Dawn D. Zitney

She|Her(s)

M.Ed., NBC-HWC, RYT

Whether you're struggling with stress or simply want to optimize your well-being so that you feel a greater sense of vibrancy, I'd be honored to offer my support and guidance.

My passion for health and wellness began more than two decades ago while working in college health. As a trained educator, counselor, and board-certified health and wellness coach, I developed one of the first collegiate wellness coaching programs in the country at the University of New Hampshire. I have supported hundreds of students and employees in discovering their version of optimal wellness and happiness. I believe that people and communities need access to opportunities to engage in self-inquiry, knowledge attainment, skill development, and community care.

I am a skilled teacher of yoga and mindfulness meditation. I have trained with Jason Crandell, Bernie Clark, and Jillian Pransky. I hold yoga training certifications in vinyasa, yin, and restorative yoga. My meditation practice and teaching is informed by Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, and Pema Chödrön.

In addition to my work at Begin Again Wellness, I work at the

University of New Hampshire's Health & Wellness center as

a Well-Being Educator/Counselor. And, I am an adjunct

faculty member in the College of Health & Human Services where I designed and teach academic courses on well-being and yoga/mindfulness meditation.

Education

Master's Degree, Education & Counseling

National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach
Yoga Instructor, 500 hour RYT

Peace & Conflict Studies, School for International Training

My Story, My Approach.

Wellness isn't a commodity you can buy; everything you need is already within you. What you might have been missing is a compassionate partner to help you understand and trust yourself as you navigate life's challenges and triumphs. I'll be there, metaphorically sitting beside you and holding space, as you embark on a journey of returning to yourself. This process will empower you to discover the freedom of beginning again, moving you closer to your inherent vibrancy and wisdom.

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I first learned about beginning again through meditation. In this practice, when (not if) your mind wanders, you simply notice it and gently bring it back to the anchor of your awareness. This is the essence: you begin again. Hearing this instruction was a powerful moment of insight for me. My body relaxed as I realized it was okay to falter, to try something new, to simply begin again. Life, like my meditation, wasn't about perfection; it was a process of being curious with the totality of my experience—of surrendering, letting go, and trying anew. Inherent in this process is the cultivation of curiosity, awareness, and compassion: both for the times I've begun again and felt proud, and for the moments I was afraid to try something new.

My work is deeply informed by my embodied awareness of personal well-being. This lived experience of beginning again, alongside science and philosophical grounding inform my work. I guide clients and students in wellness coaching sessions, well-being workshops, and yoga/meditation classes utilizing:

Public health theories
Wellness coaching framework
Behavioral science
Positive psychology
Buddhist psychology
Self-determination theory
Feminist theory
An explicit understanding of how systems and culture impact access to well-being

Call to Action: Self-Liberation

Through this practice of beginning again, you remember that you are the expert in your own life, taking ownership of your well-being, recognizing your inherent wisdom, grow in community and collective care, and experience self-liberation.

I invite you to:

Slow down and pause
Become curious
Step into your courage
Sit with your vulnerability
See clearly and feel fully
Know you have the capacity to be with your whole self
Feel and know that what you need is already inside you
Understand how to navigate current systems and communities
Find systems and communities that support your growth
Cultivate and trust your wisdom
Experience joy.
Move towards your version of wellness.

I look forward to embarking on this process of liberation together.

May you be safe.

May you experience liberation.

May you be held in collective care.

May you live with vibrancy and ease.

These are intentions of loving kindness that I hold for myself and extend warmly to you.

—Dawn

"Working with Dawn has been a pleasure. I feel heard, respected, and supported to continue my growth. I feel validated for my experience while also being encouraged to push myself in a positive direction."
— Wellness Coaching Client

Wellness Coaching Honors the Totality of Your Well-Being.

I use a well-being framework I co-developed at the University of New Hampshire. A well-being framework understands that context, communities, policies/laws, identities, and values play a significant role in our ability to experience well-being. This framework informs all of my services from wellness coaching to yoga.

Wellness is the ways in which you care for yourself via the eight dimensions:

Wellness Wheel with nine dimensions emotional, physical, spritual, social, environmental, sexual, occupational, intellectual

Wellness Coaching

Well-Being Framework

Wellness Coaching Honors the Totality of Your Well-Being.

Wellness is the ways in which you care for yourself via the nine dimensions of wellness:

Wellness Coaching Can Help You Make Lasting Change.

Some common reasons you may benefit from a wellness coach:

Support your health and wellness with lasting behavior change.
Increase self-awareness.
Increase decision making confidence and motivation.
Cope with a chronic illness.
Build effective coping skills to face life's stressors.
Move through transitions with ease.
Enhance your emotional wellness.
Build meaningful social connections.
Communicate assertively and set boundaries.
Enhance sexual well-being.*

* I specialize in inclusive and comprehensive sex education and sexual well-being, helping clients boost their sexual wellness to experience pleasure and connection. I do not treat sexual trauma.

Wellness Coaching Isn't Therapy.

My goal is to create a therapeutic alliance so you can build your confidence, move closer to your authenticity, and make lasting change.

As a board-certified wellness coach I...

recognize that you are the expert in your life;
don't treat or diagnosed mental illnesses (e.g., anxiety, depression);
use a forward thinking process;
guide you in focusing on your strengths and values;
ground my approach in science, not quick fixes or trends;
support you in holding space for the totality of your wellness;
understand that the communities where we live, work, and play impact our well-being;
incorporate mindfulness and self-compassion;
practice cultural humility and work from a social justice framework;
can collaborate with your other health care providers.

If during our work together I believe you would be better supported in therapy, I will let you know and offer appropriate referrals.

“I am the only one who can tell the story of my life and say what it means.”

— Dorothy Allison, Author