Therapist Spotlight: Audrey Archambault
Born and raised in France, I decided to move abroad at 26 and have been an expat ever since. I met my partner in London seven years ago and since then I can actually say English has become my first language!
Hi Audrey! Tell us about you.
After 10 years in investment banking in Paris and London, I decided to change my career. I re-trained as a sports massage therapist and, subsequently, a naturopathic nutritional therapist at the renown CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine), along with many other qualifications in the fields of health and coaching.
I’m also a CrossFitter who loves massage, nature, wine, chocolate (yummy foods in general!) and headspace – having quality time on my own is extremely important for my mental health and focus.
What led you to a career in nutritional therapy?
My kidney stones – thanks to them! That’s right, it all started when I was told I had kidney stones and would be in excruciating pain (worse than giving birth) unless I started drinking lots of water daily. It really triggered a profound change in my mind – how could such a simple change in my daily habits have such a big impact on my overall health? Who wants to be in pain when you can avoid it so easily?
By then I already knew I’d not stay in banking forever. I had started developing unhealthy lifestyle habits such as stress, smoking, alcohol, ridiculous working hours, little social and private life. At weekends, all I wanted was to unwind and resource myself with massage, healthy food and exercise.
Following a very stressful case at work, I said to myself, “that’s enough, there is more to life!” So I figured, why not make a career of what makes me feel good and helps others feel good in their own skin too?!
You combine health coaching and functional medicine principles with NLP, timeline therapy, sports therapy and kinesiology in your approach. Can you tell us more about how this works?
Yes of course. I am a strong believer of a personalised, holistic and mind-body approach. I believe this is the key to fast-track the exact results you want and make them sustainable in the long-run.
My most successful clients work with me for weeks or months on a 1:1 coaching programme that is entirely customised to them. Nutritional therapy, functional medicine principles and health coaching are the core to which I add on other therapies and/or coaching techniques depending on my client’s needs and progress.
For example, after a couple of sessions with a weight-loss client, we might start working on the beliefs that actually prevented her from losing this weight and keeping it off. In which case, I’d often use a combination of coaching and Time Line Therapy and possibly NLP.
You specialise in sustainable weight and fat loss and are a craving and energy specialist for busy women. Can you tell us a little more about how you approach this and why it’s important?
Sure, how we feel impacts our dietary and lifestyle choices and vice versa. Weight gain, for instance, is only a symptom, not the root cause. In order to offer a sustainable solution to my female clients, I work on the root cause that led to their symptoms or disease. Therefore, if you only work on the diet, you might not address the issue once and for all, although it’s a great start for most people.
These women usually come to me when they are fed up with feeling tired, bloated, craving sugar, off-balance, unhappy with their weight or ‘fat belly’ and want a leaner body, a flatter tummy, to feel good and confident in their own skin and energised – all in a natural and sustainable way, creating healthier habits for life.
The way I work is all about simple and practical solutions to help them achieve their health and life goals in a style and at a pace that is right for them!
Deprivation or calorie counting disconnect them further from their bodies, usually entertains bad relationships with food, and leads to short-term results making them feel miserable. It’s a vicious circle.
Food is medicine therefore nutritional therapy is core to good health and can help with a wide range of health issues (mental, physical and emotional).
What can clients expect from their first chat with you?
From their very first chat with me, clients will get the feeling that I genuinely care about their well-being and listen to them. For me, this is also about giving value and seeing if there is a fit. Everything is energy and I am selective as to who I work with. Hence why I usually offer a free discovery call with me. Here is what you get:
- A 1:1 nutrition and health call to uncover where you are at, what you truly want and where you want to be.
- Your health and energy score with immediate priorities.
- My top two to three recommendations to implement and feel boosted right away.
Have you any advice to give someone interested in nutritional therapy?
Food is medicine therefore nutritional therapy is core to good health and can help with a wide range of health issues (mental, physical and emotional). A nutritional therapist can also advise you on lifestyle changes which in my experience go hand in hand. However, I would strongly suggest you find a nutritional therapist who is also a qualified and registered health coach.
The reason for this is that knowledge is only power if you implement it in a way that works for you. Then you need to stick to it in the long-run and embody the change so that it becomes part of your new habits, your new identity and this requires coaching skills. This is where true transformation lies.
Where can people find you?
You can find me on my website oxytherapy.co.uk, as well as my profile on Nutritionist Resource. You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.
Here is my first gift of health to you: feel free to download my free resources.