Reintroduction
Photo by Haley George Photography
Hi, I’m Lauren and I became a health coach after navigating my own health challenges through my transition into motherhood. For me, it looked like struggles with breastfeeding, tongue and lip ties, postpartum depression, identity and purpose, and chronic core/pelvic pain to name a few. While I have since learned that many of these issues are common for new moms, it felt like a hard period that would never end. At some point, a lightbulb went off and I realized that my ideas of wellness needed to evolve along with my own transformation. Even though I was going through new challenges, I knew there were small ways I could be oriented toward wellness. I also began finding new communities and enjoyed talking to and hearing other women’s stories through pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. Around 18 months into motherhood, I decided to change careers from school counseling to pursuing a certification in health coaching at Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt’s program challenged me yet affirmed that I was in the right place for what truly lights me up. It had academic components but I loved the experiential parts where I got to coach peers and be coached. It was from that experiential learning that I built relationships with my colleagues and saw firsthand how powerful coaching can be both for others and working through my health challenges. In the second part of the health coaching program, I completed a practicum where I completed 80 sessions with a variety of volunteer clients from the community. Through that work, I learned that working with moms is my sweet spot.
After becoming board-certified in July 2022, I started my own business, Lauren Payne Wellness Coaching in October of the same year. My mission is to support the well-being of moms of young children, whether it’s navigating the transition into motherhood or the various challenges in different seasons. Early parenthood is a tough time and my goal is to help moms reconnect with their authentic selves and create sustainable changes for their health.
My favorite part about being a health coach is watching my clients adapt to new mindsets or courageously approach their challenges with new perspectives. It’s an honor to watch women become empowered to prioritize their health and make changes that often have a cascading effect on their families. For so long, women have been praised for their selflessness, but my work focuses on changing that narrative. I enjoy helping moms move from feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or disconnected to energized, confident, and strong.
Right now, I offer personalized coaching for individuals and have group coaching options in the works. Being a small business owner is certainly humbling and a constant opportunity to learn, but it’s been an exciting, eye-opening experience so far 😄
