At this point in my career, I do three different types of work.
First, I teach nutrition at Northeastern University in Boston, where I have worked for the past 13 years. I teach undergrads in one course and grad students in another. The second thing I do is provide training, consultation and coaching in Motivational Interviewing to medical and health organizations, schools, and individuals. The third activity in my work is as a diet and nutrition coach, where I work one-to-one primarily with eating disorders and chronic weight management issues.
At the heart of all these activities I am a teacher. My job is to impart facts and knowledge, but mostly to help others decide what they want to do with information. Will this change something in your life or in your way of thinking?
Doing MI training I usually get to work with people once, or maybe twice. But in my teaching at Northeastern I see the same set of students twice a week for 14 weeks. What a difference! I have an opportunity to work with them over a long period of time, and to see the impact my teaching has on them. I can also adjust what I’m doing to be more effective over time. Mostly, I love making connections with people, and having contact over time allows for stronger connections with my students.
I find that the main reason I love my work is that in all three of these settings I make connections with others. The parts of my work which are more isolating, such as writing and planning my teaching tend to be less satisfying for me. I do know, however, that those quieter moments of work are essential, and are rejuvenating for me!
