My Life as an Eating Psychology Coach: Autumn Smith

What made you want to become an Eating Psychology Coach?

As a teen, I suffered from a number of mental health challenges including an eating disorder, anxiety, and substance abuse, which ignited my fascination with the mind. I tried antidepressants, talk therapy, and every other treatment mainstream medicine had to offer, but it wasn’t until my new husband and I embarked on a 30 day paleo challenge that my digestive issues and mental health issues were largely resolved. It was then that I realized the profound connection between diet and mental health. I wanted to share the good news with everyone. After working with clients as a fitness trainer for many years, I also understood the fact that for many people dietary decisions were driven by emotions. Knowing what to eat to improve health and actually doing it were very different things. I decided to study both holistic nutrition and eating psychology, so that I could teach people both, how, and what to eat.

What do you love about being an Eating Psychology Coach?

I love the way that it enables me to help people cultivate vibrant health that lasts longer than 30 days. This work gets to the heart of what’s eating my clients. It allows them to transform eating challenges and health issues into opportunities to become a better version of themselves. There’s truly nothing better than helping someone understand themselves on a deeper level and seeing that new understanding transform their health and life. I feel so lucky to do this work.

What does your practice look like?

Currently, I work only with people who contact me looking for help. I haven’t established a full-time practice yet. I do have a 28 day online program called “Radiate in 28” that addresses diet, eating psychology and lifestyle factors that help people jumpstart their lives and cultivate sustainable health and wellness. My current focus is on bringing nutrient dense snack options to the masses, and I’m very excited to work with people in this capacity.

How did your education at the Institute prepare you to work successfully with clients?

My training allowed me to understand that eating challenges are opportunities for growth and transformation rather than self-loathing and shame. This training provided practical tools for helping people understand the origins of their current relationship with food and how to transform it into something even more productive. People contact me hoping for a smaller waistline and leave with a deeper understanding of themselves and steps they can take to reach their goals. It’s incredibly profound and rewarding work. I benefitted greatly from the guidance, tools and insight I received at IPE.

What was your favorite aspect of the Training?

I loved the audio lectures. Marc and Emily are incredibly wise, humble and service-oriented. Each lecture was brimming with powerful anecdotes and practical tools that helped me really understand WHY this work is important and impactful. I’ve listened to many of them 2-3 times and learn something new every time.

How has being an Eating Psychology Coach impacted your professional life/financial well-being?

I believe I have become far more effective. Armed only with diet and fitness, there seemed to be a segment of the population I couldn’t reach. Understanding the psychology behind eating has allowed me to help people change their lives who probably would not have responded before.

How has being an Eating Psychology Coach impacted you personally?

Powerfully. When I began the program, I was binge eating Toblerone bars while on a high-stress world tour as a celebrity fitness coach. As I advanced in this program, I learned exactly WHY I was binging and how to stop. Surprisingly, it had nothing to do with food. Armed with this new information, I haven’t had a Toblerone since.

What do you see for yourself in your future as an Eating Psychology Coach – where is your work evolving towards?

My goal is to create online programs which will provide the tools to cultivate long term, vibrant health for my clients. I want to teach people to “fish”, rather than just telling them to eat fish. And to that aim, my programs will include dietary, lifestyle and psychological strategies. I want to empower and inspire people to reclaim their health and love themselves on every level.

Why Would You Recommend the Training to Others?

Research has confirmed that the circumstances of your lives and the way you think, affect your health in very real and measurable ways. This program taught me how to help my clients optimize these factors for thriving health. It did it in an uplifting and inspiring way. I believe this training is beneficial for anyone who aspires to have a unique and lasting impact on their clients. And, who doesn’t want that?!

Anything else you’d like to share?

My experience in the wellness space has taught me that understanding why we eat is equally (if not more) important than what we eat. Health and wellness are dynamic processes. What works for you today, may not work tomorrow. Being able to give people the tools to understand and stay in tune with themselves throughout life’s adventures has allowed me to make a positive impact. Sometimes this occurs when they don’t follow my dietary advice per se. However, they often leave with tools that will positively and powerfully impact their lives.

NAME: Autumn Fladmo Smith, MSHN & Certified Eating Psychology Coach
BUSINESS: Paleovalley
WEBSITE: paleovalley.com

BIO:  Autumn Smith is the co-founder of Paleovalley which offers programs and food products that make it easy for people to eat consciously and live vibrantly. She has a bachelor’s in psychology, master’s in holistic nutrition and is a certified eating psychology coach by the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. autumnfladmosmith@gmail.com