus being placed on medically improving their health, but sadly that typically was only sustaining the sub-degree health the patients were enduring. Medical treatment certainly could help, but there was still something missing. People with chronic ailments become fighters for improvement without losing themselves to the identity of the disease. Unfortunately, I am seeing no changes in providing additional outreach and resources to help chronically ill patients and their loved ones on the journey back to reclaiming joy in their lives.

These past experiences that I personally observed motivated me to obtain a degree in Psychology. Even after receiving my degree, it was still not enough to satisfy my passion for helping others improve themselves and make them feel whole again. My steadfast belief is “To be a healthy individual, you have to have your mind, body, and soul all in sync toward good health, or you cannot reach your optimal life.” Reaching your optimal life makes you more of an asset to society instead of a liability. This concept is not limited to more positive health in our society but can lead to a positive improvement in all aspects of society as a whole. Certainly, how we feel mentally affects how we feel physically and vice versa.

Fortunately, my current position as a Wellness Coach has helped me continue my research and further my education into how the whole body influences our ways of accomplishing overall wellness.

How can the mental and the physical work together in wellness? When you are chronically ill, you are always in a “fight or flight” mode, which can cause multiple chain reactions in your body. It’s ok to be in that state for a short period of time because it is meant to save us. When you are experiencing chronic illness, your body is constantly fighting, and as a result, it is making you more ill. Therefore you are fighting double trouble. It will affect you and your loved ones mentally and emotionally, resulting in additional physical ailments that are not related to the disease but are brought on by the trauma you are experiencing.

Sharing your experience with others in the same plight can be very beneficial. Mirroring each other and knowing there is an understanding without explanations will help your fight or flight mode to take a break and become relaxed. The more you become relaxed, the closer you are finding yourself again. The closer you become to yourself, the easier the fight will be. Besides the comradery in this support group, there are other important opportunities for all members, including updated information, techniques to reduce stress, activities, and possible professional networking. All in all, it is just a way for your body to work toward healing.

Compassion, empathy, and understanding are the key to unlocking the void that is needed for everyone to be healthy. I feel those will aid, enhance and parallel the medical approach. That is what motivated me to form this Support Group. With comradery, there will be compassion, empathy, and understanding in a sincere approach that will allow each individual to intuitively have empathy for their co-supporters.