Welcome! I’m Mirja Pitkin*

the Feel Better Coach.

I help people improve their well-being.

Wellness coach
EFT/tapping guide
Personal trainer
Reiki practitioner

*Mirja rhymes with Lydia. Go figure.

Woman looking up at ball

I teach people tools and practices that help them feel better so they are calmer, happier, and experience more JOY.

Hi! Thanks for stopping by.

Wellness, health, and healing are my life’s passion and my life’s work.

If you would like to feel better, physically, mentally, and emotionally, I’m here to help. I have been supporting people on their wellness journeys for over 20 years.

I started out as a personal trainer and remain committed to helping people get more active. We all know movement is vital for our phsycial health, but sometimes we forget (or don’t realize) how vital it is for out mood and mental health. If your goal is to get buff, I’m not the trainer for you. But if you would like to feel better in your body, feel happier day to day, and set yourself up to remain active and strong for as many years as possible, I’m your gal. I meet people where they are, honor the realities of their lives, and create programs that are efficient and doable.

Personal trainer

I am ACE-certified – and have been since 1997. I got certified as a yoga teacher in 2000 with YogaFit and bring my understanding of biomechanics to my yoga instruction.

I have focused on rehabilitation and injury prevention from the very beginning of my career when I set out to learn everything I could about strengthening safely and staying injury-free. In addition to exploring Alexander technique, Feldenkrais, Authentic Movement, NIA, Applied Kinesiology, and 5-rhythms, I studied dynamic anatomy and apprenticed with Irene Dowd.

Holistic

My desire to provide more holistic support, led me to become a wellness coach and EFT/tapping guide. Sometimes it is knowledge keeping people from exercising and making healthy choices for themselves, but often it is more complicated. As a wellness coach I’m able to help my clients clarify their goals, map a course, and overcome obstacles. And when those obstacles are deep-rooted, EFT/tapping is an effective tool for addressing those blocks.

Feel Better Coach

Exercise is only part of the picture. Wellness coaching helps people become healthier overall. I am certified by Real Balance. Real Balance is International Coach Federation (ICF) accredited, the gold standard for coaching certifications. I adhere to ICF core coaching competencies and the ICF Code of Ethics.

In addition to being a wellness coach, I am an ACE-certified Behavioral Change Specialist. This certification teaches a variety of proven methods-including aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and Prochaska’s stages of change, among others–to help people progress from inaction to action and build healthier habits.

While working as a health educator at a local hospital, I partnered with a co-worker to develop a healthy choices curriculum. We led this 12-week class three times a year for three years. The course helped community members get more exercise and make healthier food choices. I have witnessed and helped a lot of people though the process of making positive change.

EFT/Tapping

EFT/tapping is a simple technique for addressing distress and pain. It can help clear internal obstacles so you get out of your own way, overcome self-sabotage, and change self-talk from negative to positive. It works for the little stuff, the big stuff, and eveyrthing in between. Studies show it is as effective as EMDR and can support profound healing work. I am certified in Gold-Standard EFT.

Healing Support

My own healing journey–from being told my depression was chronic and that I would be on medication for the rest of my life to being medication and depression-free for many years–has informed my approach to health and wellness. I know from my own experience, and from helping others, what a truly holistic approach to health looks like and how transformative it can be. Mind, body, and spirit all matter and need tending.

I support client’s healing as a Reiki practitioner and by teaching a wide array of techniques for addressing depression and anxiety, including vagal toning, mindfulness, breathwork, and EFT/tapping.

Reiki Level II

I didn’t find energy-work, it found me. Back in the late 90s, before I really knew what energy work was, an odd pattern started emerging. Every so often when I was working on a client to release a muscle knot, I’d feel a flush of heat and dizziness. Despite making no mention of this, it was always followed by delighted feedback from my client along the lines of “Hey, the pain just disappeared!”

After I experienced the flip side (a healing energy release) during a chiropractic session, I began to understand better what had been happening. I also began to let go of my (naive!) belief that if it wasn’t acknowledged and explained by science, it wasn’t real.  (A belief that is very funny to me now.) In time, I got certified in Reiki and, for clients who are interested, have been incorporating healing into my sessions, often with profound results. 🌸

In short, I have a broad range of skills and knowledge to offer. (Which is what happens when you turn your life’s passion into a multi-decade career.)

You can work with me one-on-one or in a group setting in one of my classes.