how we work

What's it like to work with Creative Wellness coach, trainer and consultant, Lynda Monk?

Expected Results

top of page

Guiding Beliefs and Values

Through supporting many individuals and organizations towards greater work-life balance and wellness, I have discovered some guiding beliefs and values that influence and inform my approach to working together with you...

Self-care is not optional if a professional helper is going to thrive and be healthy while working in high stress and often high trauma circumstances. Self-care has to be foundational, the place one arrives to over and over again to replenish, rest and renew as a helper and as a human being.

Your health is your wealth - sometimes the stress and pressure of helping others can lead to burnout and exhaustion among professional helpers and leaders. For anyone who is or has felt this way, you know that nothing is more valuable than your own sense of health, vitality and well-being and that sometimes we need help achieving and maintaining our optimal wellness, work-life balance, and enthusiasm in the midst of it all.

Bring your whole self to your whole life - a whole self approach to wellness involves your mind, body, heart and spirit. From this place, you feel integrated, whole, nurtured and connected. This resonance and well-being can touch all parts of your life and work.

Resiliency is born in optimism and positive regard. Individuals and organizations alike are most resilient when facing high stress in the presence of a high level of positive regard for self, each other, and the work being done. Combine positive regard with an overall sense of optimism and you have a winning combination for resiliency and wellness.

Congruence counts - if your organization's mission statement is to offer care and support to those in need and your employees feel uncared for and unsupported while working to fulfill this mission statement, the result is often a frustrated and disengaged workforce with higher turnover and absenteeism rates. Contrarily, when there is congruence between what an organization stands for and the values they live by in the day to day work environment professionals have fertile ground to grow, thrive and be well.

A workplace can be a fulfilling and satisfying experience - given that most professionals spend the majority of their waking hours within their workplace - both the quality of work and people's overall quality of life flow from the culture of the workplace. Investing in a positive workplace culture is an investment in a positive life for yourself and others. A healthy workplace matters!

People want more of the good stuff. I believe people want the best for their lives and work. They want to feel good about who they are and what they do. They want a sense of meaning and purpose and joy. They want a little ebb and flow, some breathing space here and there. They want to be appreciated and recognized for the good stuff they do.

top of page

My Approach

When you are looking for a coach, a trainer, a speaker, or a consultant, there are a lot to choose from. What makes me unique?

Above all else, I honour and understand the work of professional helpers. Having worked as child welfare social worker, a counselor, a crisis intervention worker, a suicide prevention specialist and a medical social worker in the intensive care unit of a hospital, I have a first hand understanding of managing stress in these high pressured circumstances.

It is challenging to witness both human suffering and human resiliency at such high rates while still holding onto what feels good, safe and inspiring in your work and life. I understand and acknowledge this complexity and help you cultivate what is replenishing and motivating inside this professional paradox.

I work from a strengths-based perspective. I help you connect with your inner resource, wisdom and strength. I ask positive and powerful questions: What's working? What are you most proud of? How have you dealt with challenges in the past? What dreams are calling you? What parts of your self-care do you feel good about?

How does your organization help employees address workplace stress? What areas of growth do you see as possible? What is one positive reason someone would choose to work within your organization? What legacy do you want to create? What values guide your life? How are you currently living these values?

One size does not fit all. There are many paths to greater well-being and multiple ways to manage stress and achieve healthy work-life balance. I help individuals and working groups "dream, design and do" what makes sense to them and what feels doable based on their knowledge, needs, preferences and circumstances.

Inspiration and motivation are core ingredients for growth and change. For what are you motivated? I spend time cultivating space for you to feel grounded, at ease, curious, energized and open to multiple sources of inspiration and motivation as you take action towards what matters most in your life and work.

Practice what I preach. I work hard to keep self-care and balance up front in my daily life. As the mother of two young sons, a wife, and an entrepreneur - each day has its own unique juggling act. Self-care is not static but rather dynamic for each of us and I do my very best to prioritize my well-being, happiness and health. I live what I teach others which is to actively manage stress, rest and replenish, cultivate joy, and strive for balance in mind, body, heart and spirit at home and at work. Live well and live fully!

Recognition of the powerful relationship between individuals and their work environment

Creative Wellness promotes the interface between healthy individuals and the overall culture of wellness within the workplace.

The best net effect is when individuals practice consistent self-care and organizations strive to hold high value for employee well-being through addressing stress issues, tending to work-life balance needs and creating a healthy workplace culture. Sustainable and comprehensive workplace health programs must address the health of both the individual and the organization.

Now that you have a better idea of the results you can expect by working with me as well as something about my guiding beliefs, values and approach to working together, please go to the Services and Programs page for information about what we offer.

top of page