I believe joy is accessible to everyone. I believe that gratitude is the key to a life of abundance and joy and a way to heal fear, worry, and judgment. I work with clients to open up to a new way of living and being with them and for them in their lives.
After years of therapy in my own life, I felt a little soul weary and yearned for something more – more spiritual, more purposeful, more intense. I began to discover the “me” that I had been seeking through coaching and ultimately, training as a life coach myself. The authentic me that had been hidden under years of fear, judgment, and shame. I began to step up and step back into my life and my true power. For years, I ran from my emotions and got absolutely nowhere. In learning to be still, I changed my entire life.
I have always had a great desire to help, heal and guide others. From childhood, I knew and understood I had a special gift to give the world and from an early age I knew others felt it as well. I was always a magnet, attracting others to me who needed to talk and let go of fear and the weight of the world. I felt every emotion that others felt. I had a very keen sense of the world around me. As I child, this all could make me feel very overwhelmed. As an adult, these attributes sent me in search of many answers. After years of anxiety and finally a massive break down (“breaking open” as I lovingly call it), I came to discover I was one of the 15% of the population that is considered highly sensitive personality (HSP). At first, this felt a bit like a curse because I wasn’t sure that I would be able to protect myself from the anxiety and intense feelings that I felt around others. Eventually, after much therapy, training, learning and coaching, I began to redefine that curse as a gift. Today, I use my gift to attune myself with others and guide them to the transformation that they have been seeking.
My first experience with depression was in 2002 when my son was six months old. Through the support of family, I was able to regain stability. In 2005, intense negative feelings revisited and I spent six weeks in a deep depression, completely encompassed in fear. The shame I felt was indescribable. I was living the life of my dreams. How could this be happening to me in the midst of a seemingly perfect life? I began meditating every day. I realized that I had disconnected from my spirit and connected to fear. I can now look back on this time with the most profound sense of gratitude. This darkness led me to the tools that enable me to live a joyful life. In 2008, that would prove to be a lifeline that I used to survive a dark time for our whole family; the loss of my baby nephew Will to cancer. These tools anchored me and also enabled me to be support to my sister, brother-in-law, nephews, my own children, and my parents as we all grieved.
By actively reconnecting with myself and the present moment, I began to heal. I turned on my inner light again…the one that had been extinguished by fear. I started listening to everything I could get my hands on from many authors. I share this information with others who are seeking to heal from any level of emotional distress or reconnect with their spirit.
Today, my story is one of survival, resilience, joy and light. In the darkest place, I have found my brightest light. When we rediscover and reunite with our inner guidance system, and align our inner selves with our outer lifestyles, we can achieve a sense of purpose and peace that produces a lasting transformation and a life of joy.
Helene lives in Burnt Hills with her husband Mike and children Michaela, Julia and Sam. For more information on life coaching or any programs offered at The Center, contact Helene Verdile at [email protected], (518) 470-0048. The Center for Clarity, Compassion & Contentment is a wellness center offering workshops and seminars on life issues in addition to life coaching, and practitioners offering mindfulness, art, yoga, reiki, and massage therapy. Helen runs the Center with fellow life coach Kim Perone, [email protected], (518) 301-3593. Visit the Center’s website at www.Center4C.com.
