Joline Seavey: Bringing Spirituality Into Everyday Wellness

Growing up, my mother introduced me to spirituality, visualization, and the power of positive thinking. That foundation stayed with me through years of working in mental health, where I learned to look at a person’s whole life to understand the support they needed. When I discovered IIN, its focus on individuality and the many ways we nourish ourselves felt like a natural fit.

Through The Health Coach Training Program^™ I deepened my understanding of how food and lifestyle influence well-being and gained the confidence to build a coaching practice of my own. Later, I continued developing my coaching skills through the Coaching Intensive Practicum, building on that foundation toward board certification. Today, as a spiritual empowerment coach, I help people quiet their minds, connect with their intuition, and bring spirituality into everyday life—meeting them wherever they are on their journey.

Q&A: The Beginning

WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO THE WORLD OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND WHAT LED YOU TO EXPLORE HEALTH COACHING?

A: I have always loved learning about health and wellness and everything that makes us tick. I’ve always had a very holistic view of life. When I discovered IIN in 2012, I felt drawn to its philosophy of primary and secondary foods, its focus on bio-individuality, and the idea that no single answer fits everyone.

YOU’VE SPENT MANY YEARS WORKING IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD. WHAT EXPERIENCES ALONG THAT JOURNEY SHAPED THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT SUPPORTING THE WHOLE PERSON?

A: My experiences in the mental health field were all about the whole person and the fact that each of us is an individual. To support the clients I worked with, I needed to look at their entire lives, not just their diagnoses and medication schedules. I needed to consider all aspects of their lives to help optimize their health and wellness. To be our best, we need to support each area of our lives.

WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE OR CAREER WHEN YOU FIRST DISCOVERED IIN, AND WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP?

A: When I discovered IIN, I had left the mental health field and was working as a supervisor in a call center. That job started as a bridge job, and I stayed for about nine years! I wanted to get away from the stress of the mental health system. I felt constrained.

I discovered IIN while working at the call center. I remember the first time I saw an ad and started exploring all that IIN had to offer. I was hooked! It described my philosophy of life and the work I wanted to share with my community.

Q&A: Your IIN Journey

WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING AN IIN STUDENT LIKE FOR YOU? WAS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THE JOURNEY THAT SURPRISED YOU OR CHALLENGED THE WAY YOU HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT HEALTH AND WELLNESS?

A: I absolutely loved being an IIN student. I loved the way the program flowed, and I was easily able to move through the modules. I was amazed at how many dietary theories there were and really enjoyed stretching my mind to take it all in.

One of the things that was really interesting to me was the fact that health is not all or nothing. There is room for so much flexibility and “being bad.” Bio-individuality is such a crucial component, and as I worked with my first clients, I found this so empowering.

IS THERE A PARTICULAR LESSON, CONCEPT, OR MOMENT FROM IIN THAT YOU STILL FIND YOURSELF CARRYING INTO YOUR WORK TODAY?

A: I would have to say bio-individuality and meeting people where they are in their journeys.

HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT AT IIN COMPLEMENT WHAT YOU HAD ALREADY LEARNED THROUGH YOUR WORK IN MENTAL HEALTH?

A: My education had prepared me for my role in mental health, community services, supportive counseling, and the like. But I was blown away as I learned about the impact food and lifestyle can have on mental health, including how the quality of the food we eat can affect our mental health. I was steeped in the medical model prior to IIN.

Q&A: Bringing Spirituality Into Wellness

YOUR WORK TODAY CENTERS ON HELPING PEOPLE EMBRACE SPIRITUALITY AND LIVE THROUGH THAT LENS. WHAT LED YOU IN THIS DIRECTION?

A: I was so fortunate to have grown up with a mom who was reading books about spirituality way before it became popular. I grew up learning about the power of visualization, manifestation, and the “power of positive thinking.”

When I became a coach, I realized that my real passion was helping people learn how to live their lives through the lens of spirituality, how to integrate it, and how to stop seeing it as something separate from themselves.

WHAT DOES SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT MEAN TO YOU, AND HOW DOES IT SHOW UP IN THE WORK YOU DO WITH CLIENTS?

A: I believe that we are spiritual beings here having a human, physical experience and that there is no separation between us and our spirituality.

In my work with clients, I meet them where they are. We look at what is going on in their lives, and I support them in integrating principles of spirituality into their day-to-day lives.

YOU TALK ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE LIVE FROM THEIR HEART INSTEAD OF THEIR HEAD. WHAT DOES THAT SHIFT LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE?

A: I love this question. In our society, we are always thinking things through, processing, figuring things out, and the like. I call that living in our heads: getting stuck in the stories we tell ourselves and others.

Living from the heart is coming down into the body. It means literally taking deep breaths, quieting the mind, and tuning in to the wisdom that we all have inside us: our gut feelings, our intuition, our knowing.

HOW DO YOU HELP SOMEONE BEGIN EXPLORING THEIR SPIRITUALITY WHEN THEY MAY FEEL DISCONNECTED FROM IT OR UNSURE WHERE TO START?

A: I start by taking the mystery out of it. We are already spiritual beings. There is no place to go. I usually help people start by getting present, by tuning in to the moment they are in.

I start each session with a brief grounding practice, where we breathe, settle, and tune in to what’s going on in that exact moment. Then, as we work together, we weave in various principles, like feeling our feelings fully, without judgment and without getting stuck in the story of whatever triggered the emotion.

We explore the idea that when we resist what is, we suffer, and that acceptance doesn’t mean agreement but can lead to freedom. We also decode some of the sayings I’m sure you’ve heard: “What you think about, you bring about,” “What you resist persists,” and so on. What does all this mean, and how can you understand it in a way that helps you find freedom and relief in life?

HOW HAVE YOUR BACKGROUND IN MENTAL HEALTH, HEALTH COACHING, AND SPIRITUALITY COME TOGETHER TO SHAPE THE WAY YOU SUPPORT OTHERS?

A: It is all intertwined. My mental health background helped me understand human nature. Health coaching really helped me hone my coaching skills and understand how coaching differed from my work in mental health. My whole life has been spiritually based.

Weaving all of this together has made me who I am today. It allows me to meet my clients where they are and stand beside them as they make their way in the world.

Q&A: The Work Today

WHAT HAVE YOUR CLIENTS TAUGHT YOU ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE TRULY NEED IN ORDER TO FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THEMSELVES AND THEIR LIVES?

A: People need to be unconditionally loved in each moment, just as they are. They need to feel held emotionally by someone who understands that they are not wrong or bad and that we are all exactly where we are supposed to be in each moment.

WHAT IS ONE PRACTICE, MINDSET, OR QUESTION YOU OFTEN RETURN TO WHEN HELPING SOMEONE RECONNECT WITH THEMSELVES?

A: I always invite people to come back to their breath. There is a saying that peace is just one breath away, and that is so true!

Whenever I’m struggling, stuck, or worrying about the future, I come back to myself, take a deep breath, and remember that in this very moment, I am well. The past is behind me, and the future is yet to come. All I ever have is the very moment I am in.

FOR SOMEONE WHO FEELS STUCK IN THEIR HEAD, DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR INTUITION, OR UNSURE OF THEIR NEXT STEP, WHERE MIGHT YOU ENCOURAGE THEM TO BEGIN?

A: I would say to start by finding like-minded people. Tap into a community. There are so many fantastic coaches out there. There are groups, meditation circles, and individual sessions. Find your people.

Q&A: Staying Connected to IIN

AFTER GRADUATING FROM IIN, YOU CAME BACK TO WORK WITH US, MANAGING TALENT AND SUPPORTING OUR VISITING FACULTY. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE, AND HOW DID IT SHAPE YOUR CONNECTION TO IIN?

A: Working with IIN was my dream job. Before interviewing for the position, I had made a list of what my ideal job would look like. I had written about working with like-minded people, being able to travel, working in health and wellness, and not feeling like work was work. When I finished the interview and looked at my list, I knew I was home.

My work with IIN changed my life. I was able to participate in shaping the program to some degree, and it felt like a dream to connect with the Visiting Faculty. I learned so many skills that I utilize today. And I have to say, the friendships I made while working with IIN continue to this day. Talk about being with your tribe!

WHAT HAS KEPT YOU CONNECTED TO THE IIN COMMUNITY SINCE COMPLETING YOUR PROGRAM, AND WHAT DOES THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY MEAN TO YOU?

A: As I said above, community is everything. I have stayed in touch with many of the people I worked with. In fact, I just met with two of them yesterday!

I follow everything that IIN is doing today, and I love watching the evolution. I am continuously running into IIN grads. I’ve participated in several groups with my coach, and I swear there is always another grad in the group.

YOU WILL BE AN EXPERIENCE IIN FACILITATOR IN OCTOBER. WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO SHARE WITH EXPERIENCE IIN MEMBERS, AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY?

A: I am thrilled to be an Experience IIN Facilitator in October! My main goal in the series is to help people understand that spirituality isn’t something “out there”; it is within them.

I want to offer tools to help them connect more with themselves, understand themselves as spiritual beings, and integrate spiritual principles into their day-to-day lives.

Note: Sign up for Experience IIN to join her transformative Spirituality in Practice series!

Q&A: Reflections & Insights

WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE YOU STARTED AND THE WORK YOU’RE DOING TODAY, WHAT PART OF YOUR JOURNEY ARE YOU MOST GRATEFUL FOR?

A: I am so grateful to IIN for giving me the tools and the confidence to take the leap and go out on my own. I honestly don’t think I would have trusted myself to do it if it hadn’t been for the education, support, and people of IIN.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO CONTINUE EXPLORING OR CREATING IN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR WORK?

A: I am so excited to do more public speaking and education around my work and to touch as many lives as possible.

Q&A: Fun Favorites

WHAT’S A HOBBY, INTEREST, OR PASSION OUTSIDE OF YOUR WORK THAT YOU COULD TALK ABOUT FOR HOURS?

A: It’s so funny: when I looked at this question, I realized that there is no separation between my work, my interests, and my passion. I live what I teach and coach about.

My conversations with friends usually revolve around some version of this. My reading and the information I consume are centered around being my best self as well. I think the thing that makes me happiest is that I don’t feel like I “work.” I live, and I share my gifts.

IF YOU COULD SPEND A DAY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD DOING ANYTHING YOU WANTED, WHAT WOULD YOUR IDEAL DAY LOOK LIKE?

A: My ideal day would be spent somewhere near a beautiful, clear, blue ocean with a sandy beach. I would be surrounded by family and like-minded people. I would probably lead a couple of meditations, take long walks interspersed with some swimming, and watch a glorious sunset.