Your pain is a doorway to possibility

In my 39 year career as a physical and massage therapist, intuitive healer and life and coach I became an expert in treating and healing pain as well as using it as a doorway for awakening and a path of personal growth and expansion.

I witnessed over and over how the the tissues of the physical body reflect and hold our mental and emotional states. Always curious, I was intrigued to understand what was behind a pain that didn’t resolve. Or why a body that released tension completely would return to that state within a few hours, days or weeks.

My curiosity led me deeper and deeper into studying complementary medicine techniques such as shamanic and ayurvedic healing, yoga, reflexology, craniosacral therapy and somatoemotional release, as well as energy medicine techniques such as Emotional Freedom Technique, Body Talk, the Body code and the Emotion code. Eventually I became a life coach and a success coach and personal development trainer. 

Somewhere along the way, I realized I was really in search of my own healing.

I too have had my fair share of pain. The sudden loss of my sister in a car accident. The end of my first marriage. The physical pain that took me to the ER, (and turned out to be the wake up call to leave the job that was stifling my soul.) I know the pain of over giving and under receiving, of failing, not having love in my life, the challenges of parenthood and of moving jobs, cities and countries.

I’ve experienced pain on all levels – physically, mentally emotionally, and spiritually. Somewhere along the line we wound up with this crazy idea that pain is a bad thing. When in fact, it’s simply a messenger.

The painful experiences in my life all served me powerfully – once I was open to seeing how they served me at all. What I know for sure? When we resist or ignore pain, it gets worse –  so I’ve learned to embrace it and move through it. When we honor and acknowledge our pain and embrace it,  – compassionately and lovingly – it offers up great gifts.

By being willing to look within and make a shift, I found the peace, joy, ease and ultimately the sense of freedom that I was seeking.

As a coach, I helped my clients make this shift for themselves.

The insights, knowledge and wisdom I shared were what I’d gathered on my own healing journey and through supporting hundreds of clients on theirs.

“Your awareness of the pain in your life doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It tells me you’re awake.”

My Previous Mission

I came to realize that the fastest, most powerful way to heal pain – be it mental, emotional or physical –  was to change the way we perceive and respond to it.

My mission was to help people understand that pain is often a signpost to bring awareness to the places we have stepped away from being true to ourselves and thus present an opportunity to come back home to ourselves,.

“Whatever’s hurting in your life, is the key to reaching the next level of your soul’s growth”

Some examples of what I mean:

• Maybe your career’s on fire – but your heart feels scared and small.
• Perhaps your relationship’s spilling over with joy – but your bank account gives you shaky hands.
• It could be your kids, your friends, your lover or your right shoulder… you know where the pain is. The stuck, sore place that won’t go away however many books you’ve read or conferences you’ve attended, in your pursuit of greater joy and fulfillment.

I honed the skill of guiding my clients through the pain as the fastest route into their next level of growth and healing – which was always a more expanded, authentic, powerful version of themself.

The tools I used took us to the root of whatever was going on. It was fast and freeing, and it felt GOOD.

And then in 2024, I heard so clearly…

I am enough. There is enough.

I’ve done enough.

My soul told me to close SovereignMinds LLC (which Helen MacMillan Coaching had evolved into in 2021) and, after a momentary “what you talking ’bout Willis?!!” I surrendered and began ‘Letting go with Love’.

Currently I am enjoying BEING. I’m sure if there will be a “next”. If there is, I’ll come back and update this space. Stay tuned.