Inside the Practitioner's Path

Aila Coats and Barbara Patterson

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Most of the powerful, unguarded conversations we have as practitioners happen behind the scenes. This podcast was created to bring those conversations forward. It’s a space for real talk about client work, presence, creating powerful containers for waking others up, embodied change, and the ways we continue to grow and meet our edges as we guide others.

Jul 14

25. Eating disorder or Thinking disorder? Or Neither? | Aila

Eating disorders, body image, restriction, bingeing. These come up often in Aila’s work with teens and young adults. In this solo episode, she asks a different question: is it an eating disorder, a thinking disorder, neither, or both? Aila shares her own story as a competitive athlete sidelined by injury, and the disordered eating that followed. She traces the moment everything shifted: the realization that none of it was really about her body at all. It was pointing to something deeper. This episode is an invitation to see disordered behavior, and the thinking that drives it, not as something broken, but as a system reaching for wellness, however misguided the reach. Aila shares how this lens shapes her work with clients today, why the support around a young person matters as much as the inner work, and why she believes every symptom is, at its root, an impulse toward health. Thank you for listening! For more information and resources, visit Barb’s website and Aila’s website. SHOW NOTES:[00:00] - Welcome to Inside the Practitioner's Path![01:11] - Exploring Self-Love and Its Implications[04:17] - The Inquiry of Lovability and Worthiness[07:06] - Personal Story: A Journey to Self-Love[13:20] - Activating Inner Love and Guidance[20:19] - The Essence of Our Nature and Vitality[22:40] - Thank you for listening! SHOW LINKS: Visit Aila’s WebsiteFollow Aila on Instagram and FacebookFollow Barb on Linkedin and Instagram
May 12

24. Did You Forget You're a Business Owner Too? | Aila & Barb

Many coaches, practitioners, and helpers genuinely love the work itself, but somewhere along the way, forget they’re also building a business. In this conversation, Barb and Aila explore the identity shift that happens when you stop separating the work you love from the business that supports it. They talk about relationship-building, direct vs. indirect business activities, creating consistent opportunities for connection, and what it means to become more resilient in the long game of growing a practice. This is a conversation about discouragement, visibility, service, and learning to embrace the business side of your work without losing the heart of why you do it. SHOW NOTES: [00:00] - Welcome to Inside the Practitioner's Path![01:10] - Embracing the Business of Coaching[04:01] - The Distinction Between Coaching and Business Skills[07:16] - Building Relationships for Business Success[10:21] - Direct vs. Indirect Business Building[13:13] - Creating Consistency in Client Acquisition[16:11] - The Long Game in Business[19:06] - Overcoming Discouragement in Business[22:15] - The Importance of Connection and Community[25:00] - Treating Your Practice Like a Business[28:21] - Aligning Passion with Business Goals[29:56] - Thank you for listening!SHOW LINKS: Visit Aila’s WebsiteFollow Aila on Instagram and FacebookFollow Barb on Linkedin and Instagram
Apr 28

23. Loosening Identity: Even the Ones We Love | Aila & Barb

In this conversation, we explore the identities we hold about ourselves, including the ones we value most. From being a “good parent” or a “loyal friend” to a “strong leader,” these identities can feel grounding. And yet, they often carry expectations and pressure that quietly shape how we relate to ourselves and others. We look at what happens when identity becomes a filter, pulling us out of direct experience and into ideas about who we should be. And how, even with the best intentions, it can create unnecessary tension and self-judgment. This conversation opens into a different way of being. One where transformation isn’t about becoming someone better, but about loosening what was never fixed to begin with and meeting what’s here, in real time. From there, something more honest and alive begins to unfold. SHOW NOTES: [00:00] - Welcome to Inside the Practitioner's Path![01:11] - Exploring Identity and Its Impact[06:06] - The Burden of Positive Identities[09:59] - Meeting Ourselves in the Moment[13:27] - The Complexity of Human Emotions[18:03] - The Illusion of Identity[22:01] - Unraveling Identity in Coaching[26:38] - The Mystery of Letting Go[31:45] - Thank you for listening!SHOW LINKS: Visit Aila’s WebsiteFollow Aila on Instagram and FacebookFollow Barb on Linkedin and Instagram
Apr 24

22. Is Self-Love Required | Aila

Self-love is often held up as something we need to learn, build, or strengthen. But what if the deeper shift isn’t about creating self-love at all, but reconnecting with something that’s already here? In this episode, Aila explores a different way into the conversation. One that moves beyond concept and into direct experience. Through stories from her own life and recent work with clients, she points to how the question of “am I lovable?” begins to dissolve when we drop beneath thought and reconnect with the felt sense of love that naturally arises within us. This isn’t about convincing yourself you’re worthy or trying to think better thoughts. It’s about accessing a deeper ground, one that brings clarity, guidance, and a natural reorientation in how we see ourselves and move through life. SHOW NOTES:[00:00] - Welcome to Inside the Practitioner's Path![01:11] - Exploring Self-Love and Its Implications[04:17] - The Inquiry of Lovability and Worthiness[07:06] - Personal Story: A Journey to Self-Love[13:20] - Activating Inner Love and Guidance[20:19] - The Essence of Our Nature and Vitality[22:40] - Thank you for listening! SHOW LINKS: Visit Aila’s WebsiteFollow Aila on Instagram and FacebookFollow Barb on Linkedin and Instagram
Apr 14

21. When Learning Accelerated for Us | Aila & Barb

In this episode, Aila & Barb explore the role mentorship and apprenticeship have played in shaping our work, our businesses, and who we’ve become as practitioners. They talk about what happens when you stop trying to figure it all out on your own and instead put yourself in proximity to someone who is living and working in a way that resonates with you. The kind of learning that comes from being in the room, observing, asking questions, and allowing your thinking to expand in real time. This isn’t about imitation or following a formula. It’s about exposure to new ways of seeing, deepening your own grounding, and discovering what becomes possible when you’re willing to be a student again. Whether you’re just starting out or have been doing this work for years, this is an invitation to consider where you might benefit from stepping back into the student seat and letting your learning evolve in a more direct, alive, and relational way. SHOW NOTES [00:00] – Welcome to Inside the Practitioner’s Path![01:11] – The Power of Mentorship and Apprenticeship[06:59] – Learning Through Observation and Experience[10:58] – Vulnerability in Seeking Help[13:40] – Commitment to Growth and Learning[13:44] – The Vulnerability of Seeking Support[15:55] – The Power of Mentorship and Apprenticeship[20:08] – Learning Through Observation and Collaboration[23:31] – Embracing Lifelong Learning and the Student Mindset[25:15] – Thank you for listening!SHOW LINKS: Visit Aila’s WebsiteFollow Aila on Instagram and FacebookFollow Barb on Linkedin and Instagram
Apr 8

20. When the Rug Gets Pulled Out: Coaching Through Shock, Loss, and Uncertainty | Barb

What happens when a client’s world shifts in an instant? In this episode, Barb explores how to meet clients in moments of shock, loss, and unexpected change. Through real examples, she walks through the immediate aftermath of disruption and the longer arc of recalibration that follows, where clarity is often absent, and the mind is searching for certainty. This conversation brings us back to the heart of the work: presence, simplicity, and trust. How do we hold the space when nothing is clear? How we support clients in finding their bearings without rushing them forward. And how we learn to trust the unfolding, one step at a time. This is an episode about staying grounded in the unknown and allowing both you and your clients to be guided by something deeper than circumstance. SHOW NOTES: [00:00] - Welcome to Inside the Practitioner's Path [01:10] - Navigating Unexpected Life Changes [09:38] - Supporting Clients Through Shock and Uncertainty [18:15] - The Importance of Presence and Compassion [26:21] - Recalibration and Trusting the Process [27:58] - Thank you for listening! SHOW LINKS: Visit Aila’s WebsiteFollow Aila on Instagram and FacebookFollow Barb on Linkedin and Instagram
Apr 1

19. Creating a Safe Container for a Group while Co-Facilitating | Aila

What does it look like to partner with others in co-creating transformational spaces and groups? Is it different than doing it alone? In this episode, Aila explores the experience of co-creating containers and facilitating groups. Specifically, how she and Barb come together and align. This recording was originally shared with participants inside The Practitioner’s Path 5-Month Immersion, and we wanted to bring it here as part of the conversation. Aila shares how collaboration becomes a living process, where structure is held lightly and the direction of the work unfolds in real time through what is being sensed, felt, and seen. You’ll hear how partnership shapes the field, how facilitators stay connected to what is emerging rather than following a fixed plan, and how the quality of the container is influenced. This is a conversation about the subtle, powerful dynamics that live between us and how that space becomes the foundation for meaningful change. SHOW NOTES: [00:00] - Welcome to Inside the Practitioner's Path [1:11] - Creating a Supportive Container [07:59] - Creating a Container for Collaboration [25:47] - The Power of Partnership in Facilitation [37:44] - Embodying Presence and Safety in Practice [39:57] - Thank you for listening SHOW LINKS: Visit Aila’s WebsiteFollow Aila on Instagram and FacebookFollow Barb on Linkedin and Instagram
Mar 24

18. So You Want to Be a Coach | Aila

What if becoming a coach doesn’t start with learning techniques… but with how you live your own life? In this solo episode, Aila explores a question she hears all the time: “I want to be a coach. Where do I begin?” And instead of pointing first to certifications or step-by-step methods, she turns us inward, toward our relationship with ourselves, our suffering, our aliveness, and the way we meet our own lives day to day. She shares a grounded and human perspective on what actually makes someone impactful in this work. No need for perfection or polished frameworks, just lived understanding. A willingness to be with your own experience, to get curious about what moves you, to tend to your inner world, and to let your life become the place where the work is practiced first. This conversation speaks to both those just beginning and those already in the field who feel something isn’t quite landing. It invites a return to the foundation: your own evolution, your own honesty, your own connection to what’s true. Because in the end, the most powerful thing you bring to others is who you are being. SHOW NOTES: [00:00] - Welcome to Inside the Practitioner's Path [01:11] - The Journey to Becoming a Coach [11:27] - Self-Reflection and Personal Growth [19:10] - Finding Your Path and Support [20:59] - Thank you for listening to Inside the Practitioner's Path SHOW LINKS: Visit Aila’s WebsiteFollow Aila on Instagram and FacebookFollow Barb on Linkedin and Instagram

Most of the powerful, unguarded conversations we have as practitioners happen behind the scenes. This podcast was created to bring those conversations forward. It’s a space for real talk about client work, presence, creating powerful containers for waking others up, embodied change, and the ways we continue to grow and meet our edges as we guide others.

Creator

Aila Coats and Barbara Patterson
Years Active

2026
Episodes

25
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Aila Coats and Barbara Patterson
Show Website

Inside the Practitioner's Path

Self-Improvement

Self-Improvement

Updated Weekly