Meet Health Coach Tina DeMember

We are happy to introduce Tina DeMember, a new member of our staff team helping us expand our offerings through the new Well Being Center.

Tina will be leading workshops, such as the “Introduction to Plant Based Eating” workshop on May 31, and providing services as a Health Coach. “I offer classes in Mindful Movement and Meditation that allow participants an opportunity to care for themselves through gentle stretching and mobility, guided meditation, and personal reflection. I will also be hosting workshops on health topics such as nutrition and goal setting, and serve as a Health Coach for YMCA members. Enrollment for sessions with a Health Coach will be rolling out soon to meet the individual needs of those interested.” Health Coach sessions typically are 30 minutes long, weekly or bi-weekly, and can be in person or via Zoom.

“When people think of the Y they often think of working out and physical activity.  Yet people can have their overall health supported with nutrition guidance, addressing stress, and other health aspects that are entirely separate from a focus only on physical activity.  I can offer nutrition support for weight loss or weight gain, stress management, and assist with other changes to support wellness and health,” she said. “We’re trying to expand people’s concept of what the Y is. It’s not just a place for physical wellness, it’s where whole-person wellness is addressed.”

“Why is this needed now?  The past several years have brought a level of unexpected stress in people’s lives that they would not have predicted five years ago. Many people are not sure what direction to go to get support. We’re here to provide ongoing support and encouragement for people who need it,” Tina said. “It’s all about them, meeting people where they are at… putting plans and structures in place to help them achieve their health and well-being goals.”

After a 14 year career in public school teaching early childhood education/special education, Tina did some soul searching about how she wanted to make a difference and dedicate her work time to health and well-being. She started as a personal trainer, then got certified as a nutrition coach, then a health coach, a Reiki Master, and Certified EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) practitioner (commonly known as “tapping”). EFT Tapping is a guided technique to address uncomfortable thoughts, feelings and/or memories by self-tapping on specific acupressure points on the body. The purpose is to gain relief from those negative thoughts, mindsets, and actions that affect health and well being, such as stress, fear, food cravings, pain, and more.

Tina’s role as a Health Coach at our YMCA will be to help members focus on where they want to be health-wise and create goals by looking at what stage of change they are in and what action they are ready to take. It’s about self-discovery.  A Health Coach can help lead people in putting the pieces together for themselves. She will guide people how to make the changes to achieve overall healthy living goals.

You may know Tina from classes she has taught at the Y.  Since last fall she has taught Mindful Movement and Meditation. It’s currently held at the Nashua Y on Tuesday nights and at the Merrimack Y on Thursday nights.

“In this class, participants spend 30 minutes doing gentle stretching and mobility movements, then I lead a guided meditation, and they have quiet integration time. This relaxing class is intended for people to take an hour of self-care, combining a mind, body and soul connection for an hour,” she said.

Tina also worked in the Merrimack branch as a personal trainer several years ago.

“I’m excited to be back here at the Y. Thrilled to be part of what’s happening with the Well Being Center, making a difference to people who want to make a change in their life,” Tina said. “I would say that the Y is a place where any member of the community can find space to partake in activities they will enjoy, where they will meet positive people, where they will feel supported and there’s a tremendous amount of variety among the three branches to keep them engaged. It’s really a community that fosters growth.”

Click  to register for Tina’s Mindful Movement and Meditation and Introduction to Plant Based Eating workshops.