My Story
I moved into the mind-body medicine space in 2018 following a career in children's books, travel publishing and entertainment content. I began ongoing studies in yoga for women’s health and trained in Thai Yoga Massage. I went on to certify in a holistic therapy called Quantum Energy Coaching, which works with neuroplasticity to overcome emotional and physical challenges caused by stress and unresolved trauma. I've completed my advanced practitioner training in crisis, trauma and addictions, as well as working with medical conditions.
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I now write about all kinds of mental health and wellbeing topics alongside coaching my clients through huge internal breakthroughs. I work with people in different stages of life wanting to make a change in how they think and feel, so they can create a life of freedom and fulfilment. I hold a master’s degree in creative writing and am currently working on a novel about periods, female shame and horny teens.
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I'm based in the UK but enjoy spending as much time as I can in sunnier places – especially my former home of Dubai. I’m also very happy on a tropical beach, under the sea, or anywhere warm I can curl up with a book. ​
My journey to self-love
Weirdly, my journey to self-love began with understanding my menstrual cycle. I realised that struggling against this huge part of my physical experience wasn't doing me any favours, so I decided to go with it. Or rather, flow with it. Putting down the shame and disgust and struggle gifted me a monthly rhythm that's become my compass. Tuning in to the natural cycles of life - the changing of the seasons, the ebb and flow of the tides, the fluctuations of the moon - has helped me find more peace around what I had previously seen as my own inconsistencies. These rhythms have also made me far more accepting of change and challenge.
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Overcoming self-criticism
From there, everything shifted. Whatever I had previously seen as a personal failing I realised stemmed from a societal one. I saw how the corporate world was not built for me. I saw how our nervous systems did not evolve to cope with the stressors of modern life. I saw how our body wisdom has been conditioned out of us in favour of cognition and intellect, and how it's making us all sick. I saw that everything feeding into my self-criticism was complete bullshit.
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Building self-compassion
This understanding gave me the first thing I needed to move towards self-love: compassion. I was able to have compassion for the person I had been showing up as. I could see that my worst behaviours and most shameful mistakes were born out of fear. It was my inner child acting out, existing in survival mode. From there I was able to begin de-conditioning myself, an ongoing process that requires support from my own coaches and the practices I use to explore each new layer of fear. It requires a lot of patience with my dysregulated nervous system, plenty of self-care, and a never-ending supply of self-compassion.
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Holding space
But even on the more challenging days, I choose myself. I make the most loving decisions I can for my happiness. Sometimes that's a 'yes' and sometimes that's a 'no', but I can only know when I'm tuned in and listening. I have to know myself to know myself. So I hold space for myself through my writing, yoga, menstrual cycle awareness, and following my curiosity. Self-love blossoms in this exploration, which is why I'm here to hold a safe and open-hearted space for it. That's my offer to anyone feeling called to find out what they're truly capable of.
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Finding true north
As a self-love coach I guide my clients closer towards their truth. I know what it's like to feel constantly disappointed in yourself, so I help my clients understand the behaviours that repeatedly leave them feeling this way. I'm able to lead them towards more self-compassion and away from fear, shame, and self-loathing - because I've been there too. And I know how challenging the journey is, so I'm here to support my clients as they strip away the confusion and pain. I help my clients see what I see - the magic that's waiting to be unleashed when we replace that pain with acceptance and love.
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Showing up
For me, it means that I'm able to show up in the world in ways I never would have dreamed before. I'm a better friend, I'm more connected with my family. I'm truer to myself than ever before. I'm grounded and open and energised and brave in ways I never truly felt before I began to love myself.
It's the most rewarding leap of faith I've ever taken.
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© 2025 by Lily Lawes.