Coach and Hypnotherapist Builds on Personal Experience to Help Others Avoid Burnout

by Sheila Julson

Life coach and hypnotherapist Avani Patel knows firsthand about burnout from the demands of work and home life. After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, she moved to Chicago to begin a career in social work. She mentored at-risk teens, and her concern for her charges often kept her on call outside of typical business hours.

Three years later, after starting her own family, Patel transitioned to corporate America. She worked in the tech industry for 20 years. As she climbed the corporate ladder, she suffered from fatigue and stress and missed precious moments with her family. She eventually reached her limit and learned how to combine Eastern meditation philosophies with Western spirituality to break free from negative patterns.

Realizing that she could use her personal experiences and training to help others, she formed Avani Patel Coaching in 2021. She also became versed in the benefits of hypnotherapy and is a certified hypnotherapist, past-life regression therapist and hypnotist through the Past Life Awakening Institute. Her practice, known today as Eternal Alchemists, offers coaching and hypnotherapy via Zoom sessions.

“When you face overwhelming stress in all aspects of life, no one wins no matter what you do,” she affirms. “If you don’t have enough time to dedicate to work, your work suffers. If you don’t have enough time for your kids, you tend to feel bad about not being there. This leads to overwhelming burnout, and the first thing that suffers is us—we are the last people on the list that we take care of.”

Patel’s Align Program is designed to coach working women to help regain control of their time and energy, shake free from the daily grind and take better care of themselves. She coaches clients on realistic, practical ways to set boundaries and create a better balance among career, home and family.

She emphasizes that having difficulty saying no, or being a people-pleaser, often leads women to stretch themselves too thin, resulting in stress overload and eventual burnout. “They feel like they have to do certain things and cannot push back, whether it’s at work or at home,” she says.

Whether it’s pressure to throw an extravagant birthday party for a child, or being fearful of saying no to a boss, Patel uses spiritual mindfulness to empower clients to help them resist falling into competitive or “keeping up with the Joneses” mindsets. She teaches how to shift negative beliefs toward achieving meaningful purpose in life.

Patel emphasizes that coaching and hypnotherapy, which help one achieve a deep, calm state, works well in a virtual format because clients can feel calmer in their home spaces. “You feel safe and can easily relax. Home is a place that is familiar, and you can receive services without rushing from a physical location to get back to the office or return home. People can achieve hypnosis faster when they are in their own comfort zones.”

While some people associate hypnosis with entertainment or parlor tricks, true hypnotherapy deals with changing subconscious beliefs that are deeply rooted in one’s mind. Patel explains that oftentimes negative thought patterns develop during childhood and later obstruct people from living fulfilling lives as adults.

“These patterns keep us in fear, doubt or worry,” she says. “Hypnotherapy transforms those beliefs that people have about themselves to help them reach personal goals faster.”

“I want to create a ripple effect, where each person that I help goes on to positively affect everyone they meet—their children, family, friends, spouses and colleagues. I hope to empower women to live their lives and achieve more happiness, fulfillment and time to spend with family. Each woman affects every single person she encounters.”

Eternal Alchemists is based in Chicago. For more information, email Avani@EternalAlchemists or visit CoachAvaniPatel.com orEternalAlchemists.com. 

Sheila Julson is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Natural Awakenings.