WHO IS
ALEKS ZAVLUNOVA
Aleks is a Licensed Behavior Therapist and Personal Development coach, who specializes in Holistic Behavioral Health- a system she created that focuses on the whole person. After years of struggling with Disordered Eating, Body Dysmorphia, High Functioning Depression and anxiety, she realized that behavior change alone was not enough. After spending years working on healthy habits as a behavior therapist, working with several coaches and therapist in different disciplines, she realized that what most people need is someone who understood the multifacetedness of Disordered Eating, Body Dysmorphia, Mental and Spiritual health.
So she created her own system, one that addresses the whole person - called it Holistic Behavioral Health Coaching.
WHAT IS HOLISTIC BEHAVIOR HEALTH?
MY NAME IS ALEKS
AND THIS IS MY STORY
I believe in transparency. So I talk about my history and struggles with my relationship with food, body image, and mental health very open and honestly. Part of it is to show myself how much I have grown and how far I have come, but mostly because I want you to know that there is a path to a healthy relationship, be it with food, with yourself, with your body, or with others.
I spent almost 2 decades as a behavior therapist and consultant, helping people in a variety of circumstances change their behavior, teaching them to transform their daily life, form new behavior patterns, and build habits that last.
For years I was applying my expertise and principles of human behavior and learning to my own life - breaking old behavior patterns that no longer serve me, and developing healthy daily habits.
You see, for the majority of my 20’s my “health journey” involved “losing weight” and “getting rid of the belly fat” and “just a few more pounds/inches” even when I was size 0. I was on a perpetual chase after the “perfect body”. By 27, when I started my competitive martial arts journey, I started learning about eating for performance, reverse dieting, macronutrients, and started lifting differently. For years I kept yo-yo dieting, and never satisfied with myself. By Summer of 2017, I was finally getting the results I (thought I) wanted. I looked “the best” I ever had, I was getting strong at the gym, and I was eating super “clean,” and everything seems to finally click. But by late Fall and into Winter, I started experiencing symptoms of sever depression. I exercises religiously, I ate well, I was successful, I hung out with my friends…
WHAT WAS MY PROBLEM?
As the months went on, I was no longer eating for performance, or training for goals, because on some days it was a struggle to have more than 1 meal. Those incredibly dark and difficult months of my depressive episode were the catalyst for what turned out to be the most important transformation to date. And all the years of my struggling with diets, relationship with food, body image, relationships with significant others and friends, started coming into light.
AT THE CORE OF IT ALL, IT WAS ME!
While I diligently worked on my surface level behaviors, I was completely ignoring the inner work- mainly because I was never taught how important your thoughts and emotions, childhood experiences, and self regulation actually was.
At the core, it was my lack of self worth. It was my lack of self love. It was my lack of knowing that I absolutely ENOUGH exactly as I was. All those years of wanting to constantly lose “just a few more” pounds were attempts of just wanting to hide and disappear. My thoughts of “maybe he’ll like me more if I was skinnier” was me thinking I wasn’t enough, or maybe I was too much. At my “most fit” I was still wondering how I can be “better” because it always felt like it wasn’t good enough.
Although I had already established healthy behaviors around eating (using principles of behavior analysis and human learning), my behaviors around food were a means of control (hello ego!). I now needed to work on the psychology of eating and my overall mental wellbeing. I started learning to eat for mental health, and learning the importance of gut health.
Having he knowledge is one thing, applying it is another. I now, more than ever, relied heavily on my practice as a behavior therapist to make this more than just a temporary change. I committed to making this my lifestyle. Daily practices, acceptance that change isn’t linear, letting go off so many things I tried to control for so long, therapy along with plant medicines…. it was a process.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR BODY, MIND AND SOUL
After years of continued personal struggles with disordered eating cycles, body image issues, anxiety and depression, self doubt, unworthiness, and other maladaptive practices, I realized that addressing surface-level (observable) behaviors alone was not enough.
It was clear that focusing only on behavior, while ignoring emotional and cognitive processes, was only creating temporary change. It was clear that while I was going through the motions of change, I was still lacking insight, connection and purpose.
I needed to change holistically - physically, mentally, spiritually.
I needed to break down and rebuilt my patterns. I needed to heal the self. It started with healing my relationship with food and fitness. After years of Disordered Eating patterns, I was finally able to unf*ck my own diet mentality.
Throughout that healing process, I realized how significantly our relationship with food correlates with our relationship, our emotional, physical, and mental well-being. More importantly, I realized how my unloving and unhealthy relationship with the self was reflected in my relationships with others. Healing my relationship with food led to healing my relationship with fitness, my body image, and more importantly the self.
HOW TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF PERPETUAL DIETING
ALONG THE WAY…
Not only did I acquire the knowledge of basic nutrition science, focusing on the gut-brain connection, but I also expanded my practical knowledge to include cognitive behavior psychology, Jungian psychology, understanding trauma (trauma-informed care), Acceptance and Mindfulness.
I have created healthy life habits that go far beyond nutrition. I unlearned maladaptive, dysfunctional and self-destructive patterns and habits, built confidence, developed self-love, and reclaimed my power. Today I am in a place where I have complete freedom. Not just food freedom - but complete freedom to be unapologetically my truest authentic self.
MY MISSION
is to bridge the gap between your current self, and the self you love and accept unconditionally.
WHAT IS HOLISTIC BEHAVIOR HEALTH?
HBH combines principles of Behavior Psychology with other philosophies and practices of mental, physical and spiritual health that teaches you how to unlearn old patterns and build new health habits. It teaches you to identify your struggles and challenges, bring awareness to your triggers, get insight into your beliefs, and establish connections to your inner and outer world.
These are the skills you need to unlearn your self self-destructive patterns, break through conditioned beliefs, stop engaging in self-sabotaging and people-pleasing behaviors, and replace them with practices of self-love and self-compassion. All of which leads to healing and growth, allowing you to discover your purpose, so you can the healthiest, happiest, most authentic version of yourself-unapologetically.
I WANT TO TEACH YOU
HOW TO:
I WANT TO SHOW YOU:
➼ Nourish your body/mind/soul
➼ Systematically change your behaviors and mentality - be it around food, or other dysfunctional/unhealthy relationships and patterns
➼ Heal your relationship with food and body, so you can see how healing that will open doors to healing other areas of your life.
➼ how to unf*ck your diet mentality; so you can heal and love every part of you, and open yourself for optimal overall health - physically, mentally, spiritually/emotionally.
I want you to know that the tools you acquire along the way, and guidance you receive will stay with you for as long as you wish to be the best version of yourself.…
The decision to get healthy (not lose weight) was the best decision I have ever made.
I was worthy of health and self love… and so are you.
MAINTAIN
YOUR SH*T
Get weekly affirmations, journal prompts, meditations and so much more. Use them as a daily check-in to reassure yourself that you are worthy of taking up space in this world. Small acts of Unf*ckery to a healthier-badass-you.