About me and my coaching philosophy

My name is Marit Pedersen, born in 1962, in Drammen, Norway. I am a mother and grandmother. I am passionate about overcoming anxiety and depression, as this is close to my heart. I know from experience how anxiety and depression affect life, how paralyzing and destructive it can be.

A number of years ago I went through a physical and mental breakdown, I had worked hard for many years and was a single mother with 3 children. I was diagnosed with arthritis and ended up being unable to work. This was a hard blow for me and I became very depressed and very anxious. I wanted so badly to work and keep going, but my body refused, it was exhausted and full of pain. It took a few years to get out of this constantly recurring depression and anxiety, at the same time I was very broken down and tired of having inflammation in my body and thus pain. Gradually it seemed to help again and the body began to stabilize, this also helped the psyche, and life became somewhat easier to live. During this time I started to paint pictures, it was good therapy that lifted me further. I also became very interested in affirmations which helped. The mental plays an enormously large role in our lives. Newton once said: "What we think we become and what we have become we have thought".  I believe that to be true.

However, anxiety and depression are not chronic illnesses, and in my experience, the key towards healing is to identify what basic needs are missing in the lives of those affected.

Anxiety, for example, caused by worrying that you are not good enough, often leads to depression. This usually happens when you feel like you are not living up to your own expectations; being adequate.

Depression often leads to confrontation with one's own feelings and needs, but in a sad and unhealthy way. The key is to use strategies to build a good relationship with your innerself. Having the ability to view depression as a temporary pause and maintaining a positive rapport with oneself is crucial, rather than perceiving it exclusively as something negative.

The physiology of the body works like this, after a period of fear and the body being filled with adrenaline and stress, the nervous system inevitably finds a way to calm down. For some this may manifest as a feeling of relief, for others it might be a feeling of depression; it all depends on the cause of the anxiety and depression, in other words, what we need in life is not being met in a satisfying way.

On the positive side, anxiety also acts as a propellant; a driving force for further development in life and the development of professional and personal skills.

Personally, also in a positive way, depression taught me that I am not my own thoughts and that I don't have to believe everything I think. I learned to consider my own needs and acknowledge and accept who I am.

I am a trained coach at Robbins-Madanes Training Center (RMT) and an authorized health worker in Norway. My basic medical studies include psychology, psychiatry, geriatrics, anatomy and physiology, disease theory and neurophysiology.

Before starting as a coach, I worked in healthcare for many years, primarily in psychiatry and elderly care. I also have ten years of professional experience in social work, where, among other things, I help people handle their dept. I also served as the financial guardian in social work (ie. for social clients) under the the country govenor in Drammen.

If you want a holistic approach, I have tools for this.