Rising Stars: Meet Amanda E. Richardson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda E. Richardson.

Hi Amanda, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I’m a national board-certified health and wellness coach, certified sound healer, and yoga instructor. I was always a creative growing up, involved in music and theatre, but chose the safer path of science once I left college. I worked in research and eventually earned my PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I worked in behavioral research for over a decade before transitioning to health coaching, sound healing, and yoga instruction. I think most people thought I was nuts for giving up a stable life as a researcher for an independent wellness career. But I felt empty working most of my day behind a computer, without connection to the people I was trying to help. It was then I focused on getting certified as a health and wellness coach and trained in other practices such as yoga and sound healing. They each serve a distinct but complementary purpose, all with the end goal of helping people manage stress, restore balance, align with their core values, and feel connected, engaged, and joyful. It’s taken a while to build up my skills – many years, in fact – and I continue to actively learn and grow. But I’m so happy to be surrounded by individuals that care about their health and wellness and are dedicated to paving a better life for themselves. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to where I am now has been a bumpy one. Part of the problem has been me. I have two different sides to myself – one more scientific and one more creative. It’s been difficult to find a life that merges these two sides. Historically, I’ve invested heavily in developing one side, which oftentimes resulted in sacrificing the other. I’ve gone too far in one direction (e.g., my scientific career) and had to back out because I felt my needs weren’t being met. It was only when I realized that I would have to carve my own path, one that merge my scientific and creative sides, that I felt more whole. Still, it is difficult, particularly in a society that doesn’t always value the services I offer. More than once, I’ve endured criticism over my choice to let go of a more traditional career path. This is particularly a problem because I’m in fields that have a lower bar to entry than say a doctorate, so sometimes there is confusion over what it is I even do. I have had to defend the value of health and wellness coaching to people who don’t understand there is a scientific basis to the process when done correctly and in alignment with the research. My work in yoga and sound healing has also been met with skepticism by those who don’t understand its history and studied effects. However, I know that what I offer is valuable. So many people in our society are overworked, overstressed, unhealthy and disconnected. Health and wellness extends far beyond our physical health, and my work is intended to help people manage stress and find the balance and purpose they need in life. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in helping people manage stress, find their inner calm, discover their core values, and reclaim balance and purpose in their lives. Too many people are living a life out-of-sync with their values, too stressed to enjoy their family, friends, and hobbies. I work to help people change that and get on a path that suits them more completely, a path where they have room to breathe and reconnect with their inner desires and self. I do this through 1-on-1 and group coaching, educational seminars, yoga instruction, and sound bath meditations. Each informs the other and I continue to learn and grow with each client, class, and meditation workshop. The bonus is that I can approach my work in a creative way, infusing novelty and art into all of my work. I get a lot of joy out of knowing that I’m helping people live healthier, more fulfilling, and purposeful lives. 

What sets me apart is firstly my breadth of knowledge and training. I have over 20 years of experience in health and wellness, including psychology, molecular research, public health research, coaching, yoga, fitness, music, art, and sound healing. I’ve met very few people with the depth of experience that I have and the willingness to keep learning. As well, I’ve had some very significant personal and health struggles that have ultimately helped me foster a more empathic, non-judgmental open approach. Much of what I use in my work is not just what I learned through books and seminars but personally as well. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Empathy. 

Empathy is a fundamental component of high-quality coaching and is also extremely important in yoga and sound healing. I seek to deeply understand clients, students, and participants in my meditations so that I can most appropriately guide them to a better future for themselves. Without empathy, my work would likely be much less effective. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amandaelle.com
• Instagram: @amandaelleyoga

Image Credits
Kathy Howard Portrait