Rising Stars: Meet Lana Love Ruggeri

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lana Love Ruggeri.  

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi again, my name is Lana. 

I am psychologist, coach-hypnotist with seventeen years plus of experience as a teacher, counselor, hypnotist, and a work force professional. While I volunteered in battered women’s and homeless shelters, I became passionate about the idea of helping women going through divorce, break up, or relationship heartache and its consequences: weight gain, eating disorders, and emotional eating as coping mechanism. Although it is not an exclusive niche, I primarily work with clients on post-break-up recovery, toxic eating patterns, anxiety, panic attacks, as well as self-confidence. Today, while I live and work between Cleveland, Ohio, and Miami, Florida, I have the pleasure of coaching amazing women from all over the world utilizing modern-day technology. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The primary challenge was a major occupational change at the height of my career. In a way, we are conditioned in the society to succeed in a certain field and as a result to monetize our success. And while I worked in a lucrative field, sense of higher purpose was missing. It was a high-paying job, and its reward was financial in nature. It took me nearly 5 years to understand what was going on and be brave enough to make a change. 

It has not been an easy path. I started my business in Miami, Florida, and later moved back home to Lakewood, Ohio. As all new business owners, from change in earnings to learning about new market and acquiring clients, working through self-doubts, self-sabotage, and staying the course has not been easy. 

I suppose the biggest validation of my choice was seeing success cases from all over the world. I saw positive changes in the lives of people I worked with, and it kept me going. 

I remember a friend told me once: “I do not understand what you see in me.” What I did not understand how is that he did not see what I saw? His perspective stuck with me for years till I understood that it was my purpose. I can motivate and inspire people to do things they have always wanted but could not for some reason. 

It had always been my gift: I am able to see the best in people. Their talents. Not labels. Not failures. Not their deconstructive choices. I see a great potential in every person I encounter, and as I have a gift of empowerment, a true ability to guide one in the direction that benefits person the most. 

Over time, being multi-cultural and tri-lingual, my combined experience, education, and perspective helped me to create a power motivation platform for my clients to achieve their confidence, self-esteem, weight concern, relationship, and lifestyle goals. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to help my clients to restore their lives, revive their dreams, heal, and grow. 

It is still a journey and work in progress, but I love it. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
In the course of last 20 years plus, I have studied social, relationship, abnormal, as well as cognitive-behavioral psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics, while dealing with personal issues and undergoing personal transformation. I was always a big proponent of science and firmly believed that what today seems impossible because inevitable in 50, 70, 120 years. I am also a firm believer that we, as humans, have great capacity to transform ourselves using our inner potential if we put the work into it. Unfortunately, “work part” has been the biggest obstacle of all. 

In course of many years, I came to realize how combination of conscious choices, directed by subconscious and unconscious mechanisms shaped our life. So, my hypothesis was quite simple – if we can be programmed by our experiences, why cannot we reprogram ourselves to override or correct/update perceptions and patterns we did not like? Working closely with individuals ages 3 years old to 60 years plus in public and/or correctional settings (maximum security prisons), I tested and ultimately set aside practices and tools that I found to be the most effective, not really thinking that it would turn into a full-time dream career. 

To get to that point, I spent 7 years trying to see how those skills can be applied. As I worked in different fields, lots of women from variety of backgrounds sought out help. And I came to realize that every time when they came with an initial concern, it turned into trifecta of issues: confidence/self-esteem – – – relationship/love life – – – eating patterns. 

So, my goal was to create a program, so that my clients do not keep coming back over and over again for weight loss, or confidence building and/or visit me indefinitely. To accomplish that, I added hypnosis, because it is one of the best tools to stimulate our brains to release neurotransmitters which function to improve mood and put our body at ease. 

Why is it important? 

Well, it is a well-known fact that to make any long-term, permanent changes is a tough undertaking. We are motivated by negative emotions and trapped by thinking fallacies. We do not have all tools we need, and we try to change quickly. We underestimate the process, and the fact that relapses/setbacks are a given does not cross our mind. And we do not like a commitment and hard work. 

As a result, we pick 1 symptom and engineer a short-term change (weight loss, smoking-cessation, new relationship), and as a result, we are back where we were in a few months or years. 

I always wanted to equip my clients with tools and unveil enough deep-seated issues so that they can not only commit to transformation but actually look forward to it. 

Think of it this way: if you were to enjoy instead of dislike a concept of intense, committed gym workout or training for marathon; or if you could replace food as a source of dopamine by utilizing your own mind to get the same effect, would you be more likely to commit to making a change? 

In my book, it is a no-brainer. 

Hence one of my most important tools incorporated into my practice that sets me apart is the use of hypnosis as a way to make transformation process more manageable and more welcoming so that we would stick to it no matter time and setbacks. 

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I learned in my field, as well as while teaching, is that my skills set and expertise is not enough. I had to learn to adapt and modify my skill set, unlike in special vs general education, so that client understands as to why we do what we do, how it works, and why it makes difference. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.coachlanalove.com
• Instagram: @lanaloveruggeri
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hypnosis.with.lana?mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnf4JiuWTAQ_fgOFIn1jVHA
• Other: https://linktr.ee/coachlanalove?fbclid=PAAaaf9jmsLRSDk_fCEsiDQhghWOwJFLE4-8L5DWPmMhVtRGbB55oWGUz6v4o

Image Credits
Danielle Dawn Photography