Ease the strain of life.
For people who are kind to others, but harder on themselves.

Learn to meet stress, change, and everyday challenges with greater awareness, self-compassion, and clarity.

When life feels demanding or uncertain, it can be easy to keep pushing, override your own needs, or get caught in patterns of pressure, self-criticism, and exhaustion.

You may be doing a lot for others while carrying more strain than most people see.

My work helps you step out of autopilot, relate to yourself in a more supportive way, and move through life with greater steadiness. Through coaching, mindfulness, and self-compassion-based practices, I help you manage stress, navigate change, and respond to life with more clarity and less inner strain.

Hi, I’m Heather Shaughnessy-Cato.

National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach | Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher

My work is grounded in mindfulness, self-compassion, and evidence-based approaches that support meaningful, sustainable change.

I bring a trauma-informed, relational approach to coaching and facilitation, and I support both individuals and organizations in building skills that are useful in everyday life.

This work is about relating to yourself differently—with more awareness, more care, and practical support for real life.

My approach

Mindfulness helps you notice what is happening while it is happening. Instead of staying on autopilot, you begin to recognize stress, overwhelm, or self-judgment with more awareness. That awareness creates more choice in how you respond.

Self-compassion helps you meet difficult moments with more support and less criticism. Rather than pushing yourself harder, you begin to respond with more care, honesty, and steadiness. Over time, this can strengthen resilience, emotional well-being, and self-trust.

My work also draws from evidence-based approaches to behavior change and well-being, helping you turn insight into meaningful, sustainable action.

Together, these practices can help you feel more grounded, more clear, and better able to meet life with steadiness and care.

Work With Me

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Coaching

Coaching offers individualized support for the challenges, changes, and goals that matter most to you.

Together, we can focus on forward movement toward your goals, learning and practicing self-compassion in daily life, or a blend of both.

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Workshops & Courses

Workshops and classes offer a chance to learn and practice in a supportive environment.

These experiences are designed to help you build practical skills in mindfulness and self-compassion that you can use in everyday life. Whether you are looking for a single workshop or a deeper learning experience, the focus is on helping you respond to stress and challenge with more awareness, resilience, and care.

Partnerships with Organizations

I partner with organizations to offer workshops, retreats, and professional development that support well-being, resilience, and self-compassion.

This work is especially relevant for groups and workplaces where people are carrying a lot, supporting others, and navigating ongoing stress or change. Programs can be tailored for educators, helping professionals, leaders, and teams who want practical, grounded support.

RESOURCES

Support for reflection, awareness, and everyday well-being

If you prefer to explore on your own, you’ll find:

  • Blog
  • Guided Meditations

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© 2026 Heather Shaughnessy-Cato. All rights reserved.