We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Addison Bell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Addison , thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I started my career off as a therapist. After having my own personal struggles with an eating disorder in my late teens and being able to overcome them, I had a major dream of working with other individuals to move through the inner conflict that was holding them in such a dangerous cycle. Though as an eating disorder therapist I found myself often feeling that I was missing something in my approach and began to see how the internal ‘hunger’ of my clients went far beyond food.

At the same time, as any good healing professional does, I was still on my own growth journey and began studying alternative healing modalities such as energy healing, tantra, and getting relationship help for myself. I met a mentor at that time that was focused on healing the body, mind, and spirit. I dove into the very misunderstood world of tantra which is focused on using our natural life energies to engage and integrate our world, to be more authentic, and have more conscious awareness of what we are feeling. It also taught me a new level of acceptance for sensuality, and the pleasures that can be felt from even the most mundane task.

I started to see what felt like it was missing from my therapeutic toolbox and how this type of integration and acceptance could heal not just the eating disorder population but a mass amount of individuals without mental health disorders. I found myself at a point where I had to make a choice, continue down a safe path of traditional therapy or to reinvent myself and build a business that my heart was calling me towards. I took the leap of faith and found it a defining moment where I was able to stand in my full integrity of where I was being called, despite feeling much push back from those in my social circles. It was a defining moment because it truly was a decision to change not just my career but to change my life and how I live it as a whole.

That moment when I met my own mentor and really took that step out of logic and into my true desires will forevermore be a life changing moment in my life.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have a hunger and passion for my clients. I am fierce with guiding my cleints to their best lives but also deeply loving and accepting.

I am known for helping people find their expansive bliss-filled lives. Women and men come to me to explore all aspects of themselves, with a focus on sexuality, so they can enrich their lives. Living an Expansive life is all about living authentically on your own terms and that includes tapping into the beauty that often gets lost in the commotion of daily routines with family, work, friends, and kids—focusing on waking up excited to greet the day and get started. And understanding that all aspects of life, career, relationships, sexuality, emotions, and spirit; are interconnected and need nurturing.

I have a powerful and profound way of helping clients find fulfillment in all areas of their lives. I’ve been told I am a playful individual that uses both my years of experience and personal journey to help people to move forward. Clients are often refreshed by my open and honest approach to issues of sexuality, desire, body-image and spirituality. I’m real, authentic, and honest with my clients!

Over the last few years, I have been able to create a truly beautiful and abundant coaching practice focused on Sex, Relationships, Body-Image, and use a variety of metaphysical and coaching modalities. I feel like I’ve strived and been able to create a safe zone where clients can come and feel free to be real and authentic. I get to lead amazing workshops in-person and online with individuals where I watch as people come back to their core self and begin living a vibrant life!

I’ve been featured and written for Elephant Journal, DatingAdvice.com, Rebelle Society, Consumer Health, Performance Insiders, Thought Catalog and had the privilege to do numerous podcasts to help gain more awareness of the above topics in the world as a whole.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There are many lessons throughout my career that I’ve had to unlearn or places that I’ve had to pivot but the one that really stands out as important to me is the idea that there is a ‘right way’. When I started my business I was always searching for blueprints and looking at how everyone else was having success. I tried to come up with a fail safe strategy that had been proven and I found myself trying to make other people’s models of business work for me. I would find myself gettin angry at myself if someone else’s business strategy wasn’t working for me and was hustling way too hard. It was a hustle that was out of alignment because I thought it had to be that way.

My whole business is about energy, alignment, and connecting to self. I had to realize that there is no ‘right way’ and while it was helpful to gain inspiration and ideas from other entrepreneurs, I am the only one that knows my business. If my business is going to be successful than I had to bring my heart and soul back into how I built a structure.

My business has changed dramatically over the last 8yrs and I have overcome by consistently coming back to what I feel resonants with me and my clients. I am the expert on my business and no one else!

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Knowledge is great and I am a strong believer in training/education. That being said and as a healing professional, I can not connect with my clients and audience unless I am connected and present with myself. Doing consistent personal work has been essential for me and keeping up a constant practice of self-care. Also, when I am connected to me then I can be radically present with my clients and connect.

We look at personal growth work as a thing we should only do when we are struggling but it is a constant for anyone that wants to do healing work, coaching, or act as a spiritual guide in any way. This has allowed me to keep invigorated in my life but also with my practice. It’s too easy to fall into average and ordinary and so my expansion allows an energy of expansion to trickle down to my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.addisonbell.net
• Instagram: @AddisonBellCoach
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AddisonBellCoach
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AddisonBellCoaching