Press release: West Seattle Practitioners Reflect on Their Work

This month health and wellness practitioners in West Seattle shared insights about cultivating positive goals for the new year, instead of just focusing attention on problem areas. They also shared their thoughts about how fortunate they feel to be able to find meaning in their work. The survey of these thoughts was by WellnessWestSeattle.com to test the idea of a professional blog for the site.

In describing her work, West Seattle’s Soheyla Shakerine, a certified hypnotherapist and life coach says she thinks we are programmed to set negative goals and "look for our flaws and the flaws of others, rather than looking for our strengths." She goes on to to say that she helps her clients find positive goals by finding meaning and purpose. She explained, "With my clients, I work on developing a plan to use their strengths to let go of habits that don't serve them any more and to step forward onto an authentic path of self empowerment."

Erik LaSeur reflected that his work “requires me to always be looking at what a person can do, and helping them see this too.” As a Feldenkrais practitioner, he “works with possibilities, not deficiencies, so it's easy to keep the focus towards the positive. If we do what we can within a range of not forcing or hurting ourselves, then we open up the possibilities of learning and growth.” He said this contributes to the "positivity ratio" needed in order for humans to thrive.

Betsy Bell, a West Seattle wellness advisor says that if 2011 is the year someone wants to take positive hold of their physical health and change it for the better, she thinks that reaching and maintaining their ideal weight is a #1 goal. She says that "real, positive change in the kinds of foods you eat and the amount of exercise you do, can bring lasting wellness".

With more than 50 members, WellnessWestSeattle.com is entering its third year of serving the West Seattle community as a unique, member-supported wellness resource on-line. The ad-free site includes a no-clutter, easy-to-navigate directory of health and wellness practitioners from Acupuncture to Yoga.

For Valentine’s Day and other special occasions, WellnessWestSeattle.com now identifies wellness practitioners who offer gift certificates. This year the site has aligned with the waste-free giving movement to encourage giving high-quality, local experiences instead of "stuff."

Members who offer sliding scale fees are noted and, to encourage volunteering in our communities, so are those who offer reduced fees for community volunteers.

Contact Laura Worth at (206) 463-9283 or www.WellnessWestSeattle.com.
Also, visit her at www.CoachWorth.com.