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It’s not very often that one hears about someone starting a career by accident. But that is how Monique Schoenau became a massage therapist and body worker.
At 23 years of age, Monique found herself living in a house with several friends who were massage therapists. One morning she answered a call from the massage clinic owner who was looking for one her house mates to come to work. After explaining that none of her friends were at home, the owner asked her if she knew massage. Monique replied she was not trained but did know a little. When he asked her to come in and work for the morning, Monique heard herself say “yes.”
“I realized that I could be paralyzed by fear, or I could get on my bike and go do it,” she explains. That morning was the beginning of her successful career as a Rebalancer and body worker extraordinaire. Monique has been saying “yes” to life ever since. “Life is a dance—and you are welcome to contribute your own steps,” she comments.
Monique was born and raised in Holland, and has seen more of the world than most of us. She has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and Australia, but her travels have not been limited to the physical world. Her spiritual journey led her to India as she was 20 years old. And here she started to explore meditation and contemplation, as well as doing trainings and workshops of personal growth and studying human development.
A combination of these both eastern and western approaches has provided Monique with a rich and extensive foundation to be a professional in where her passion lies in her work: to re-connect the client with his/her truer self.
In 2002, on a hiking holiday in the Rockies, Monique met a Canadian man, fell in love and got married. The couple lived together in Amsterdam for six months before deciding to move to her husband’s place of residence Edmonton, Alberta. Her business, Natural Body, flourished in Canada, despite cultural and social differences. “People in Canada take more responsibility for their health,” she observes. “And that makes my job so much more enjoyable.”
Now, after 25 years in the industry, she is shifting her focus to Stress Relief & Lifestyle Management Coaching. It is a natural transition for her.
“I am passionate about health. Our world looks at the outside for beauty, but I know that beauty and health begin on the inside,” she says. “Most of us know what’s good for us but few of us do it. Sometimes we just need a little help.”
And help is what Monique offers her clients in her one-on-one coaching sessions. Clients come to her with a variety of issues including feeling stuck or indecisive; dealing with major life changes such as divorce, children leaving home or menopause; and wanting to change career or start a new business.
Another focus group is small to medium size businesses: Monique’s way of coaching offers a more structural approach to reduce stress related absenteeism. Another benefit is employee retention. Healthier, happier employees mean a safer workplace, greater productivity and higher profits.
“Coaching supports clients to take the necessary steps to accomplish their goals. It’s a process of change and that implies several stages. I am excited to add coaching to Natural Body. It’s very gratifying to see people flowering as they achieve their goals,” Monique explains.
Not everyone has a clear goal in mind at their first coaching session. Through listening and asking questions, Monique encourages clients to broaden their perspectives and sort out their priorities. Then, in the course of ongoing sessions, she supports clients commit to the next step. The value of a commitment is that it empowers clients on many levels.
“Most often, a coaching program runs for at least three months. This gives time to integrate real changes in their life,” Monique comments. “My role is to help people find their own answers and make intelligent decisions.”
Monique offers coaching sessions in person or by phone. Though her home base is Edmonton, she has clients all over North America.
If you want to make changes for the better in your life, talk to Monique about Stress Relief & Lifestyle Management Coaching. Whatever your life circumstances, her compassion, clarity and focus will help you move ahead in your life and achieve your goals. |
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