Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Govenar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I would say becoming a Certified Life Coach was a risky decision for me. It was a huge career change and I had to come to terms with being a beginner again, but thankfully I have a degree in Psychology and an immense interest in the human brain and body. And while I did not go the route of becoming a therapist after my college graduation many years ago (instead I went off to culinary school and spent 10 years working as a professional chef) I always knew it was something I could come back to later in life. I wasn’t expecting to feel the desire to become a Coach but when I received the news that my skin cancer had returned again in August of 2022 and I needed to undergo a 4th surgery on my face, I decided it was time to really examine the direction my life was going and whether I wanted to continue down that path. I was doing well with the dog walking/petsitting business I had created after exiting the culinary industry, but I wanted to find a job I loved that would also allow me to be indoors to protect myself from the sun. I thought about going the route of clinical psychology, but the most impactful work I’ve done on my own healing journey has been with a coach. And all the amazing holistic and somatic tools (like EFT (Tapping), breath work, hypnosis, etc) that I utilized to create change in my own life were exactly what I wanted to become certified in so I could share those techniques with others. It hasn’t been an easy path as it’s forced me to examine myself on a much deeper level than ever before, but I feel like I’m becoming the person I’ve always wanted to be and I’m excited for the future. My Coaching business is building momentum slowly but I’m doing my best to be patient and I feel an immense amount of gratitude for the support I’ve received and the amazing clients I’ve already had the joy of working with. Coaching brings me such a huge sense of fulfillment, it truly fills my heart and soul to be of service to others and help them break old patterns and see their own greatness.

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 identify as an empath and Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) but before I knew what those terms were, I felt terribly ashamed of my hyper sensitivity as well as my plus sized body. I suffered from depression and anxiety and spent many many years in therapy and on antidepressants (which absolutely saved me at the time and I’m so thankful for that part of my healing journey) but it wasn’t until I found Coaching that I began to feel and see tremendous transformation in myself. And when I was searching for a new direction in life after having skin cancer again, I discovered an amazing coaching certification program that felt so right and perfect for me, I took a leap of faith and went for it. So I decided to become a Somatic Life Coach primarily because of the immense impact Coaching has had on me and my own life, and also because I was looking for a more fulfilling career path that would give me the opportunity to be of service to others. Thanks to the many hours I’ve spent with my own Coach/Mentor, my relationship to myself and others has changed dramatically and now I navigate the world with so much more love, patience, and understanding as I’m able to approach things from a different perspective. The other critical element that has been super impactful in developing more love for myself and my body has been the years I spent dancing and teaching at a pole dance studio that I was also managing before the pandemic hit. Sensual movement (like pole dance) is an incredibly empowering practice that helps build confidence and allows such a beautiful opportunity to connect to the body, which I believe we could all benefit from.

As a Somatic Life Coach my intention is to help people heal the relationship they have with themselves and their bodies, so that they can lead a life they truly love. The way that we show up for and treat ourselves influences how the rest of the world responds to us, shows up for us and treats us. I really value supporting my clients in creating a stronger connection between the mind and the body because the body holds so much wisdom as it’s the direct path to the subconscious mind. I believe that the key to breaking old habits and releasing limiting beliefs in order to create new patterns for ourselves is through becoming aware of them first, and then creating change by working with the subconscious. I’m certified in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Hypnosis, Tapping (EFT), and TIME Techniques which all focus on tapping into the subconscious mind because it is almost entirely responsible for how we perceive and react to the world around us. I do my very best to create a safe, welcoming and nonjudgmental space to help people find clarity and gain self awareness through simply sharing what’s coming up for them or by leading them through some sort of Somatic Practice like breath work, movement, vocalization, or a body scan to help them connect to the body and the subconscious mind. The topics that I tend to focus on in my coaching practice are self-love, body confidence, empowerment through sensual movement, and psychedelic integration but I’m happy to support anyone who thinks I could be of service to them. I primarily provide 1 on 1 virtual coaching sessions but starting in August I’ll be hosting a monthly sensual movement workshop called Magnetic Movement designed to empower participants and magnify their confidence.

I think what sets me apart as a Life Coach is that I view the coaching relationship as an equal partnership. My clients already possess the answers within themselves and my job as a coach is to help bring those to the surface rather than tell people what they “should” be doing. I also think it’s absolutely vital that I use the techniques and exercises I share with my clients before recommending them – I will never ask anyone to do something I haven’t already tried or am not willing to do myself.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson or behavior I had to unlearn was waiting to take action until I felt ready. Whether it was posting on social media to share about my business, that I was hosting a workshop, or even when I was asking for volunteers to coach in order to get experience during my training program, I was petrified of putting anything out into the world unless it was “perfect” and I felt completely confident about it. I found myself waiting for this “ideal” moment that was never going to happen. Taking action and following through before I felt totally ready was extremely uncomfortable, but sitting with and then moving through the discomfort is how we learn and grow as humans. It isn’t until we act despite our fears that our brain and body will see that we are capable of doing hard things. And each time you prove to yourself that you can follow through, it will get a little bit easier to take action and that will help keep the momentum moving forward.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

While I am still growing my business as a Somatic Life Coach and unsure of what the future holds for me, I would absolutely go back and do it all again if I was given the chance. Going down this path has been a bit of a rollercoaster as it’s forced me to face my own limiting beliefs and rigid patterns on a deeper level than ever before, but from this place of discomfort and learning comes expansion and space to move and grow. All the ups and downs of becoming a Coach have helped me blossom into my true authentic self and I am proud to say I have accomplished things that I never thought were possible.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandagovenar/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-govenar-572641281
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088411674575&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: https://linktr.ee/amandagovenar

Image Credits
Bailey Kobelin Knocking Bird Creative