MEN WI N HEALTH www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 49 When Carrie Boan began working in pediatric physical therapy in 1998, her original goal was to help kids of all ages improve their strength and flexibility and help them prevent sports injuries. She had no idea that this simple intention would eventually lead her to developing sales strategies for companies, improving the methods and needs of accountants, serving as a role model for female entrepreneurs and athletes and helping people of all backgrounds improve their thinking and communication. Now recognized as an emotional intelligence expert, consultant and speaker for health care organizations and corporations, Boan will tell you that it all starts with brain science. “Everything we think, say and do begins with our brain,” said Boan, founder of Emotional Intel Strategies in Mount Pleasant. “Beginning with the healthiest brain possible by instilling healthy habits and thought patterns enables us to have better control over thoughts, decisions, words and actions – which can set us up for happiness and success instead of misery and burnout.” To this end, she has provided insight, direction and emotional intelligence strategies to people in large companies such as Owens Corning, Westinghouse, Environmental Consulting, Inc. and the South Carolina Healthcare Association. Her services cover a number of areas, including conflict resolution; effective workplace communication; personal and professional mental wellness goals; leadership development; and burnout prevention. She also counsels health care professionals on strategies for effective patient-caregiver communication. Her motivation comes partly because of a loved one who was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. “I became certified through Dr. Daniel Amen's Brain Health Coach program, which provides in-depth knowledge from an integrative approach to brain health – biological, psychological, spiritual and social,” she said. Although Boan coaches individuals on a limited basis, when she is in a large group, she treats everyone as if she were speaking directly to only that one person. And while this approach is not new, it has affected many in Boan’s audience because it comes from an unwanted realization about her own life at home. “In personal relationships with my husband and sons, I realized I had tremendous patience with my patients but none at home,” she said. “I was on the edge of burnout combined with my loved ones’ brain changes. So I began looking for ways to use my experience in pediatric and adult physical therapy to help health care professionals maximize thoughts, words and actions to serve patients and families with more effectiveness and efficiency.” Her work now reaches people of all ages, and she is quick to instruct students and youth who are considering a career in health care. “It’s important, I think, for health care students to begin by soaking in all of the practical knowledge first,” Boan said. “Deal with brain changes as they relate to physical therapy, occupational therapy and neurology – and think outside the box. We all have different brains, and we all have different responses to various treatments and styles. But everything starts with our brain.” By L. C. Leach III Carrie Boan EMOTIONAL INTEL STRATEGIES Mount Pleasant 843-450-4074 thebraindiva.com @thebraindiva We all have different brains, and we all have different responses to various treatments and styles. But everything starts with our brain." " Photo by Jenn Cady.
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