Meet Julie Gentry | Transformational Life-Coach and Well-Being Facilitator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Gentry and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I am a life-long learner and highly value supporting people to empower themselves in their own healing and well-being. My intention was to incorporate the services and modalities that I found most useful in my own journey and to integrate them in a way that could change and evolve as I do and be tailored to each individual.

What should our readers know about your business?
Julie Gentry, Body-Centered Wisdom–Transformational Life Coach and Well-Being Facilitator.

Prior to beginning my solo well-being practice, I worked many years for attorneys, raised my sons (at times a single mom) while working full-time and going part-time through undergrad and graduate studies. Those experiences gave me a sense of “real-life” grounding that make it easy to relate to and be fully present with whatever others may face. I learned hard-won lessons in perseverance, commitment and determination–not giving up when I wanted to quit or when fears arose (as was often the case). These experiences gave me an understanding that balance is a fluid and ongoing exercise depending on constantly shifting priorities.

I have a broad background that has practical applications in day-to-day living. I have also always included creative and spiritual pursuits and prioritized play, peace and joy as conscious practices.

My business is ever-evolving. I’ve continued to practice and experiment with what works and what doesn’t by trial and error and being adaptable. I stay focused on what I value most (integrity, kindness, truthfulness, compassion) and I’m always looking to bring my varied life experiences and studies together in an integrated, cohesive way to best serve my clients. (One of my sons once asked how all in my background fits together–art history and museum work, legal work, spiritual psychology, healing modalities, conscious dance and now life-coaching. At the time I responded that I wasn’t sure, I just knew that they did. Now I know they absolutely do fit together.) I follow my curiosity and intuition and continually read and study for my personal growth and satisfaction and to enhance my work and life.

What sets me apart is my non-judgmental and compassionate presence tempered at times with humor and levity about what it is to be human. I trust my innate wisdom to lead my clients to theirs. My mission is for clients to learn the tools and practices to navigate what life presents so they are empowered to create their lives from conscious awareness rather than from unconscious, repeating patterns and reactivity or simply “powering through,” which inevitably leads to burnout. Working together with me, clients experience listening to, decoding and understanding their bodies’ messages, relaxing their nervous systems, listening to their mental stories with neutrality, updating learned strategies and patterns of thinking and behavior so all parts of themselves are aligned with their deepest values.

My clients often say they feel safe with me. I’m transparent about my own learning as I have experienced most of the big transitions and life stages, and had many missteps along the way. I also struggled when I was younger, as many of us do, with anxiety, deep self-doubt and self-criticism, etc.

Now I am compassionate and accepting with and of myself and others. There is no escape from life’s unpredictability and wanted and unwanted change. I believe compassion and acceptance are what are most often missing and what keep us feeling “stuck” in our lives and relationships. I believe that to grow, change and evolve, we must include the entire being–body, mind, spirit, emotions and unconscious behavioral patterns.

The premise of my work (whether I use energy work, conscious dance or life-coaching practices) is to facilitate clarity, compassion and courage–bringing the unconscious/buried “stuff” to conscious awareness, then offering ourselves compassion for whatever surfaces so that we integrate (rather than suppress/repress) our life experiences, inherited belief systems, etc. then igniting the courage to move forward, even and especially if that feels daunting and even if it’s slowly step-by-step. This leads to sustainable, lasting change.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Of course, I’d take my friend to Main Street–filled with many wonderful shops, restaurants, coffee shops and a few galleries. I really enjoy No Place Like Home and Urban Market (just to name a couple). For a nice dinner one night, we’d go to Eolus and for a more casual, fun place to eat, drink and people watch–the food trucks at Ernie’s. When we’re full of tourists, I appreciate Lola’s on Second Avenue and the quieter, gentler feel of the whole street. I’d probably take them to another favorite spot–the Smiley Building–for a chai and a snack, to see artists creating, to hang out on the lawn then perhaps enjoy a free concert on Thursday at Buckley Park. I love walking the river walk and strolling around and in our wonderful public library and gardens there.

I’d include a drive up, through and around the Fort Lewis Campus for Lion’s Den and wonderful views of our town.

To venture away from downtown, I’d suggest soaking at Durango Hot Springs followed by lunch or dinner at James Ranch (I once tried to eat there first and then soak and I do not recommend that!). Still in the north valley, one of my go-to spots when I want an easy, expansive view is to stop at Baker’s Bridge to take in the Animas River with mountains in the background. It always grounds me to just lay on that big rock and feel the warmth of the sun and the cool of the breeze.

One day, I’d take my friend to Andrews Lake for a scenic drive, a nice hike and place to hang out. If time allowed, I’d suggest the whole San Juan Skyway Loop and/or day trips to Mesa Verde Park or Telluride.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My greatest teachers–my sons, step-daughter, daughters-in-law and granddaughters; Beverly Anderson, mentor, guide and teacher of the Red Hat Lineage Qigong healing practice based in Durango, Colorado; University of Santa Monica (USM, MA in Spiritual Psychology); John Veltheim (deceased), creator of the BodyTalk system; Vincent Martínez-Grieco, creator of Soul Motion conscious dance; Alyssa Nobriga, The Institute for Coaching Mastery.

Countless other teachers and mentors–especially at UT Austin–who literally changed my life.

Many, many books over the years, e.g. anything by the following authors: Michael Singer (The Untethered Soul); John O’Donohue (Anam Cara); Pema Chödrön (When Things Fall Apart); Scott Peck (The Road Less Traveled)…

Website: https://www.juliegentry.com

Instagram: @juliegentry57

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/julie-gentry-m-a-5641139

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.gentry1