Our HeartCoaches

Our HeartCoaches work with adults who have been diagnosed with heart disease, those struggling with associated risk factors, and young people exhibiting early lifestyle choices that are likely to lead to serious heart problems later in life. (Overweight children, for example, have a 70% chance of becoming overweight adults. With childhood obesity rates on the rise nationwide, youngsters have substantially greater risks for developing and dying from chronic illnesses such as heart disease and stroke in early adulthood.)

Each of our HeartCoaches has a background in nursing, social work, psychology, or education, is trained in the 'best practices' of coaching, and is well-versed in health and fitness protocols related to heart disease. Every HeartCoach is also an active member in the International Coach Federation (ICF)*.

Our HeartCoaches are also:

• warm, compassionate, genuinely caring
• highly empathic and easy to talk with
• courteous and respectful
• trustworthy (with impeccable references)
• protective of your privacy
• insured

Founder / Director:

Paul Nelson	M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology, Harvard Graduate School of Education B.A. in Psychology, UMass/Boston Graduate of Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA Trained as a coach at iPEC/NE Coaching, WellCoaches Corp., and Institute of Coaching Studied with Dan Goleman, author of 'Emotional Intelligence' Served as Staff Therapist at a community mental health center near Boston and as a Clinical Research Associate at Dartmouth Medical School More than 20 years of experience as a practitioner of mindfulness meditation Author of 'Speaking from the Heart: Empathic Rapport and the Role of the Oral Tradition in Moral Development'. From 'The Healing Heart', by Allison Cox and David Albert (eds.); New Society, 2003 "Paul's skillful coaching helped to establish an environment of trust, acceptance and non-judgment in which I felt encouraged to explore new behaviors and attitudes. Our coaching sessions were instrumental in helping me to move forward...Paul is a talented and gifted coach and I cannot recommend him highly enough." --Michelle Z., R.N., Detroit, MI
Diana Stratigakis	Master of Applied Positive Psychology, University of Pennsylvania B.A. in Psychology, George Washington University Certified Wellness Coach, Wellcoaches Corp. Certified Personal Trainer, National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Yoga Instructor, Infinite Possibilites Yoga Teacher Training Experienced wellness coach and personal trainer in private practice Coached hundreds of employees of a Fortune 100 firm around issues related to weight, nutrition, exercise, stress, smoking cessation, work/life balance, and life satisfaction Taught all exercise and behavior-change programs for a study at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center related to self-management of chronic disease
Jan Stiles	M.A. in Humanistic Psychology, Beacon College R.N., Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Iowa Extensive experience as RN Health Coach with Health Dialog, Inc., providing telephone health coaching, chronic health condition support, lifestyle and motivational coaching, and long term follow up for thousands of clients nationwide Experienced health counselor in private practice since 1983, assisting clients with a wide range of complex health issues Experience as a staff and charge nurse, case manager, and group facilitator in hospital settings Group and workshop facilitator, Board of Directors, International Whole Health Institute C.A.P., Advanced Certified Attunement Practitioner
Pat Roix	B.S In Education, Framingham State College Certified Wellness Coach, Wellcoaches Corp. Certified Health and Fitness Specialist, American College of Sports Medicine Trained in Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at University of Wisconsin Experienced wellness coach in private practice More than 25 years of experience as a YMCA Health/Fitness Director, developing and implementing a wide range of wellness programs for all ages, including aerobics, weight management, and stress reduction Trained in Mindfulness Meditation
Patrice Ruggieri	M.S., University of Rhode Island B.S., Johnson & Wales University Certified Wellness Coach, Wellcoaches Corp. Certified Personal Trainer, National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association Certified Nutrition Counselor, National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association Experienced wellness coach and personal trainer in private practice Designed online and tele-coaching platform to assist clients with weight loss and wellness goals
Sheela Calhoun	M.A. in Counseling Psychology, Cambridge College Licensed Practical Nurse Certified Wellness Coach, Wellcoaches Corp. Certified Personal Trainer, American College of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Specialist, Lifestyle Management Assoc. Certified workshop facilitator with Am I Hungry? Mindful Weight Management Program Ten years of experience as a wellness coach and nutritional counselor in private practice Enjoys running, cycling, kayaking, and walking with her dog!
Stephanie Shenton	M.S. in Nutrition, Simmons College B.A., Boston University Certified Wellness Coach, Wellcoaches Corp. Certified Personal Trainer, National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified in Sports Nutrition, Fitness Resource Assn. Trained in Mindfulness Meditation, Am I Hungry?, and Healthy Heart, Healthy Weight Experienced wellness coach and nutritional counselor in private practice Conducts workshops on weight loss, nutrition, strength and flexibility, and mindful eating Avid triathlon athlete and organizer of triathlons

HeartCoaches are active members in the International Coach Federation (ICF), the leading global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high ethical standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of credentialed coaches. For more information visit www.coachfederation.org

While some of our HeartCoaches have backgrounds in psychology and nursing, we do not offer psychotherapy or practice medicine. If you suffer from a serious mental health disorder or drug addiction, or if you have an undiagnosed medical condition or need treatment, we can refer you to a cardiologist, psychiatrist or other treatment professional, hospital, or outpatient program. We can work with your cardiologist, psychotherapist or other specialist to ensure that both parties have the most up-to-date information on your case. All information, tools and techniques used by our HeartCoaches are based on current evidence-based medical and scientific research.