Upleveling Wellness Featuring Elizabeth Kipp

In our everchanging world, it seems as though the pace of life is moving increasingly faster, working itself into a whirlwind. The need for self-care, mental health, and prevention is quickly becoming a necessity for survival. We all want to live healthier, more peaceful lives but where do we go for help? And if you don’t have the extra cash, what can you do to help yourself?

Upleveling Wellness, a Wellness Universe exclusive series, is here to guide you. Glean from our experts’ wisdom and walk the path to a healthier, happier you.

Today, we introduce you to Elizabeth Kipp.

The Wellness Universe (WU): What do you do?

Elizabeth Kipp (EK): I’m a Stress Management & Historical Trauma Specialist & Addiction Recovery Coach

WU: Why did you choose to devote your career to this?

EK: I chose to devote my career to this to help reduce the 80% relapse rate in the addiction recovery space.

WU: How does your work help individuals?

EK: I guide people to unleash the natural healing power that lives within them. The path through healing from trauma and the pain that follows, which is underneath addiction – is known. And there are reliable and effective tools to help effect that healing. This knowledge and having teachers to help me apply it properly was uplifting. By traveling this path myself, I learned how to use them skillfully. It is a distinct honor to be in a position where I can now offer such tools to others in their search to find their way out of the darkness.

WU: How can your work improve wellness in the workplace?

EK: Stress management is essential in the workplace and life. If people in the workplace are trauma-informed and understand how to manage stress effectively, then people will be able to work together better, be more efficient at their jobs, and communicate better with everyone. Stress management techniques also help people avoid burnout. These techniques improve one’s quality of life. So, everyone wins – and so does the bottom line.

WU: What can individuals do to help improve their wellness?

EK: Develop Healthy Habits to Self-Soothe.

We have all kinds of habits. Most of the time, they run as unconscious programs in the background of our lives. We can take an action that brings us comfort, but if we are not paying attention, it can lead to self-destructive behavior. For example, when you’re stressed, do you unconsciously seek food for comfort? I am especially drawn to carbohydrates, sugar, and fats: chocolate was my guilty pleasure. But the next thing I know, my food choices have gone awry, and I am stressed in a whole new way. What began as self-soothing turns into self-destruction.

We all have our little habits: smoking, alcohol, drugs, sex, food, gambling, playing the victim, and negative thinking. Whatever your pattern is, shifting it to a new way of being in the world can bring up a lot of resistance, fear, and self-doubt.

So, be aware of unhealthy habits you have developed for self-soothing and work on making new healthy behaviors to replace them. Know that your awareness and the focus of your attention are the tools to transform that pattern into a healthier one.

Here are a few healthy self-soothing practices:

• Mindfulness or meditation: Mindfulness or meditation practices can help calm the mind, reduce stress, and increase self-awareness. Spend a few minutes daily focusing on your breath or observing your thoughts without judgment. Various apps and guided meditation resources are available to assist you in getting started.
• Deep breathing exercises: Taking deep, slow breaths can activate the body’s relaxation response and reduce anxiety. Practice diaphragmatic breathing by inhaling deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to rise, and exhaling slowly through your mouth. This can be done anywhere and at any time to calm yourself quickly.
• Engaging in physical activity: Exercise has numerous physical and mental health benefits. Regular physical activity like walking, running, or yoga can help release endorphins, boost your mood, and reduce stress levels. Find activities that you enjoy and make them a part of your routine.
• Creative outlets: Engaging in creative activities can be a great way to relax and express yourself. Consider activities like painting, drawing, writing, or playing a musical instrument. These activities can help shift your focus away from stressors and provide a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
• Engage in activities that bring you joy!

Remember, self-soothing practices may vary for individuals, so exploring different techniques and finding what works best for you is important. If you’re struggling with persistent stress or emotional difficulties, consider seeking support from a mental health professional.

WU: How can employers improve wellness in the workplace?

EK: They can provide workshops for improving self-care and stress management. This prevents burnout and increases productivity. Also, the addition of social justice awareness workshops will help bridge disparities across racial, ethnic, and gender lines.

WU: How can healthcare providers better support their clients/patients?

EK: These strategies can help shift the health and wellness industries toward a more proactive approach and promote self-care for individuals:

• Education and Awareness.
• Emphasize Preventive Care
• Improved Health Risk Assessments
• Proactive Personalized Care Plans
• Integrated Mental Health and Wellness Services
• Encourage Self-Management, Empowerment, and Responsibility
• Training for Healthcare Providers in Self-Care

By implementing these strategies, the health and wellness industries and consumers can shift toward a long-term wellness approach to health management. This shift can help improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs for everyone.

WU: How can individuals, employers, and the healthcare system navigate proactive vs reactive care?

EK: The health care system has been pointed toward caring for immediate physical trauma – a reactive approach.

The following strategies can be implemented to shift the health and wellness industries toward a more proactive approach and promote a self-care mindset among consumers and providers:

• More Professional and Public Education and Awareness: Increase public and professional awareness about proactive health and self-care benefits. Offer educational programs and campaigns highlighting the importance of prevention, early detection, and overall well-being.
• Emphasize Preventive Care: Promote the adoption of preventive care measures, such as regular health screenings, vaccinations, and lifestyle modifications. Encourage healthcare providers to prioritize preventive services and offer personalized preventative care plans.
• Increase and Upgrade Telehealth and Remote Monitoring: Utilize telehealth and remote monitoring technologies to facilitate proactive health management. These tools allow for early detection of health issues and provide continuous patient support.
• Encourage the Use of Health Risk Assessments: Encourage using health risk assessments to identify individual risk factors and help patients make informed decisions about their health.
• Develop Proactive Personalized Care Plans: Develop personalized care plans focusing on proactive health measures tailored to each individual’s needs and risk factors.
• Integrate Mental Health and Wellness Services: Integrate mental health and wellness services into healthcare practices to address proactive health management’s emotional and psychological aspects.
• Encourage Self-Management, Empowerment, and Responsibility: Promote self-management and patient empowerment by providing resources, tools, and education for individuals to be responsible for their health.
• Offer Continuous Health Monitoring: Implement wearable devices and apps that track individuals’ health parameters and progress regularly.
• Leverage Digital Health Platforms: Use digital health platforms to provide educational content, track progress, and offer personalized recommendations for proactive health management.
• Training for Healthcare Providers: Offer training and continuing education for healthcare providers to emphasize the importance of proactive health management and self-care in their practice.
• Value-Based Care Model: Shift towards a value-based model that incentivizes healthcare providers to focus on preventive care and long-term patient outcomes.
• Behavioral Change Interventions: Introduce behavioral change interventions that help patients and providers overcome barriers to adopting a proactive approach and embracing self-care.
• Collaboration and Support: Foster collaboration between patients and providers in decision-making and goal-setting for proactive health management. Encourage open communication and support in achieving health objectives.
• Research and Data Collection: Support research on the effectiveness of proactive health approaches and self-care interventions to generate evidence-based practices.

WU: Tell us about a gaffe you made in the course of your practice, how it affected your client or business, and what you learned from it.

EK: I took some online business courses before I got much beyond having a simple website for my business. However, the courses were aimed at business owners who were further along in the development of their business models. When I got home from these intensive five-day workshop experiences, I wasn’t able to implement the material we had covered in class. So, I had to find people who could help me on a more basic level. I learned a few things from this experience. First, I learned that I had to have a solid foundation before I could advance my business further. Second, I learned that there are people who can help us at whatever level we are in our development, whether it is in business, in healing, or life.

WU: What is the best client outcome you provided?

EK: The best client outcome I feel I have provided is guiding a chronic pain client into their empowerment and out of the trap of victimhood that chronic pain often creates.

Consider this example of my client Claire’s lived experience:

Claire: “I’ve looked everywhere. I’ve seen scores of doctors. I’ve taken the medicines. I’ve done what I was told. The medicine isn’t working. I am still in pain, and it’s getting worse. I’m losing hope. I feel like I am standing on the edge of a ledge and will fall at any moment. Surely there is another way to live, one without this constant suffering from chronic pain. Tell me what to do. I’ll do it. Just help me, please. You have gone through chronic pain and come out the other side. Can you help me?”

Me: “Yes. I am not a doctor or a therapist. However, I have gone through decades of chronic pain and found help to heal my condition and a way to live a life without suffering. I am happy to teach you the tools that worked for me.”

I sat calmly with this chronic pain sufferer. First, I asked Claire to just breathe and drop any struggle with the pain. We talked for a short while, and I listened to Claire’s story. She had never been able to tell her story to anyone who truly seemed to hear her. The relief in Claire’s voice from finally being heard was palpable. Next, I did an Ancestral Clearing with her.

Claire felt a pronounced shift and release in her pain. “Wow!” she said. “I feel calm and at ease in my body. I wasn’t sure that this would ever be possible for me again in my life. For the first time in eleven years, I have hope.”

Claire’s experience is an example of the kind of victimhood that occurs with chronic pain. Part of healing from chronic pain is realizing one’s empowerment in their healing. By teaching Claire to breathe in a way that helped calm her down, I was able to show Claire that she had a very powerful tool within her that she could use to help herself – a powerful healing tool.

WU: Please share a quote you live by.

EK: “One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine.” – William Osler

Connect with Elizabeth on The Wellness Universe.

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month

The Wellness Universe supports Mental Health Awareness Month. Join our event 5 Tools for Better Mental Health 2024 to discover tools that will help you achieve your best mental health. Did you know that At least 8.4 million people in the U.S. provide care to an adult with a mental or emotional health issue #NAMI

Join us in making a difference—not just in your life but in the broader community. Register today at and take a moment for your mental health. #TakeAMentalHealthMoment #MentalHealthMonth

By prioritizing mental health care without guilt or shame, we can collectively reduce the stigma surrounding mental health challenges.

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