Body & Mind Consulting- Integrated Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan

Traditional approaches to health often focus on diagnosing symptoms and look for a method to alleviate issues, many times with the help of medications or procedures. These approaches may help someone feel better in the short run but may not “fix” the issues that initially led to the symptom. Devising collaborative ways to address health concerns that go beyond symptom management is the integrated wellness approach used by CEO Dr. Lisa Webb and her team at Body & Mind Consulting.

Having over two decades of clinical experience Dr. Webb has had the opportunity to work with different clients with a myriad of health challenges. Regardless of the people or health concern she and her team are working with Dr. Webb asserts that wellness comes from the integration of body & mind health. She spoke exclusively to CIO Bulletin on how she and her team use a collaborative approach that goes beyond symptoms to help people achieve optimal health.

Interview Highlights

Q. Who is Dr. Lisa Webb, or “Dr. Lisa”?

That is a big question. Over the years I have been able to become a trusted advisor with industry thought leaders because I am able to speak “business” with a “human” perspective. Every executive I work with has unique challenges and goals, and some feel “stuck” when they are not able to reach their ambitions in the timeframe they set for themselves.

I find that most of my executive clients just “power through” stress, burnout or life changes only to look back and see how negatively this approach impacted their health and relationships. When there are things going on in life that are stressful—even positively stressful—it has an impact on both the body and the mind. Stress symptoms may be affecting a person’s health, even though they might not realize it.

Q. Sounds like you do something that is a hybrid of business consulting and health coaching?

Yes, exactly. People are more confused than ever when it comes to their health and they don’t know WHO or WHAT to believe. Taking charge of your health requires much more than just your typical 7-minute doctor’s visit, that can’t even cover the basics of what you need to know to heal. I commonly have clients that say they have concerns about their physical health, like the irritating headache, insomnia, lack of motivation or decreased work productivity- and the thought that it’s a tumor or other major health issue. Once they go to their primary care doc and they are told that ”nothing is wrong” this leads to more stress and may even lead to more increased health issues. Stress left unchecked can lead to many health issues. We all know that stress, burnout and life changes are not going to cease being a thing in life to manage, particularly for executives and high achieving women. Helping my clients come up with a plan to ‘course correct’ makes my work applicable and relevant now and for the future.

Q. How do you help your “C-suite” clients achieve their vision and find greater satisfaction in life?

Over the years I noticed that many colleagues that were wonderfully successful in their career were miserable at home. It was like they were on their A-game at work but then stopped trying at home. It seems like it would be second nature, but the actions that made them successful at work they don’t apply at home. Making that bridge between the ‘boardroom to the bedroom’ was the motivation for publishing The Executive Marriage Solution.

A lot of times I have executives come to me simply complaining of “not feeling well” or “not thinking clearly” or “in a fog” but have had their physician say that their labs “look great.” For someone who is used to being on the top of their game and figuring out what is going on, particularly in their own body is very frustrating. Then when my execs are told by their physician that should “go talk to someone” this is met with considerable resistance. The first thing I tell an executive is that what they are feeling is “not all in their head” When it comes to mind health, it’s not all in someone’s head. The factors that influence how we feel in our body and the impact it has in our mind health is exactly what integrated wellness focuses on.

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Q. You talk about ‘integrated wellness’—what does that mean? Does it have to do with the ‘gut-brain axis”?

The insurance model is broken, and there are so many other ways to achieve wellness than through a prescription. Our goal at Body & Mind is to empower people to have control of their health before issues occur. We work with people who have both major and minor health issues. We come up with a unique blueprint for someone to reach wellness goals and give them tools for lifestyle change. We don’t work with everyone—taking personal responsibility for body and mind health is critical and requires lifestyle change. It’s sad, but for some of my clients making the major life changes are too inconvenient. Nobody ever said change was easy, comfortable or convenient.

That makes sense, but how do you and your colleagues devise this blueprint? What’s different?

Our approach is unique because it’s personalized and comprehensive. We work to get to the root causes of body and mind concerns and examine key imbalances that are often responsible for virtually all symptoms someone might be experiencing. Standard testing often overlooks known biomarkers of complex chronic illness, and doesn’t distinguish between “normal” and “optimal” ranges. Small imbalances can lead to significant health issues. We have found that a “one size fits all” approach never works and is why people who come to us have had difficulty finding solutions with traditional care providers. Relying on basic solutions or guessing at what might be an issue does not cut it. Pinpointing the real reason why someone might not feel well – even if they have been told for years that “everything’s fine”- is the first step for our clients to begin to feel better. Then when we help to restore the body’s innate healing potential we care for the whole individual and not just parts of a person. Going beyond treating symptoms while combining science-driven testing with healthier lifestyle practices are core to our integrated wellness services. We help our clients move beyond “surviving” to “thriving.”

What about the gut brain axis? What is that?

The intestines play a role in how well the body’s immunity is working and can influence our mood and ability to think clearly. Not to get into the deep science of it, but digestion impacts not only our physical health but our mood and even the way you think. Scientists call this little brain the enteric nervous system (ENS)—did you know what this nervous systems has more than 100 million nerve cells lining your GI tract?.

That sounds like a part of the body we might not think about being an issue. How would someone know that this is not functioning optimally?

So, lets take anxiety and stress as an example. Anxiety and stress are generally thought of to be mind health concerns. We know that GI problems can create anxiety and stress. We also know that anxiety and stress can make GI problems worse. We know that techniques that can change how well a person’s mind is functioning can help someone have less GI distress or at least help cope with symptoms.

Having a healthy “gut” is one way the brain can function better. Poor lifestyle choices and unhealthy nutrition lead to the intestine not working well and symptoms like anxiety, depression or a lack of motivation can occur. It is really unfortunate but we as a society have become so used to going to a doctor for medication or a quick ‘fix’ when we don’t feel well. These fixes are only temporary and don’t look at the cause—I think many of these symptoms could be self-managed or require less medication if the source of symptoms was addressed.

“Discover a better way to a better you”

Q. What were some of the personal issues you helped executives work through during the pandemic?

The pandemic brought about more “togetherness” with couples “working from home.” A lot of times these couples had not been in the same vicinity for more than a few hours at a time for years and have forgotten how to relate and communicate with each other. We all know that healthy relationships don’t “just happen” and require energy and effort. The pandemic made many couples recognize their relationship was not as solid as they once thought. This brought an opportunity to educate successful people about a “new” way to communicate. This “new” way really just translates the skills they use at work and apply them at home. This approach often leads to a healthier long-term partnership with their mate rather than the a trip to the divorce attorney.

Q. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Let your intuition, informed by your research, be more powerful than other’s opinions. There will always be people who will provide “constructive criticism” that is actually destructive to one’s psyche under the guise of being ‘helpful.’ Listen to your internal instincts and don’t let anyone’s ‘opinion’ stand in your way.

Q. What steps/programs/policies you would like to suggest for the women who want to be successful like you?

There was a Harvard Business Review article several years ago that spoke against women being able to ‘have it all.’ The author had attempted to have it all, and she became burned out and disillusioned and concluded that ‘having it all’ was impossible for women. I respectfully disagree—I believe women can have it ‘all’, just not all at once.

There are seasons in life where different personal and professional priorities take the stage. The perspective of ‘having it all’ is about recognizing the ‘all’ is really a wonderful meal over many courses. Each course is to be savored rather than trying to blend the entire 10 course meal through the Vitamix. You can have the whole meal, just not all at once.

Q. What does the future look like for your clients and their relationships?

Well, my crystal ball is in the shop being tuned up. Seriously, really I am uncertain. I have concerns about the state of our economy and the poor health of many world-wide. With a looming recession, increased inflation and lack of fiscal resources there is less focus on doing things that promote self-care, something many of us have a difficult time undertaking in the first place.

Three concerns I find to be at the root of most of relationship issues are sex, parenting and money. When there isn’t enough money there is stress. Tempers flare and arguments occur. Intimacy suffers when everyone is edgy. We humans look for ways to feel better. It’s really not long before we find reasons to linger at work or satisfy our curiosity and look up an old flame on Facebook. Fortifying family, personal and professional relationships requires action. Being ‘healthy’ requires more than 15 minutes on the treadmill and religiously taking your prescription for diabetes or hypertension. I believe the future is directly tied to the actions we put into place today.

Dr. Lisa Webb and Body & Mind Consulting

Dr. Lisa M. Webb is an entrepreneur, clinical psychologist, organizational development consultant, executive relationship advisor, and business owner with over two decades of experience advising corporate executives and their partners in the pursuit of more successful relationships and to achieve optimal health.

Dr. Webb has been recognized for her valuable assets, knowledge, and experience and as an influencer for her many varied accomplishments. She has been acknowledged as a leader in both business and healthcare by The International Association of Women, was selected for inclusion in Trademark Top Doctors of America 2020 Honors Edition, and was featured in two CUTV News Radio interviews, both of which can be found on BlogTalkRadio. In the past she was nominated for a TED Talk on her knowledge and methodology detailed in the Executive Marriage Solution. Celebrating almost twenty five years of marriage with her husband, she brings both professional expertise and personal experience to her relationship consultation.

Her years of consulting experience have also been augmented with academic accomplishments. She holds several advanced degrees including a doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Master of Business Administration degree with emphasis in International Business, Master’s in Public Health with concentration in global health and epidemiology, and Master’s in Environmental science and global public health. Formal education and training along with corporate and personal experiences make her an expert on both relationships and wellness.

Beyond these achievements she is also involved in community service. Having a passion for the integration of human and animal health she volunteers for the One Health Commission (OHC) (https://www.onehealthcommission.org/ ). Collaborating with the OHC she and colleagues launched the One Health and Social Sciences Initiative. This initiative is designed to impart global knowledge of how the integration of OH and the social sciences is a critical component to address UN Strategic Development Goals of ecosystem sustainability, global food security, and equitable health.

Working internationally she was fortunate to collaborate with researchers and clinicians in South Africa and the Dominican Republic to conduct community research surrounding HIV/AIDS to determine impediments to change in care at the grassroots level. Locally Dr. Webb was also honored to be chosen to assist and become one of the founding members of the of the Southern Automotive Women’s Forum https://www.southernautomotivewomen.org/a non-profit dedicated to the personal and professional advancement of women in the automotive industry.