Meet Eva Souchet

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eva Souchet a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Eva , so great to have you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our readers and so let’s jump right into one of our favorite topics – empathy. We think a lack of empathy is at the heart of so many issues the world is struggling with and so our hope is to contribute to an environment that fosters the development of empathy. Along those lines, we’d love to hear your thoughts around where your empathy comes from?

I read a post that said empaths and narcissists are often shaped by the same trauma. Furthermore, an empath may feel the need to be important by helping others. This is not true empathy but rather a sign that the person needs healing themselves. On the other hand, there are individuals who become more sympathetic after experiencing hardship or trials. They become less judgmental and more considerate, which makes them empathetic. For me, I know early on that it was a gift, I just needed to learn how to establish healthy boundaries.
Empathy is one of the nine “motivational” or “spiritual” gifts described in Romans 12:6-8, typically referred to as the gift of compassion or mercy. There are different ways people express this gift; for me, it’s the ability to feel the emotional pain of an individual, even if they are not outwardly expressing their emotions.
Even gifts need to be perfected through training. Having worked in various social service fields, I learned the art of listening and asking the right questions. It’s easy to get off topic or express personal opinions, but a good coach allows individuals to discover the truth for themselves. They also know when the hard discussions need to happen. In 2021, I became a certified coach and have continued to develop my skills. Recently, I’ve also begun learning about healing stones and meditation techniques to assist during heart-healing guidance.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My business motto is love 2 lyfe (purposely spelled with a y) and my vision come from the verse, **“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”** This can take the form of a coaching session or a spiritual/emotional restoration session. The latter is achieved through active meditation and guidance.

I understand that those who have been wounded by the church or its members may feel apprehensive about seeking guidance from a minister. I would like to apologize for any harm caused by religious individuals. I believe that building a relationship is essential before I (or anyone) can earn credibility. While much of my advice is grounded in biblical principles, these concepts are also found in personal development approaches used in corporate or holistic settings.
The ultimate goal is **reconciliation**—with yourself, your past, those who have wronged you, or anything that has left you weary or broken-hearted. Sometimes, we keep ourselves so busy to avoid silence, but it’s in that silence that we find opportunities to heal and release grudges or animosity. Often, we don’t realize that when we say things like, “whatever,” “I don’t care,” “it doesn’t matter,” or “I’m over it,” the emotions may linger, and we have not truly healed. Even with healthy boundaries, unresolved emotional wounds can leave us burdened, asking, “Why does this keep happening?” or “Why is there always some kind of conflict?”
These are the issues we address to begin setting our minds and hearts on the path wholeness and wellness. I have essential oil blends and well as nutrition tips to jump start the mind as well as heal the body. It doesn’t make sense to work on your mind if your are polluting your body with toxins. It’s sad that we, in the US have moved away from natural clean food and gone to depend on medication. Those are things that we discuss in developing a plan to healing/ restoration and reconciliation. Most people I work with want to get off medications, but there is no shame if that’s not the case.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I like to think outside the box, not one person is the same and so there cannot be a cookie cutter approach. Therefore, I enjoy learning what motivates and inspires a person. Sometimes, they are not aware that that truly is their dreams or aspirations and so cutting through the surface may take some time. There’s no timeline for healing and I offer support as needed or wanted. Sometimes you just need the time to allow the new information to sink in so I like to be flexible. Being flexible is another quality and skill which means being available and communicating. I never want anyone to feel like they are a nuisance or to feel bad for having to have things repeated to them, because we all need gentle reminders when starting to deal with our emotions. So my understanding comes from personal experiences and learning what/who worked for me. As a true Empath (someone who holds the gift of mercy and compassion), I can usually tell the heart cry and want to emphasize that there is no shame or judgment.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Collaborations are so important for a person to heal physically and mentally. Sometimes an individual needs more than what I can offer and specialize. Because of the need for a holistic approach, someone may need a personal trainer or a consultant for their business/job to keep focus while they heal. While I would like to host retreats in the future, I recognize the importance of attending one or three a year of different kinds. Something I did not share before is that I am learning to use crystals, as the priest wore them on their chest. But a certain group made us fear this and astronomy (not astrology). The wise men were not Jew and yet they used the stars to know the birth of the messiah. The tribe of Issachar used them to understand the times and seasons of the lunar calendar. These are all interconnected so that we all can heal and ultimately fulfill our purpose. I would not want to let a client out to learn for themselves if there is a network of persons who will work with me.
With that said, Herbalists, gardeners (I can explain later), nutritionists, holistic guides, therapists (of and kind), personal trainers, business/branding consultants are all welcomed to connect with me.