Living and working across the Kimberley for 12 years was one of the most profound and formative experiences of my professional and personal life. It taught me that culture is not simply an aspect of someone’s identity; it is the thread that connects people to family, community, country, spirituality, belonging, and everyday life. I came to appreciate that without understanding these connections, we cannot truly understand a person’s health or what sustainable wellbeing might look like for them.
This experience fundamentally shaped my approach to culturally appropriate practice. It taught me the importance of cultural humility, listening without assumption, building trust over time, and recognising that the person is the expert in their own life.
Ironically, my inspiration and passion for Health Coaching began while working as a Nurse in Specialist Palliative Care across the Kimberley region for 7 years. In many ways, what I was witnessing, was the end result of Chronic Disease and cancer. The model of care was multi-disciplinary, with the patient and GP at the centre, and care planning for patients was primarily informed by PCOC (Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration).A whole person approach, which included family/carer, finances, quality of life, spirituality and symptom management from a subjective perspective that measured and monitored levels of distress. What struck me as a health professional, was the enormous responsibility I held to support not only the individual, but an entire family and community through a very vulnerable and intimate journey, end of life. What mattered most, what matters, shifted daily, and my role was to facilitate conversations that would be supportive of quality of life, and empower the individual to remain in charge, and free of suffering……. whatever that meant to them.
Without realising, I was Health Coaching:
I became a better listener.
I relinquished my own agenda.
I honoured the person to make their own decisions without influence or coercion.
I asked permission before any discussion or advice giving.
I asked what matters most to you right now.
I practised self-care and developed my skills to be fully present through further training and education in Non-Violent Communication, Meditation and Ayurveda (Science of Life).
It was extraordinary and privileged work, and when done well there was peace and fulfillment, a sense of completeness.
I have been fortunate to have had some incredible mentors throughout my working career. I remember, and am so grateful for, Dr Kevin Yuen, Palliative Care Consultant who I was working alongside during this time- his wisdom and compassion (and good humour!) was striking. One day while travelling together to remote communities, he said to me “Palliative Care is what good Medicine is…… and as Palliative Care Health professionals we are “Life Saviours.” Those words really grabbed my attention and have stayed with me since.
I began to question why this approach (holistic) we used in Palliative Care wasn’t being used in other areas of healthcare because at the end of the day, we are all seeking the same thing- to live a joyful and meaningful life, relief from suffering, no matter what our circumstances.
In 2021, I came across a Health Coaching Course and completed my Health Coaching Diploma. It was a pivotal moment for me, Health Coaching provided the framework, tools, skills, and knowledge that would refine and define my approach as a healthcare professional.
Two key things really stood out for me- Health Coaching is holistic, and personalized. It is also aligned with everything that I had learnt and experienced through Meditation and Ayurveda, that is the cultivation of awareness, to know “The Self”. From this point we can open up to our thoughts and feelings and pursue our values by making conscious choices in line with them.
I have since left acute nursing, freeing me up to pursue a career and a way of life that feels most aligned with my values, and enables me to draw upon all my experience and skills.
Working primarily now as a Cancer Coach for Osara Health is truly inspirational. As an Australian start-up company, they have demonstrated the value of Health Coaching supporting people experiencing cancer, caregivers of those experiencing cancer, and those that are in survivorship.
What I find most rewarding is helping someone move from feeling overwhelmed, disconnected or powerless to recognising their own capacity to make meaningful behaviour change- this shift in energy, the realisation, the “light bulb” moment can be palpable, and I when I hear this, feel this, that is when I know I am doing my job. The ability to be fully present, listen deeply and put aside my own assumptions has been one of the most important skills in my development as a coach.
One of the moments that continually reminds me why this work matters is sitting with someone and asking, ” What matters most to you right now?” The answer is often vastly different from what we, as health professionals, might initially expect- and sometimes even from what that person initially thought would be. That conversation can change the direction of a person’s health and wellbeing entirely. It acknowledges the person as the expert of their own lives.
This is what distinguishes Health Coaching from many other healthcare approaches: Health Coaching also creates the time, space and relationship for self-awareness, autonomy, and sustainable behaviour change.
As Osara Health grows and expands, Health Coaches the value they add, the difference they make to lives of many is being formally recognised. This makes me particularly excited about the future of Health Coaching becoming more deeply embedded in primary care, chronic disease prevention, cancer care, and community.
My hope is that we continue moving towards a more inclusive, culturally responsive model of healthcare, one that recognises the wisdom, strengths and uniqueness of every individual and community. Sustainable health behaviour change begins when people feel genuinely heard, respected, and empowered to take ownership of their own health and wellbeing.
We need Health Coaches more than ever, and my advice to anyone considering a career in Health Coaching is to remain curious, be prepared to challenge your own assumptions and never underestimate the power of genuine human connection.
Connect with like-minded, find a mentor and join professional affiliations such as HCANZA and ASLM. Develop your skills, but equally invest in your own self-awareness and wellbeing, because how we show up matters.
Fiona Mardling is the Founder of RiverWalk Mindbody Health, an HCANZA award winning Health Coach, Registered Nurse, Certified Meditation Teacher, Ayurveda Lifestyle consultant, and 350-hour Yoga Teacher, with more than four decades of experience as a Health Professional. Now based in the Macedon Ranges, Victoria, she currently works as a Cancer Coach with Osara Health while building her own integrative and holistic health coaching practice.
