Mental Fitness Coaching Services

Mental fitness, like physical fitness, requires consistency, practice, and guidance. Whether you're a music professor navigating the unique pressures of academia, a student working through mindset blocks and negative self-talk, or anyone seeking greater balance and resilience in life, mental fitness coaching provides the tools, strategies, and support you need to achieve your goals and handle all of the ups and downs along the way.

My Qualifications

Professional Certifications:

  • Professional Life Coach Certification (Certified Life Coach Institute)

  • Fundamentals of Mindfulness Meditation Certification (Jack Kornfield)

  • Professional Certification in College Student Wellbeing, Trauma, & Resilience (Florida State University)

Full Bio

Individual Coaching

  • For college and university music professors seeking balance and resilience

    Format: Virtual or in-person sessions

    Duration: 50-minute sessions

    Focus Areas:

    • Performance anxiety management

    • Work-life balance in academia

    • Mindfulness for creative professionals

    • Navigating departmental challenges

    • Building resilience against burnout

  • For middle school, high school, and college students

    Format: Virtual or in-person sessions

    Duration: 50-minute sessions

    Focus Areas:

    • Academic stress management

    • Performance anxiety (for music students)

    • Healthy practice and study habits

    • Building self-confidence and resilience

    • Mindfulness techniques for focus and concentration

  • For professionals and individuals from all backgrounds

    Format: Virtual or in-person sessions

    Duration: 50-minute sessions

    Focus Areas:

    • Stress reduction and management

    • Mindfulness practice development

    • Work-life balance strategies

    • Resilience building

    • Personal growth and transformation

Mental Fitness Workshops

  • Format: Virtual or in-person

    Duration: 1-1.5 hours

    Audience: Faculty groups, student organizations, corporate teams

    Content:

    • Introduction to mental fitness concepts

    • Exercises exploring topics including goal setting, self-efficacy, communication, and self-reflection

    • Stress reduction strategies for immediate application

    • Q&A session

  • Format: Virtual or in-person

    Duration: 3 hours

    Audience: Studios, Student Groups, and Organizations

    Content:

    • Deep dive into mindfulness practices

    • Interactive authentic relating sessions

    • Customized resilience-building exercises

    • Group discussions and personalized guidance

    • Take-home practice materials

  • Format: In-person

    Duration: 5 hours

    Audience: Studios, Music departments, wellness retreats

    Content:

    • Comprehensive mindfulness training

    • Extended practice sessions

    • Personalized feedback and guidance

    • Group and individual exercises

    • Tailored materials for continued practice

  • Specialized professional development for music professors and instructors

    Format Options:

    One-Hour Virtual or In-Person Workshop

    Format: Virtual/In Person

    Duration: 1 hour

    Audience: Music departments, Music faculty

    Content:

    • Mental fitness exercises and mindfulness techniques

    • Creative energy maintenance strategies

    • Healthy boundary-setting in educational contexts

    • Q&A and personalized recommendations

  • Format: Virtual or in-person

    Duration: 3 hours

    Audience: Faculty

    Content:

    • Deep dive into practices for avoiding burnout

    • Effective communication strategies

    • Customized resilience-building exercises

    • Group discussions and reflections on common goals and strategies

    • In-Depth semester goal setting and planning

  • Comprehensive mental resilience training for workplace environments

    Format Options:

    • In-person 1-1.5 hr workshop

    • Virtual series (4-6 sessions of 1 hour each)

    Content:

    • Mindfulness practices for improved focus and decision-making

    • Stress management techniques for workplace challenges

    • Communication strategies

    • Resilience building

    • Team exercises for cultivating collaborative teamwork

    Benefits for Organizations:

    • Reduced workplace stress and improved employee wellbeing

    • Enhanced team communication and conflict resolution

    • Improved focus, productivity, and creative problem-solving

    • Stronger resilience during periods of change

    • Measurable impact on employee engagement and satisfaction

    Customization: All corporate training programs are tailored to address the specific challenges, culture, and goals of your organization. Pre-training consultations ensure that content directly addresses your team's unique needs.

Professional Development

Book a Consultation Today!

Working with Rusty is like this…

  • "My son has experienced significant benefits from his sessions with Dr. Holmes. Since beginning weekly appointments in January, he has noted that his last semester of school was markedly better than previous ones. Throughout this period, my son has shown noteworthy improvements in several key areas, including: • Time Management: He has developed strategies that enable him to adhere to schedules and meet deadlines more effectively. • Goal Setting: He has learned to establish both short-term and long-term goals, which he actively tracks to measure his progress. • Social Confidence: His interactions with friends and peers have become more positive, and he feels more willing to engage in social activities, enhancing his overall enjoyment of these experiences. • Emotional Regulation: Not only has his anxiety improved, but he has also learned to better manage strong emotions at both home and school. My son has ADHD, and the overarching aim of his work with Dr. Holmes has been to develop skills that bolster academic performance, emotional regulation, and social interactions. This comprehensive approach has helped him minimize the challenges associated with ADHD and improve various aspects of his daily life."

    Angela, Parent of student in weekly Mental Fitness coaching sessions with Dr. Holmes

  • Rusty is a consummate pro! His classes for our students were very engaging and highly impactful. His classes included exercises to practice listening and productive communication skills. We have had several workshops and plan to have him come again to Baylor. I can’t recommend him highly enough.

    Dr. Kristy Morrell, Professor of Horn, Baylor University

  • "Our horn studio absolutely loved having Dr. Holmes work with us in a fabulous mental fitness workshop! Each participant left the class with a focused set of goals and meaningful action steps to follow to improve their mindset, health, musicianship, and overall well being. I highly recommend Dr. Holmes to any and all music educators for a recharge for them and their students. We all need to refocus from time to time as life becomes more stressful, distracted, and exhausting. This class was just what we needed! Thank you, Dr. Holmes!"

    Dr. Matthew Haislip
    Assistant Professor of Horn, Mississippi State University

You are exactly where you are supposed to be to get to where you want to go.