Short & Sweet: (read below for the full scoop)

Jennifer Schramm

Life Coach.  Registered Counsellor.  RPC-CPC, WCD, LSID, BA Psych.  I’ve also studied the works of great teachers like Debbie Ford, Marianne Williamson, Byron Katie, Louise Hay, Carolyn Myss, Doreen Virtue, Tony Robbins, Drs. McCormick  and many others.  I am Certified in Faciliated Equine Experiential Learning, Reiki Level 2, Pranic Healing , EFT Level 1 and have also studied Vipassana and Mindfulness Meditation.

Helping people make peace with themselves to feel connected, confident and thriving in the world.  I specialize in helping people develop self-esteem, self-confidence, overcome disordered eating, move through transitions and  develop a healthy body image.

Self-growth devotee, soul thriver, attracted to metaphysics, fanatic for life, wacky analogies, spirited, fun-loving, confidence-building and rawly real.

Lover of animals.  Writer.  Activist of animal rights.  Speaker. Equestrian.  Horse Lover. Dog Lover.  Protector of Nature.  Sea Life Worshiper.  Awe-struck by Dolphins.

From disconnected to life and self to connected and thriving.  Recovered from eating disorder, rock-bottom self-esteem, addiction to success, depression, toxic relationships, binge drinking and drugging.  Travelled all over the world.  Lived in 4 different countries.  Transformed career from corporate to innerpreneur.  Claimed a life that makes sense to me.

Offers: a fun and safe place to discover you,  one-on-one coaching in person or by Skype, weekend workshops, self-realization groups, keynote talks, equine assisted healing workshops.

For my full story and all my deets, check out The Full Scoop below.

And/Or for more info or to book an appointment e-mail me directly at info@jenniferschramm.com

The Full Scoop

I don’t ever remember feeling good about what made me happy as a kid.  I was too busy trying to please others and trying to get them to like me.  I picked friends and hobbies, and later jobs and relationships, that didn’t feel good and were driven by “shoulds”.  I struggled with my self-worth and my self-image.

Have you ever spent countless hours trying to mold yourself a certain “way”, pretending to like something you didn’t, taking uninteresting classes, running around malls looking for a perfect outfit, watching things that didn’t interest you, obsessing over trying to be successful, eating things you didn’t even like only to impress another person?  That was me.  I obsessed over how to manipulate others into liking me rather than wondering whether or not I’d even like them (including potential lovers).  The more my life revolved around pleasing others, numbing myself out, silencing my voice, appearing perfect and trying to maintain the status quo, the more I self-destructed.  Constantly chasing outer perfection & success, my inner self was left bankrupt.  There was no space for me to be me.

You might be wondering, “Who is this Jenn and how can she help me?”

First off, I want you to know that I have a strong sense of what you’re going through, no matter how bad it appears.  It was my own personal pain that brought me to this work (as it does for many of us).   During my search for a way out, I came across countless barriers, and found it difficult to find anyone who really “got” what I was going through.  I have made it my mission to provide to others what I couldn’t  find for myself … a Safe Space to unravel the real you, heal the darkness that lies within your heart, and to gain the confidence to be yourself in the world.

For much of my teens and early adulthood, my inside did not mirror my outside.  By all appearances, I was a confident, attractive, successful young woman who functioned well in life.  I worked for an investment arm of a prestigious bank as a trainer for Western Canada.  Prior to that, I was a Recruitment Consultant in London, England and Toronto, and also worked in Real Estate in Australia (sounds super cool, eh?).  I was always well put together, sociable, with communication skills people raved about.

Yet, my inner world was a mess.  I obsessed about food, weight, exercise, job success, what I looked like and what others thought of me non-stop.  It was a miracle that I could even hold down a job.  I had everyone fooled.  I drank and drugged to the point of black outs (once waking up on a pile of coat hangers – guess I couldn’t decide what to wear the night before! – and regularly scanned my credit card statements to see where I’d been).  I found myself in dark, scary places and clinging to toxic relationships.  On an average day, I followed a strict diet and forced myself to the gym, followed by rabid bingeing on copious amounts of laxatives that left me glued to the porcelain throne.  I was stuck in a hamster wheel of self-punishment without a trap door.

~Living against my true nature:~

How did I get this way?

My addiction to perfecting my outer world began at an early age.  My family was hyper focused on physical appearance and material success and continuously stressed the importance of it.  By the time I was 16, I had tried every fad diet on the market – Scarsdale, cabbage soup, South Beach, Atkins, Stewardess, Weight Watchers, plus many diet pills and anything else I could get my hands on that promised fast relief and results, including a pen I ordered off the TV that when sniffed, made my hunger subside.

Oh, the lengths I’d go to.  It didn’t matter what the cost.  If it was going to make me drop pounds and look good on the outside, I was IN!

What’s most important here is that I believed everything you’re about to read was all normal – merely the price of being a woman.

At 5’8” and fluctuating from 135-150 pounds (always focused on getting thinner and thinner), I went to diet centres that were medically supervised and promised large amounts of weight loss in short periods of time.  They never questioned my motives, and only said, “Sure, we’ll put you on our diet plan!”

This is where I learned how to both starve myself and get by on limited calories.  If the doctors were promoting it, how bad could it be?

I was also starting to work out excessively.  And it seemed like it was all working.  I was getting soooooo much attention.

My friends told me how great I looked, guys were telling me how great I looked, my parents told me how great I looked.  They finally seemed proud of me.    I was 20 years old.  I was starving myself and abusing my body, but the attention was intoxicating.

I needed to get help.  I went to doctors, bowel specialists, my parents.  No one heard me.  The doctors wanted me to take anti-depressants, the bowel doctor wanted me to train myself like a dog and my parents told me to stop taking laxatives.  No one heard me.  They couldn’t understand or recognize what it was that I was going through.  Even I began to wonder whether or not I was making things up or if I even had a problem.

Something in me kept me searching, even though I wasn’t getting the answers I needed, I knew deep inside me that there must be an answer.  I went to therapists, naturopaths, homeopaths, acupuncturists, life coaches, energy therapists, astrologers, meditation gurus, psychics … dare I go on … always looking for answers and healing.  Some of it worked… some of it didn’t.

Then I uncovered a key, the common denominator at the root of each and every hurting person I encountered – including myself.  The need to feel loved and accepted.

I was striving to fulfill this need outside of myself by maintaining a certain image and by buying material things to assure love and attention from others.  But I was chasing a mirage.  The stability I sought could only come from within.  I know, this sounds boring, but in all my drama and experiences it became clear that in order to have a fulfilling life, I HAD to create a loving relationship with myself.  There was no way around it.

Befriending myself transformed my life.  I attracted a new career, started doing things that energized me, and my relationships were deeper and more fun.  My spirit felt alive.  Opportunities that left me smiling began to appear and I relaxed into life.  By healing past wounds and developing friendships with my body, brain and spirit, I rewired myself to live life for me (which I continue to do) and began feeding myself with the love I so desperately craved (which I also continue to do).

So… who and how can I help?

Ever since I turned my life around, I have been helping people professionally across Canada and the US, both individually and in groups.

I help women who are ready, willing and open to dig deep and do the work in order to make peace with their bodies, minds and souls.  I do not offer a quick fix nor do I tell people what to do.  I help you connect with your own wisdom and offer tools, support and encouragement to help you heal your relationship with yourself.

I teach women how to have a loving relationship with their bodies, minds, feelings and spirits.  I help women to connect with who they really are and to feel confident with themselves fully and completely no matter where they are at in their lives, what mistakes they have made or what flaws they think they may have.   I help women see the gifts in their perceived darkness and help them love and accept themselves unconditionally.

I’ve developed several specialized workshops and programs, among them:  Healing Your Heart and an eight-week process called “Getting To Know Yourself Inside Out.”  I’ve been a keynote speaker for various universities and colleges, women’s groups, high schools and sororities about self-esteem and body image.  In addition, I have facilitated skill-building groups at eating disorder support centers, such as Sheena’s Place and Danielle’s Place in the GTA.

I coach from my own personal experience, my professional training and my on-going dedication to my own personal growth.  I offer tools, resources and a supportive and loving environment for you to uncover and experience the real you.  I offer one-on-one sessions by phone or skype (and in person, if you are in the GTA).  I also offer workshops and groups throughout the year (and most recently I’ve been offering equine assisted therapy).   You can stay tuned by getting on my mailing list (link) or by following my blog.

For a private session or to learn more about my group programs, please e-mail me at info@jenniferschramm.com

I look forward to speaking with you!

Jenn xxoo