After a career in Hollywood with “A” list celebrities ended with a two-year health crisis. Carla Cohen went on a journey to heal herself. Since Western medicine was unable to help her, she took responsibility for her health and chose a holistic approach to help heal her body. She now has synthesised her 30+ years of knowledge and experience, to empower her clients to gain a stronger and more resilient emotional core and immunity. She is the Founder of Women’s Health Revolution, where she blends her business and shamanic backgrounds to achieve her vision of helping women experience joy, new levels of success and better emotional and physical health, without the use of drugs.
Her clients call her the Emotional Alchemist. The founder of Women’s Health Revolution combines healing and coaching for female entrepreneurs who are struggling with persistent anxiety, stress and pain.
“With twenty plus certifications under my belt, I have a lot of tools I can draw from. I am trained to pay attention to what my body is telling me and I listen to the whisper instead of waiting for the scream.”
How did you build yourself up again after your career in Hollywood ended? What was your earlier career, and how did that experience lead you to a career in coaching?
My health crisis forced me to start to take responsibility for my life and my health on a much bigger scale. I knew that Western Medicine was not the way for me, especially after they gave me an antidepressant when I was exhausted, had a fever, and had a high white blood cell count. I think it was around that time that I realised doctors were similar to mechanics in that they helped people to heal through the process of elimination. They just keep trying options until they run out of ideas or the problem stops being a problem. Up until my health crisis, I thought they had all the answers. I didn’t fully realise that it was a process of elimination.
When I knew there was no going back to Hollywood for me and I was too weak to do anything else so I consumed a lot of books. I did a lot of bodywork, a deep dive into nutrition and metaphysics, and a ton of breathwork. I learned Transcendental Meditation and I started to have experiences where I could see things on people’s bodies. Later, I apprenticed in a Spiritual Practitioner Program, where my mentor, Charlene, helped me to develop my gifts as a clairsentient and psychic. I knew I was not going back to Hollywoodand Development, the environment was too toxic for me, and I had lost my desire to keep competing with men who knew less and were getting paid more. I had no idea where I was headed though. I just took one step at a time. I became a much more curious person. After all, I had literally hit bottom physically. I was also feeling a lot of emotional exhaustion and I did not want to spend the rest of my life in bed. The benefit of hitting that place was that I was even more open to learn and grow. Even now, I continue to be hungry to learn.
Many people are choosing a holistic approach to health. Why do you think this is? What were some challenges you faced with Western medicine?
I think Western medicine is phenomenal, but we tend to use it as a crutch instead of learning how to really take care of ourselves. I think traditional medicine is wonderful if you are in an extreme situation, like an accident. In the Western system, exercise and diet are overemphasised and not enough attention is paid to the spiritual and emotional mindset of the person and their belief system. Due to time constraints, people are often given medications, instead of learning to heal the root of the problem. Doctors are also isolated by their speciality and don’t always tune into the larger picture that makes up the patient’s health. I think people gravitate toward holistic healing so they can feel like they are being fully received. I also believe that people are more conscious of the fact that medications do have side effects, and that those side effects can cause even more problems.
I have probably helped over 250,000 people get to some greater level of peace and thousands to heal. I still struggle to explain what I do or how I do it. When you are suffering, what do you have to lose by taking a different path?
My mom was an exceptional and caring nurse, and she did a lot of home remedies, but she also believed in doctors. Those doctors gave me a ton of antibiotics when I was a kid. I was sick a lot. What I know now is that my immune system muscle was weak because my diet and antibiotics destroyed the flora and fauna in my gut. It took 30+ years for the consequences of those antibiotics, coupled with my lifestyle, to show up, but I had to rebuild my immune system and trust that it would kick in when I needed it.
Now, I rarely get sick, but that is because I have learned to listen to my body. I have learned to eat in a way that supports my health, know about good supplements, use essential oils, have a chemical-free home, and think in a way that supports my health. With twenty plus certifications under my belt, I have a lot of tools I can draw from. I am trained to pay attention to what my body is telling me and I listen to the whisper instead of waiting for the scream. I help my clients learn to listen better to their bodies too.
Why is coaching so important for long term success?
I believe that a good part of my job is helping my clients achieve congruence between those who they appear to be and who they are. I help them connect more deeply with their heart and with their soul’s sense of purpose by identifying and removing any blocks or limiting beliefs that are keeping them stuck, holding them back or diluting their desire to serve their purpose and share their gifts with the world.
How can transforming our life help us succeed in different aspects?
Part of the natural process of “revolutionising” our minds, is becoming more curious and letting go of expectations. In business and love, most people expect that if they do “x” the other person should do “y”. It is important to note that everyone has different ideas about the “right” way to be in any given circumstance. Different cultures and different values, cause different responses in a given situation. First, we need to hone our ability to be curious. If we are curious and ask questions, we learn from each other and become more connected. Good business and good relationships are based on acceptance. Acceptance comes easier after curiosity and understanding.
What advice would you give to women struggling with anxiety, stress and other mental health problems?
Your mental health is affected by everything that you eat, drink, smell, and think. Good mental health is an inside job and you have no idea how much all of your sensory input is affecting your mind. It is important to have someone walk you through the steps so that you can change the things that are causing you to go down that road. Our body has about 62 chemicals in it and every time you smell a perfume, detergent, food or another person, it shifts your chemistry. When I coach my clients we go through all of the different factors that affect your mindset, emotions, and your health. Besides diet and environment, we work on resolving trapped emotions that are causing you to have anxiety, stress and pain. It is a whole-person approach.
What does female empowerment mean to you?
Female empowerment means helping a woman realise the larger spectrum of life; giving you the tools to break through beliefs that are holding you hostage. Helena was unable to get a job despite her amazing artistic talents. She came to me to get help with her knee and hip pain. Her doctor had suggested surgery. During our sessions together, the pain in her knees and hips disappeared. As a result, she decided not to move forward with the surgery. She also received a call asking her to do the work she loves for an excellent wage. Resolving her trapped emotions created a ripple effect that changed her internal and external circumstances.
What is the biggest way someone can change their mindset and outlook for the better?
I believe it is key to move away from focusing on problems to focusing on solutions. If we focus on problems, we see more and more problems. If we focus on possibilities, it is surprising how many options “suddenly” appear. We may not be able to change the world to be what we think it should be, however, we have absolute power over how we respond to the world and how we frame our experiences of life.
