About Me
Hello, I'm Kyle Bonbrake. I live in Huntington, Indiana with my amazing wife Megan, our son Corbyn, and our small zoo of animals. I have a passion for helping others improve their health and themselves. This isn't something that I have been doing my entire life, however. I first had to embark on my own personal journey to better health both physically and mentally before I was able to help anyone else.
Not so many years ago I was stuck in a successful career. That may sound silly, I know. I had achieved the modern model of success, or at least what we are conditioned to think success is. I got good grades in school, I went on to college after four years of military service, got an engineering degree and got a good job, quickly moved up the ladder to the corporate environment, good money and plenty of responsibility. As I climbed this ladder of "success" I never felt like I belonged or that what I was doing even mattered. At times I felt guilty for not being happy and fulfilled because those around me were telling me that they were proud of me, but inside I was thinking "what's the point?" The combination of long hours, lots of travel, plenty of stress, and lack of fulfillment had my physical health deteriorating quickly and my mental wellbeing not far behind.
This brought me to one of the lowest points in my life, but this is when I discovered health and wellness coaching as a possible career. Once enrolled in the health coach training program, one of the biggest lessons for me was that I first needed to work on myself, a lesson that was repeated again and again. I began making significant changes in my life, focused on self-care, my mental wellbeing, left the rat race behind, and focused my energy on things that actually mattered to me. People around me thought I was crazy, some still do. Sure, my bank account is significantly smaller now, but my bank of happiness and love is now overflowing. I look forward to sharing it with all of you as you embark on your own journeys.
Education and Certifications
ADAPT Certified Functional Health Coach - Kresser Institute 2022
Premier NBHWC approved 12-month program offering 6 months of learning followed by 6 months of supervised practical experience. In addition to coaching the program provides a solid foundation in functional medicine, ancestral diet and health, and non-violent communication. This program is staffed and taught by true leaders in their fields.
Purdue University 2011-2014
Bachelors of Science majoring in Industrial Technology
My Coaching Journey
When I first became a coach, I was solely focused on health coaching. It didn't take very long to learn from my clients that mental health was a struggle for so many and that it played a big role in physical health. I have always been fascinated by the connection between mind and body and have had a holistic view of health. I continually sought new knowledge and understanding of the mind-body connection and found ways to incorporate it into my coaching.
Psychedelics hold a special place in my heart because they played a big role in my own journey to where I am now. In a big way it was my work with psychedelics that gave me the confidence and courage to embrace who I really am and make a major course correction to pursue coaching. So, once I saw that I could use my coaching skills alongside my personal experience with psychedelics I knew it had to be part of my business. Psychedelics aren't a cure or fix for anything, but they can act as a catalyst for change. Facilitation of change is what coaching is all about.
Eventually, I began really studying the neuroscience of the mind-body connection and discovered that in reality there is no separation of mind and body to connect. It is all one single complex thing, there can't be one without the other. This is when I started coaching clients with chronic pain and really dived head-first into neuroscience. I quickly was able to see the bigger picture, to understand the neurobiological process behind change. All change happens through neuroplasticity.
This led to the concept of neuroplasticity coaching. Once you understand the neurobiological processes behind change, the challenges of change become easy to explain. As well as techniques that can be used to overcome or alleviate these challenges. Neuroplasticity coaching is the bringing together of helping clients through the process of sustainable change and helping clients to understand the neurobiological process behind change. This, I believe, leads to better outcomes and builds the ability to confidently tackle any future change.
My Coaching Philosophy
My coaching philosophy is focused on a neurobiological perspective of change. Any change in our behavior, thoughts, or emotions happens through neuroplasticity, no matter the change. I believe this is an empowering approach to change because it helps us to understand that we are neither the victims of our own destiny, nor are we entirely to blame with the burden resting on the quality of our character. Neuroplasticity is always happening with or without our awareness of it. While this process is automatic, we have the power to take the helm and direct the process of change where we wish! Anyone can learn to become their own architect of change rather than be a victim to it.
I employ a client-centered non-biased approach to my coaching. This means that I am not in the business of giving advice. I do not seek to tell anyone what they should change, how they should do it, nor why they should change. True change that lasts must come from within. My role as a coach is to help you gain clarity on the change you desire and why you desire it, help you develop a plan of action to get there, and provide you with understanding and skills to help you along the journey. Ultimately, my goal is to show you how to become your own coach through the process of change.
