I'm Ezra, a kinesiologist, personal trainer & yoga instructor, life coach, and certified sexual therapy practitioner with 17 years of hands-on expertise. My areas of focus include LGBTQIA wellness, relationships, communication, trauma recovery, pleasure discovery, and body image improvement. Always intersectional, trauma informed, neurodivergent-friendly, evidence-based, and grounded in lived experience.
I began working in gyms all the way back in 2008, became a certified instructor, and started doing "standard" personal training. Over the next few years, I realized that my clients were struggling with inaccesible schedules, exclusionary attitudes, unaffordable fees, and one-dimensional ideas of wellness. People of diverse body types, abilities, and identities didn't feel at home in the gym, and I felt limited in my capacity to help during the hour or two we saw each other. If clients didn't feel fully safe, seen, or supported, the results weren't going to happen.
In 2013 I completed my degree in Kinesology and, with a few other certifications under my belt, gradually shifted my focus away from the gym world and toward more integrative health and wellness care. After the Covid-19 pandemic, I switched fully to virtual coaching. No longer limited by location, I was able to help people fully integrate their mental health, physical health, and life goals - all on their own terms.
Today, my coaching philosphy is holistic. Yes I know that's an overused buzzword and you might be rolling your eyes right now. I genuinely hate "wellness culture" and the way that online influencers have hijacked good practices! For me, holistic means taking an evidence-based and multi-pronged approach to coaching, acknowledging the full person and honoring their unique situation. I blend empirical knowledge with lived experience to create a flexible container for YOU to succeed.
I believe that effective intervention has multiple integrative dimensions. For many people, it starts by first looking at the inner world, reflecting on where our beliefs and behaviors originated. I help guide my clients through a process of analysis and introspection. Secondly, we can look at these beliefs and behaviors and notice if a reframing or adjustment would be helpful. We start putting this into practice with techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy. And third, we learn skills for staying present in our bodies. This includes somatic therapy techniques and practicing staying grounded even when stressors arise. I integrate my expertise - as a kinesiologist and exercise physiologist - to emphasize the importance of the body. Many mental health practitioners take a strictly cognitive approach, but I believe that this limits the effectiveness and sustainability of their work.
Taken together, this is the coaching framework that has helped my clients (and myself!). Today, I work with clients worldwide, from all walks of life. Many of my clients are fellow LGBTQIA folk who appreciate having a safe space where they don't need to explain or justify themselves. But my services are available for all people who are commited to doing the work.
Sometimes we get so busy performing that we don't take the time to be present. And sometimes we get convinced that people only like us for this perfectly polished version.
Transformative vulnerability comes when we approach ourselves and others with nonjudgemental curiosity.
Have you struggled with defining your boundaries? Do you feel guilt at enforcing them? What feelings are brought up by other people's disrespect of your boundaries?
I work with coaching clients to develop clear and confident communication strategies!
A couple of legal disclaimers:
All physical activity carries an inherent risk of injury or illness. It is advisable to consult a physician prior to beginning or changing a physical fitness program. While I seek to minimize all possible risks to you through detailed intake history, adequate instruction, and careful program design, by following a program designed by me, you assume all risks that may arise.
My life coaching services are not psychotherapy. Although I am educated in multiple therapeutic modalities and incorporate them into client care, I am not equipped to diagnose conditions or to provide emergency/crisis support. I encourage all clients to build a care team of qualified professionals for various aspects of their mental and physical health.