David Jennison is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with him. He impressed us with his vast toolbox, expertise and innovativeness.
He is a psychotherapist and life coach whose journey into the world of coaching was fueled by an insatiable curiosity about the human mind and a deep seated desire to facilitate personal growth. He spent years honing a unique approach that blends cognitive, emotional, somatic, and visual imagery techniques, offering clients a holistic path to healing and self discovery.
He has navigated his own personal challenges, including the complexities of neurodivergence and the demands of raising a neurodivergent child. These challenges profoundly shaped his approach to therapy and coaching. These experiences, coupled with overcoming anxiety, depression, and PTSD, particularly from a harrowing experience as a pilot, have imbued him with a compassionate and empathetic perspective. This journey has enabled him to provide genuine support and effective strategies to manage fear based distortions and an overactive mind.
His coaching style is unique. Innovation is at the heart of it. By seamlessly integrating evidence based therapeutic techniques with experiential interventions, he offers a personalized and comprehensive approach to each client. Whether it’s through cognitive behavioral strategies, mindfulness practices, or somatic experiencing, he ensures that clients receive tailored support that addresses their unique needs. Here is what he said.
Meet Life Coach David Jennison:
Name: David Jennison
Pillar: The Spirit, The Mind, The Body, The Heart
Who is this coach for: Anyone who wants to transform holistically, attain greater emotional and mental wellbeing, heal their body, improve their nutrition, reshape their belief system and become the best version of themselves.
How they can help: By using various tools and techniques like EFT, Internal Family Systems, exposure therapies, yoga, exercise, sensorimotor psychotherapy, art therapy, and positive psychology, just to name a few.
First of all, how are you and your family doing after these Pandemic times?
Thank you for asking, Dejan.
My family and I are doing well after the challenging pandemic years.
Like many, we faced our share of difficulties, but we also found strength and unexpected gifts.
The pandemic brought us closer together, offering new opportunities for acceptance, forgiveness, and improved communication.
My son, Peter, who is neurodivergent, experienced the challenges of homeschooling and isolation with just my wife Roselyn and me.
Through these times, we discovered the importance of core family bonds and learned to support each other better, finding joy and strength in our togetherness.
How did the coronavirus pandemic affect your clients? Did it affect you at all?
The coronavirus pandemic significantly affected my clients, many of whom experienced heightened anxiety, depression, and isolation.
People with a low tolerance for uncertainty were particularly impacted.
I guided them through embracing uncertainty and finding stability in practical wisdom.
Personally, the pandemic challenged me to find new ways to engage with clients and maintain a sense of community despite physical distance.
It was a time of rapid change and growth for both my clients and myself.
By embracing practical wisdom from ancient philosophies, such as focusing on what we can control and accepting change, we navigated the mental strains of the pandemic more effectively.
For instance, encouraging clients to shift their focus from uncertainties to actionable steps helped them build resilience and adaptability during these challenging times.
What are the biggest lessons that you learned in this pandemic?
The pandemic taught me the importance of flexibility, resilience, and the power of human connection.
It underscored the necessity of self care and the value of virtual support networks.
I learned that even in the face of unprecedented challenges, we can find strength in our communities and adapt to new ways of living and working.
Reducing anxiety through thought challenging and distraction activities became important tools.
By shifting our focus and embracing practical wisdom learned from stoic and Buddhist philosophies, we can better manage uncertainty and maintain mental well being.
The Origin:
Tell us about you, your career, how you started with your coaching career?
I am a psychotherapist and life coach based in Manitoba, Canada, with a private practice that focuses on helping individuals navigate their mental health challenges.
My journey into coaching began with a passion for understanding the human mind and a desire to support others in their personal growth.
Over the years, I’ve developed a unique approach that integrates cognitive, emotional, somatic, and visual imagery techniques to help clients achieve their goals.
My work has been shaped by both my professional experiences and personal challenges, especially working with individuals who have significant trauma backgrounds.
I strive to make complex psychological concepts accessible and provide practical tools for health and wellness, focusing on healing from emotional trauma and socially related developmental imprints.
What was your biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in your life that made you who you are today?
One of the biggest obstacles I faced was navigating my own neurodivergence while supporting my son, who is also neurodivergent.
Growing up in the 70s and 80s, resources and supports for being on the ADHD spectrum were scarce, making schoolwork and social life challenging.
This led to anxiety, depression, and eventually PTSD from a harrowing experience as a pilot.
Balancing these personal challenges during the pandemic, especially with a young child with ADHD, was incredibly demanding.
These experiences have profoundly shaped my approach to therapy and coaching, allowing me to offer genuine, compassionate support and effective strategies for managing fear based distortions and an overactive mind.
The Coaching Style:
How do you innovate with coaching your clients?
Innovation in coaching comes from a willingness to adapt and explore new methodologies.
I combine evidence based therapeutic techniques with experiential interventions to create a holistic approach.
For example, when a client presents with anxiety rooted in past trauma, I might use a combination of cognitive behavioral strategies, mindfulness practices, and somatic experiencing tailored to their unique personality and strengths.
This personalized approach helps clients connect with their emotions and develop practical tools for everyday life.
By addressing cognitive stuck points and fear based memories, I ensure that each client receives the support they need to thrive, using core psychological principles adapted to individual needs.
What’s unique about your coaching approach?
What sets my coaching approach apart is its integration of cognitive, emotional, somatic, and visual imagery techniques.
By addressing the whole person, mind, body, and spirit, I help clients develop a deeper understanding of themselves and build sustainable strategies for growth.
My approach involves working with fear based distortions that need to be uprooted, understood, and emotionally processed.
Combining various systems, such as Internal Family Systems work with mind and body techniques, allows clients to reintegrate dissociated or suppressed parts of themselves, fostering healing and balance.
What benefits do your clients get after working with you?
Clients who work with me often experience increased self awareness, improved emotional regulation, and a greater sense of empowerment.
They develop practical tools to manage stress and anxiety, enhance their relationships, and achieve their personal and professional goals.
Working with both top down (i.e. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and bottom up (i.e. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy) therapeutic techniques, clients achieve a more complete form of healing, freeing their bodies from energetic blockages and allowing natural healing wisdom to emerge.
Do you use any specific tools to be efficient with your clients?
I use a variety of tools to enhance my work with clients, including mindfulness apps, journaling exercises, and visual imagery techniques.
Additionally, I incorporate EFT, Internal Family Systems or IFS, exposure therapies, faith based beliefs, somatic tools (such as yoga, exercise, gardening, and sensorimotor psychotherapy), medications and naturopathic supplements, art therapy, diet related strategies (i.e. Mediterranean diet), positive psychology, and neurology related tools (i.e. biofeedback) for mental health.
These diverse tools help clients stay engaged and provide practical resources for their personal growth.
The Impact:
If you had a super megaphone that, when you speak into, the whole world will hear your message, what would you say?
If I could share one message with the world, it would be this:
Embrace your uniqueness and understand that your differences are your strengths.
Seek connection, practice self compassion, and never underestimate the power of your inner voice.
Together, we can create a world where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
Each person’s story and voice matter, and by supporting one another, we can achieve remarkable growth and healing.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your life?
The greatest lesson I’ve learned is the importance of empathy and understanding.
Compassion can transform relationships and foster healing.
In both personal and professional life, expressing true thoughts and feelings with trusted individuals, balancing care for others with self care, and finding ways to live out personal values are crucial.
This approach helps overcome social fears and reinforces the belief that everyone has a voice worth hearing and a unique contribution to make.
Your final thoughts?
As we continue to navigate the complexities of life, it’s essential to remain open to growth and change.
Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and evolve.
My goal as a coach is to support clients on this journey, helping them uncover their strengths and achieve their fullest potential.
By embracing a holistic approach and fostering compassionate connections, together we can create a brighter, more compassionate world.
Where Can You Find David Jennison?
If you liked this interview and if you would love to transform your whole being, contact coach David on Psychology Today and see how he can help you do that.
If you’d like to peak a glimpse into his coaching, check his profile on X.
And if you’d like to connect more personally with him, you can do that through LinkedIn and by sending him a direct message. It was an honor having this interview with him.
