Collective Spotlight: M.J. Schwartz
Isabella Dellolio Photography
Meet M.J. Schwartz a\ Holistic Coach and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor.
Why did you want to become a holistic coach?
Every modality in which I practice is one that has been of personal benefit in my own life. Yoga and meditation have been lifelines for me from the time I was a child, and I am so grateful for the dozens of teachers with whom I have studied and learned over the years. These practices have offered me a sense of steadiness within my own being and in my connections to others, and I love sharing them with other people. Similarly, after my body changed dramatically, both internally and externally, from chronic health and disability issues, Intuitive Eating helped me heal into new and healthier relationships with food, movement, and my body—the shift was profound—and I sought out certification so that I would be able to help others who were struggling with body image and all of the accompanying pain. Coaching was a natural tether for these modalities, and a way to incorporate my research experience with perfectionism into a form that is useful, compassionate, dynamic, and flexible in folks’ daily lives.
What have you gained from this work?
I have gained such a deep appreciation for the human condition, the ways we are all so unique, and the ways in which we are all so similar. A large part of how I help my clients is how I show up. I can’t be a partner in their healing if I am not actively engaged in my own ongoing healing. It’s honestly great motivation for the days I may not feel like practicing what I preach. It’s great for them, and it’s great for me.
Isabella Dellolio Photography
What do you hope your clients feel after working with you?
I hope my clients feel my unconditional positive regard for them, and I hope that it sparks unconditional positive regard for themselves. I hope they feel a bit more centered and connected to themselves after we’ve worked together. I hope that over time, they experience strengthened self-confidence and self-worth.
How does your work inform your activism or understanding of the world?
My work informs everything about how I interact with the world. I see firsthand, on a personal and interpersonal basis, how systems of oppression impact every single one of us, albeit in very different ways. Because I have been entrusted with so many people’s personal stories, when I’m out and about in the world, I think I’m usually hyper-aware that everyone I encounter is carrying stories I know nothing about, and that those stories are impacting how they behave and perceive the world around them. It makes me take things a lot less personally. I hope it causes me to behave with a combination of deep empathy and strong, healthy boundaries.
What’s your favorite season of the year and why?
Fall. Maybe it’s because I was born in late September, and that’s the first air I ever breathed. I don’t know! I love everything about it. The leaves, the apples, the air, kids on Halloween. Yes, please!
What has made you smile recently that you feel the need to share?
One of my daughters is pregnant with her second baby. My four-year-old grandson has nicknamed his in-utero sibling “Baby Tuna,” which I find ridiculously cute and funny.
