Marilyn Folk

Marilyn experienced many anxiety symptoms during her multi-year struggle with anxiety disorder, including:

• Agitation
• Depression
• Dizziness
• Episodes of crying
• Feelings of unreality
• Floor moving sensation
• Hot and cold sweats
• Impending doom
• Inability to relax
• Insomnia
• IBS
• Panic attacks
• Stomach and digestive problems
• Trembling, shaking

And many more.

Marilyn graduated from the University of Alberta School of Nursing diploma program in 1986 and the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1999. Additionally, she attended Taylor University College and Seminary where she received an award in the category of theology, philosophy, and ethics.

As a registered nurse, Marilyn worked in multiple surgical services for several years prior to entering the area of mental health nursing. There she worked as a team member with other mental health care professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and so on) who provided assessment services and related counselling to children and their families in a children’s mental health program at a major hospital, The Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. As a part of the program, Marilyn provided observation and documentation for the diagnoses of disorders such as Tourette’s Syndrome, Autism, Aspergers, Munchausen by Proxy, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Childhood Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anorexia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Psychosis. Additionally, Marilyn offered parent teaching and strategy planning to the parents of difficult children.

In 1996, Marilyn established a private coaching practice. Marilyn has experience working with women in abusive relationships; adolescent and adult survivors of childhood abuse and sexual abuse; children and adolescents experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, stress, and sleep problems; troubled children and their parents whose marriages had terminated; adolescents experiencing difficulties transitioning the developmental stage into adulthood; individuals experiencing spiritual challenges; and families, providing information, support, and encouragement for the development of effective parenting skills.

Marilyn Folk has personal experience with anxiety disorder. Beginning at an early age, she experienced abnormal fears, isolation, and the differentness that so many anxious personalities experience. This caused her to distrust people and to view the world as a dangerous place. This fearful approach to life contributed to the development of a generalized anxiety disorder that grew worse as she got older.

For many years, Marilyn experienced a wide range of intermittent and persistent anxiety symptoms including dizziness, a feeling of unreality, gastro-intestinal distress, chronic gastritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, lactose intolerance, an inability to relax, a feeling that the floor was moving, panic attacks, impending doom, hot and cold sweats, nervousness, agitation, depression, insomnia, and many more. In her early forties, her condition grew worse, eventually culminating in a nervous breakdown.

Marilyn then received Christian counselling and was prescribed numerous medications for her symptoms and anxiety including an antidepressant. While the medications helped to reduce the gastro-intestinal symptoms, they weren’t eliminated.

Using a natural approach to recovery, Marilyn began to understand her condition, learned tools and strategies to reverse her condition, and implemented changes in her life. Over the course of her recovery, she successfully came off of her multiple medications and has remained medication-free for over 17 years.

Marilyn and Jim Folk currently live in Calgary, Canada.

Marilyn has 22 years experience working with children and adults as a personal coach.