My path to becoming a Holistic Health Coach is a story of resilience, self-discovery, and transformation. (5 minute read)
It All Starts in Childhood…
Rome, my timeless hometown, was the backdrop of the most intense chapter of my early life. At just six years old, I fell in love with artistic roller skating, following in my older sister’s footsteps. By the age of nine, I was travelling across Italy for national championships, training intensively most of the days. My parents were incredibly supportive, investing in multiple pairs of skates each year, elaborate costumes, and countless drives to competitions, to name just a few. Their unwavering belief in my potential meant everything to me.
But beneath the glamour of competitive sports lay immense pressure
My coaches, both world champions, were known for their tough, unforgiving approach. They demanded perfection, creating an environment filled with constant pressure and intense stress. Looking back, I now recognise the psychological toll this took on young athletes like me.
The stress manifested in ways I couldn’t understand at the time. Around the age of eight, I developed Trichotillomania – a body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB). If you’d like to learn more, you can read Lauren’s story here, which resonates deeply with me, or explore the journey of Prof. Clare Mackay, an imaging neuroscience expert, who has lived with trichotillomania for over 40 years, here .
This behaviour was my way of coping with an overwhelming situation. It offered a sense of control and a way to self-soothe. At such a young age, I was in the spotlight, juggling the high expectations placed on me by both my sport coaches, the school environment and unintentionally my family.
At the time, I felt isolated and ashamed, with little understanding of what I was experiencing. Fortunately, the behaviour only lasted a few years. Once I moved away from that high-pressure environment at age 12, the habit slowly faded away, however I had to work really hard to re-direct this habit into a healthier one.
A Betrayal That Changed Everything
At 12, I experienced a brutal awakening to the darker side of competitive sports. During a competition, one of my coaches bribed a judge to alter my score, preventing me from advancing to the next national event. This was done to allow another athlete – whose parent had bribed the coach – to advance instead.
This betrayal was a turning point for my parents. Heartbroken, they made the difficult decision to remove me from roller skating entirely. It was devastating for all of us, but it was absolutely the right call.
You know what? I cried for a few days, but then I felt an enormous sense of relief – as though a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders. At 12 years old, I was left with a tired body and a broken heart. Those six years of intense training and stress had impacted not just me but also my brother and sister, who often felt left out my parents attention. During that time, our family’s world revolved around my competitions. Everyone learned a massive lesson from that experience.
After leaving roller skating, I joined an athletics club where the environment was entirely different – more relaxed and much healthier. I quickly demonstrated a strong competitive streak, falling in love with the long jump and, later, the 400 meters as I got older.
Teenage Challenges
My teenage years brought new challenges. At 17, social pressures and a desire to improve my athletic performance led to a year-long battle with anorexia. I lost my period for several months – a serious health warning that, thankfully, my mother quickly recognised and helped me address.
Life, however, has a way of bringing healing.
Meeting a partner who loved food helped me rebuild a healthy relationship with eating. I began exploring different cuisines and spending time with my food guru – my great aunt Teresa. Her rich and colourful Mediterranean diet became a source of nourishment, teaching me the joy of balance and variety in food.
The Lasting Impact
These early experiences left deep marks on me. Perfectionism, self-doubt, low self-esteem and a need for control became traits I carried into adulthood. It took years of introspection to understand how those formative experiences shaped me and to channel these traits in healthier, more constructive ways.
This period deepened my connection with my body and reshaped my relationship with food.
I see many adults today – both women and men – struggling to establish a healthy relationship with food, whether it’s emotional or binge eating, yo-yo dieting, or obsessively over-planning meals without allowing flexibility.
A Shift in Focus
By the age of 20, I had left competitive sports behind, feeling utterly exhausted by it all. I took a completely different direction, studying marketing at university and immersing myself in a vibrant new world. My years in Rome were filled with discovery – electronic music, psytrance festivals, art, cinema, and travel.
I found myself in a completely new world surrounded by friends that introduced me to thinks like bioenergetics, organic skincare, macrobiotic food to name a few. These early exposures planted the seeds of my future interest in holistic health and well-being.
New Beginnings in the UK
In 2009, I moved to the UK, leaving behind a secure job in advertising in Italy. Embracing a spirit of adventure, I worked in various sectors – hospitality, retail, and eventually the corporate world.
Yet, I never lost my connection to movement and physical activity. I remained a dedicated gym-goer and explored other forms of exercise, from rock’n’roll dancing to rock climbing and yoga.
For me, these activities are more than just exercise; they are a way to explore my body’s capabilities.
In my 30s, my passion for Health and Well-being began to take shape. I took courses and online programs focused on nutrition and gut health, becoming fascinated by the mind-body connection. This wasn’t just an academic interest; it was a deeply personal journey of understanding my own body, my experiences, and the holistic nature of health.
Motherhood became a profound catalyst for self-reflection
Then I had my beautiful son Axel and with this new chapter of my life, I learnt about gentle parenting, Montessori principles, child brain development and more. These explorations led me to question myself, my childhood and my approach to life, once again confronting my tendency to control things and my perfectionist traits.
I began working with a psychotherapist, and around the same time, Buddhist meditation found its way into my life.
Together, they invite me to explore the landscapes of my mind with curiosity and compassion, offering gentle tools to help me move through the challenges of modern life.
Now, being a conscious parent makes so much sense to me.
Our children are both mirrors and mentors, reflecting our inner world and guiding us toward deeper self-discovery.
My Mission: Supporting Individuals Holistically
Driven by my love for sport and food, and a commitment to Holistic Health, I decided to retrain and study at the College of Naturopathic Medicine to become a Health Coach.
Observing the immense stress that parents face in our performance-driven society, I quickly realised that my calling was to support them. Today, parents are a vulnerable group, expected to perform like super humans in every aspect of life, most of the time without the support previous generations have had.
It’s no surprise to me that mental health issues or metabolic disorders are on the rise.
I have been there myself – both as a child, overwhelmed by stress and pressure, and as a parent – juggling the demands of work and family, while battling the ‘high achiever’ and ‘perfectionist’ tendencies shaped by mostly internal expectations.
Modern life disconnects us from our natural rhythms, leading to chronic stress, inflammation and diseases like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancers, and autoimmune conditions are all rooted in our modern way of living.
It’s all too easy to fall into unhealthy spirals – be it poor food choices, lack of movement, insufficient rest or inner negative self-talk.
My mission is clear: To help individuals reclaim their health through a holistic approach.
Holistic health considers the whole person – mind, body, and spirit – and I encourage you to explore this concept further in the article: What is Holism in Healthcare? .
You can read more about my holistic approach in the about session here if you like.
You Are Not Alone
Wherever you are on your personal health journey, remember this: as resilient beings, we have an incredible ability and power to adapt, grow and make changes.
If you feel stuck, know that there is always a way forward.
I hope you have enjoyed this journey into my world as much as I did writing it!
I would like to offer you 3 basic rules I always keep reminding myself:
- To make space where you can intuitively connect with yourself, free from external distractions.
- To not be afraid to make that space
- To protect and nurture that space. It’s yours and it’s powerful!
When speaking to parents or carers, I often use this analogy: if we are on an airplane about to crash, we must put on our oxygen mask first before helping our children.
If we don’t look after ourselves, it will inevitably have a cascading effect on those around us.
Curious about how I can help?
Take a look around my website to learn more about me and my offer and don’t forget to book a FREE 30-minute Health & Wellness Jumpstart call here to start the conversation!
With love
P.