Dr Michael (Mickey) Hobbs
M.Chiro, BSc.Chir, Dip. RM
My transition from healthcare into coaching was accelerated by my own burn-out. Everyone’s burn-out is different, but in my case, it came down to stress, acute gut parasites, a lack of creative fulfilment, heeding the call for change, and working within a dysfunctional healthcare system that was failing to achieve meaningful outcomes for patients, practitioners or the planet.
With over 10+ years clinical experience, I’d worked in numerous clinical, research, and business leadership roles within the healthcare, corporate and digital health and fitness sectors. I was a successful chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner, director of a clinic, co-founder of a running coaching app, and the medical director of an international marathon team.
Yet even with all the external success and accolades, my spirit felt buried. I had a lot emotional programming that a successful clinician was someone without boundaries, always “in the trenches” and “fighting the good fight” to put people back together, even if that meant working 14-16 hour days without a break, never allowed to exist until everyone else was OK. Added to this was the pressure, shame and internalised self-dislike of trying to live up to society’s patriarchal, capitalistic and militaristic ideals as a multi-faceted, constantly evolving human, and the pressure to package myself a certain way online as a small business owner.
Through a combination of coaching, functional medicine, somatic techniques, dance, strength training, therapy, writing, mentorship, activism, ecological practices, anti-racism work, Feldenkrais, time and commitment, with the support of many, I now have more access to vitality, joy, confidence, creativity, agency, presence, and self-belief than ever. Knowing that, when it comes to health, there is no magic finish line, I transitioned my clinical practice into coaching, where I could spend more time with my clients, ask deeper questions, empower them to be in the driving seat of their own transformation, and work with them towards thriving, not just getting out of pain.
I still draw on my extensive knowledge of the body, exercise, nutrition and functional medicine to support my clients. My clients have included CEOs, elite athletes, and Fortune 500 companies, including Lululemon, Fitness First, PwC, Animal Logic, and the government sector. I’ve taught seminars and workshops, won awards for my published research, and mentored numerous other health professionals and coaches.
Recognising the interdependence of individuals within society, culture and environments, I incorporate a somatic, intersectional, structural, material, anti-racist, feminist, queer, ecological, and psychospiritual perspective into my work. I currently live in Lisbon, Portugal, and am also a writer, dancer and performance artist.
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