Meet Our Coaches

Anisa
I am a quit smoking coach because I see smoking is taking the lives of so many people. I would love to see smokers kick their addiction and live a happier, healthier life.

My most inspirational story comes from working with a client who was trying to quit while her father was sick with cancer. He passed away shortly after the client's first session. She decided the day of his passing to throw away her cigarettes and never smoke again. She continued with the counseling a week after her father's funeral; she did not want to let him down. She called me her "angel" and if not for me and the counseling sessions, she would not have been able to get through her quit attempt or her father's death.

The things that I see that trip smokers up the most are work related stress and/or financial stress. Many people also make that mistake of not getting rid of their leftover cigarettes before their quit day. Rather than throwing away cigarettes before the quit day, I've spoken with clients who like to keep the cigarettes easily accessible because fighting the temptation and knowing the option was there is easier than 'out of sight, out of mind'

My best advice that I give to smokers is to set attainable goals for quitting smoking and never give up. Always quit for yourself first and everyone else second.

Strangest place that I ever had a client session with was with a client who was at an outdoor wedding and sitting at the back where no one could hear him on the phone for his counseling session.

"It's never too late!"


Greg
I am a quit smoking coach because important for me to help people quit knowing that I am helping someone achieve something so life-changing. I always explain to the folks that I counsel that it is more than just a healthy choice, it's a lifestyle change.

My most inspirational story comes from working with a woman that I helped who was so inspired by the Quitline program, that she began a local smoking cessation class in her neighborhood. By the end of our sessions together, not only had she quit, but she also assisted 4-5 others in their successful quit attempts also!

I would say that, in my experience, the most common situation that triggers a relapse for my clients would be when something tragic, or unexpected happens. That is precisely why when people call, we work on so many specific strategies, because if you are prepared for the toughest situations that you can think of, then you have a better chance of succeeding in the situations that no one could prepare for.

My best tips for the clients that I counsel are to:

Make it as hard as possible for you to change your mind about quitting:

-Set a quit date and stick to it;
-Engage in activities that don't allow or deter you from smoking (shower, church, brush teeth, etc.);
-And, make sure that you have no tobacco products around so that you would have to go to the store to start smoking again.

Most unique quitting strategy that I have encountered was that I had one person who clearly each time that he had a craving for a cigarette he would pour a shot of vinegar in a shotglass, and drink it. I couldn't argue that it was great way to make yourself so sick that you couldn't smoke!

The most surprising thing about me is people who hear my southern droll, find out that I grew up in  Massachusetts!


Sara
I am a quit smoking coach because quitting smoking is the healthiest thing a person can do, and it is a great to share in the success someone is able to accomplish their goal of quitting smoking.

The things that I see that trip smokers up the most are unexpected and major stressors in their life.

My best quitting tip is to tell clients that the craving will pass on it's own; you don't have to smoke to make it go away.

The most unique method for quitting that I have ever heard about was popping bubble wrap as a strategy to cope with cravings.


Paula
The top question I get from my clients about the quitting process is, " Why do I keep going back to smoking when I don't enjoy it or want to smoke any more?"  I think people still under estimate the addictive power of nicotine.

The most common situation that most frequently causes clients I work with to go back to smoking is not planning for the long term and how stress can impact our lives. It is easy when confronted with a major stressor to fall back on an old method of stress management by using nicotine.  When a major stressor comes up in our lives, we are not thinking clearly. If you haven't thought through it and don't have clear actions to   help you manage that stress, nicotine will be ready and waiting, and the hooks are      deep.  I want my clients to dig deep and really think about what could trigger relapse, rehearse it and be ready.

The most unique method for quitting that I have ever heard about was a women who bought the red  "Easy Button" that Staples sells. Every time the client got through a tough craving, she would press the button and it would say, "Now that was easy!"

The most surprising thing about me that people would find out is that I am a Vietnam Era Vet and quit smoking during that time (30 years ago).

"Quitting is like learning to walk, if we gave up after the 1st slip - we would all still be crawling around."

"Quitting smoking is not a pass or fail, it is a process you stick  with until you reach your goal!"

"You can think of your smoker/nicotine thoughts as if they are the linebacker in a football game. They will stop you from reaching your goal, if you let them. If you keep making the first downs, you will get there! Think of me as your coach on the sideline I will help you focus and the goal and get your game plan together."


Roxanne
I am a quit smoking coach because I think that smokers' quality of life will tremendously improve for those that are able to quit and quality of life is a very important thing!

My most inspirational story comes from an elderly woman that I counseled several months ago that had been smoking for over 50 years.  She asked me, "Roxanne, do you really think someone like me can quit smoking?" I felt it was appropriate to tell her about my Granny who was similar to her who smoked for over 50 years and then one day quit and never touched a cigarette again. I felt like it gave the client hope, to know that there have been people before her in similar situations that were able to quit.  

I would say that, in my experience, the most common situation that triggers a relapse  is what l like to call the "Big Bad Three"- they are: other smokers (usually in the home or close friends), drinking alcohol, and stress.

My best advice that I give to smokers is to don't ever give up on yourself- sometimes it takes at least a few tries to be successful with the quitting process.

Strangest places that I ever had a client session with was with a client were in grocery stores, and occasionally I've done part of a counseling session while a client was is in the bathroom.
      
The most surprising thing about me is that I love hard rock music and tattoos