The small change Wellness Coach
Be Well; Start small
Thank you for visiting my site!
I AM....
….Myrtle Russell, the small change Wellness Coach. I began my career in health as a private duty nurse in the historic river towns of Westchester County, New York in 1982, where I enjoyed providing bedside care to the infirmed. But the field of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention is where I found my true calling after returning to my native state of Tennessee six years later. It’s also where I began my journey of transformation and earned what I’ve come to call my small change butterfly wings of spiritual awakening, freedom, and the ability to soar.
….a strong believer that healthy lifestyle changes can lead to improved health outcomes, one small change at a time, and I have used small change “blessons” (blessings and lessons) to guide me through 35 rewarding years of service in rural underserved communities.
….the creator of The small change Toolkit, a set of transformational tools designed to help women build and maintain a consciousness of health, one small change at a time
….experienced in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention where I have used the small change approach to:
Educate thousands on the benefits of adopting healthy lifestyle changes
Facilitate trainings for hundreds of health professionals, community stakeholders, civic groups, and faith-based organizations
Manage national programs such as the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Planned Approach To Community Health Program (PATCH) and Racial and Ethnic Approaches to community Health (REACH); and Area Health Education Center’s (AHEC) programs aimed at enhancing access to quality health care, particularly primary and preventive care, by improving the supply and distribution of healthcare professionals via strategic partnerships with academic programs, communities and professional organization.
Manage Tennessee's Department of Health -West Tennessee Regional Health Promotion Department aimed at protecting, promoting, and improving the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee
Render in-home nursing care since for four decades
Write a small change health column for a weekly newspaper for 10 years
Author five self-help books:
small change: a 28-day guide to eating, thinking and feeling healthier (2005), and small change – BIG RESULTS: the Trainer’s Guide to Eliminating Childhood Obesity with Sport (2013) co-written with my son Cameron, a trainer and coach
Free Your Mind and the Best Will Follow (2012)
The Stroke That Touched My Heart and its accompanying The Stroke That Touched My Heart Gratitude Journal, (2019) co-written with my daughter Mia, a nurse who suffered a massive stroke at the age of 37
I am also skilled in: (2017 Gallup Clifton Strengths Survey)
Connectedness- Linking people to resources
Relator– Systematically identifying patterns in processes, data, facts,
relationships, etc. to solve problems
Learner– Insight into why things happen and the ability to seek viable
solutions
Maximizer– Focus on individual’s strengths in order to stimulate personal
growth and development
Individualization– Identify individual’s unique qualities
A few other things you should know about me:
I learn to teach and teach to learn. Thus I am a small change butterfly who is passionate about creating an environment that gives rise to the emergence of more butterflies, one small change at a time.
I live in Tennessee with my daughter Mia, a nurse, stroke survivor, and avid crocheter; and we are just four hours away from my son, Cameron.
When I’m not writing, and teaching, I’m crocheting with Mia, who not only used small change principles to learn to read, write, and regain mobility after the stroke, she recently used them to learn to crochet with her non-dominant left hand and knee (after the stroke left her with right side paralysis). Together we enjoy creating unique crochet designs.
I completed graduate studies in counseling (M.A.); undergraduate studies in psychology (B.A.); LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse); Certified Life Coach.