In today’s fast-paced world, filled with stress and distractions, nurturing good health is of utmost importance as it empowers people to weather life’s challenges with resilience and fosters a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Noozhawk’s annual Wellness Guide celebrates this diversity and provides a platform to explore and enhance wellness in all its forms. The guide aims to provide readers with the tools they need to enhance their wellness routines.
Through a series of interviews with various local wellness businesses, Noozhawk is bringing you insights and resources to support your efforts on improving your health.
In this interview, Noozhawk spoke with Kathy Gruver, an ACC certified coach and psychedelic integration coach of Kathy Gruver Coaching, to learn more about her services.
Cathy Gruber Coaching
question: What motivated you to start this health and wellness business and what inspired the specific services and products you offer?
answer: I started working as a medical massage therapist decades ago. I quickly realized that my clients were looking for more holistic health than just elbows on sore spots. I continued my studies and added more services to my practice, including Reiki, prenatal massage, massage doula work, homeopathy, and herbs, eventually earning my Masters and Doctorate in Natural Health.
About nine years ago, I incorporated hypnotherapy into my practice and through that work, I decided that life coaching was the next option in my buffet of health options. I realized that the more I knew, the more people I could help, which inspires me daily to expand my knowledge and reach more people. I realized that the next phase of healthcare would include plant therapy and more recently I have embraced psychedelic integration coaching. It is truly an honor for me to be able to assist people in preparing for and integrating a sacred healthcare experience.
question: Can you outline your company’s unique value proposition and what sets you apart in the competitive wellness market?
answer: Life coaching and executive coaching have been around for a while, but given the mental health crisis we’ve been facing over the last decade, coaching has become more mainstream and is helping to fill the gaps that psychology can’t reach. I customize every session to the needs of that client when they sit down in front of me. I can help you with anything from better communication as a couple, goal setting, values, removing obstacles, maximizing your life, and more.
With my extensive experience in health and wellness, I have the tools and the right questions to ask to help you achieve your goals and get clarity on what you want in life. As a former actor, I inevitably incorporate humor and improvisational games to help me dig deeper. I rely on what I’ve learned in books as well as deep intuition and observation of human behavior. I’ve worked with thousands of people across many disciplines and I learn from everyone I meet.
question: How do you ensure your services and products are in line with current health trends and consumer needs?
answer: I pride myself on continuing education. I am a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and take that membership seriously. I am also a member of the Harvard Institute of Coaching (IOC) and through these two organizations I stay current on ethics and trends in the field and ensure I adhere to the latest rules, regulations and values. In addition to completing my own personal coaching, I have a certain number of mandated hours of classroom work, which includes a certain number of ethics courses and classes specific to the ICF Code.
question: What strategies do you employ to maintain high quality standards and consistency across your products?
answer: Coaching is a very unique profession. I literally have no idea what each session will be like. Although it is tempting to plan things out, it is really about dancing in the moment and meeting the person or couple where they are during that session. I personally hold myself to a high standard of performance and ethics to bring the highest quality to every session. Presence is really key.
question: How do you approach customer feedback and incorporate it into improving your business?
answer: In a personal business like coaching, feedback is crucial. I ask each person on my intake form how I can best serve and support them, and I get a variety of answers. I check in with my clients regularly to see if I’m meeting their expectations and if we’re still a good fit. The last thing I want is to bring back someone who is no longer getting value from my services. It’s all about building relationships.
question: What measures are you taking to ensure the safety and efficacy of your products and services, especially in areas such as ingredient sourcing and service delivery?
answer: I’m very careful not to get into the realm of psychology. It’s a tough line sometimes. But I don’t diagnose or prescribe. If I feel like someone isn’t a good fit, I’ll refer them right away. I’m a trauma-informed coach, and I help people recognize when they need deeper work.
question: How do you stay informed about regulatory changes and industry standards that affect your business?
answer: Not only is the ICF an international organization, but our local (Los Angeles) chapter also sends out regular emails and newsletters about changes to their rules. I also follow many of the standards that psychologists and counselors adhere to. I am constantly reading psychology books and magazines to stay up to date on the latest trends and information.
question: What role do partnerships and collaborations play in your business strategy, and how do you select potential partners that align with your brand’s values?
answer: Currently, I am not affiliated with any physicians, but I do have a list of physicians to whom I can refer cases that are outside of my scope of practice, and I always welcome referrals when my services are appropriate.
question: Can you talk about your plans to expand and diversify your health and wellness business in the future?
answer: Currently, the newest service I am offering is Psychedelic Integration Coaching. I am deeply committed to that field and am excited about the changes regarding statewide and federal regulations. I am trained to help people prepare for their journey, set goals, and discern what it is they really want from the experience, and then I can assist with integration following their journey and help them find ways to incorporate their experiences into their daily life.
question: How do you see your business evolving to meet the changing needs and preferences of health and wellness consumers?
answer: It is for this very reason that I branched out into the field of psychedelic coaching: there is an amazing ketamine clinic in town, and there are so many people seeking mental health and expanded consciousness through the use of plant medicine, so I really feel like I can help people prepare for and integrate the experience.
Whether someone headed to Costa Rica for a psilocybin trip, visited Northern California for an Ayahuasca ceremony, or came home from Burning Man or a music festival with an amazing (or not so amazing) experience, I help people understand that experience and incorporate it into their daily lives. I believe plants and these natural therapies are the future of mental health and expanding consciousness. I also see more people turning to life coaches and couples coaches. I’m excited to be in that space too.
question: Finally, what do you think sets your health and wellness business apart from your competitors and how do you maintain a competitive advantage in the market?
answer: I have spent almost my entire life coaching people. Even before coaching was officially recognized, people have confided in me their fears, struggles, and obstacles, and turned to me to find meaning in their lives. I have dedicated my life to helping people, through massage, hypnosis, coaching, and now psychedelic integration. I don’t see it as a competition. There are so many people who need our help, who need help navigating this crazy world. None of us are born with a guidebook handed to us, and it is an honor for me to be able to stand with people and help them understand this. If I am the right fit, people will find me.
Click here to learn more about Kathy Gruver!
