So often, while I am coaching ice skating, I help people confront fear. One of the first things I address is falling. I talk about how to direct a fall and how to get back up. After that, I help the skaters slide down to the ice and get back up. This deals with multiple issues: embarrassment, fear, and doubt. We have named the struggle, taken control, and then shown ourselves that we are capable of recovery. The next thing I handle is movement. Some students step on the

Why can't it be both? While coaching in the Learn to Skate program at my ice rink, I encounter all sorts of people. In this particular class, there were quite a few children making it quite chaotic. At some point one of the little girls was crying. As an empath, I reach to hurt so I did my best to make her feel safe and heard. When she got comfort from her parents she returned to the ice and kept coming over to me and giving me hugs. I found this in sharp contrast to an