Join me on a journey to wellness.
I am a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) helping women in midlife who are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by life’s demands. I help them regain the energy they need to feel organized and productive, and to feel great in their bodies.
I created my Journey to Wellness programs for women who are absolutely ready and fully committed to learning how to nourish themselves with food, movement, sleep, activities, and relaxation.
This work results in women showing up for themselves in a way that has them feeling peaceful, powerful, and purposeful, maybe for the first time in their lives.
the transformation behind ascend life and health
Lori’s Story
I believe that while we can’t control everything that happens to us, we have more power to influence our health, well-being, and quality of life than we sometimes realize.
I’m a three-time breast cancer survivor who has navigated multiple diagnoses, treatments, significant surgeries, and the physical and emotional challenges that come with them.
Early in my cancer journey, one of my physicians encouraged me to embrace a positive mindset and a holistic approach to my health. Her words stayed with me.
I began thinking more intentionally about how I was nourishing my body, moving, managing stress, nurturing relationships, and caring for myself.
I discovered something important: Even when circumstances were beyond my control, there were meaningful choices I could make every day to support my health and well-being.
Those choices didn’t erase the challenges I faced, but they helped me move forward with greater confidence, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose.
I stopped defining my health by what had happened to me and started focusing on what was possible for me.
National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and Owner of Ascend Health and Life
After this experience, what I now know to be true is:
- We have more influence than we think.
- Challenges can become catalysts for growth.
- Small, consistent, and intentional steps create meaningful change.
- Wellness is personal. It’s about making choices that align with our own vision of wellness.
- We can learn, adapt, challenge ourselves, and discover new possibilities at any age.
Helping You Ascend to Your Peak
One of the greatest privileges of being a health and wellness coach is witnessing the moment someone begins to recognize their own potential.
Sometimes that means developing healthier habits around nutrition, movement, or sleep. Sometimes it’s navigating a life transition, rebuilding confidence, managing stress, or discovering a sense of purpose.
My role is to partner with you as you discover what matters most, identify what’s getting in your way, and take meaningful steps forward.
I believe that wellness is a lifelong journey, not a destination. It’s a journey that should include curiosity, joy, connection, and a willingness to step outside our comfort zones.
Because the goal isn’t simply to live longer. It’s to live better, with intention, vitality, and purpose.
Are you ready to discover what’s possible for you?
Professionalism and Experience
Lori Soper, NBC-HWC
Owner, Ascend Health and Life
National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach | Speaker | Co-Author of Heal to Lead: Wellness Edition, Vol. 2 | Co-Author of The Midlife Advantage | Cancer Survivor | Advocate for Empowered Living
Lori holds the following Health and Life Coach certifications:
National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), Health Coach Institute Master Coach, Master Nutrition and Wellness Coach, Certified Health and Life Coach, and Empowered Well-Being Coach.
Combining her professional credentials with personal experience, Lori works as a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, primarily serving women in midlife and beyond. She specializes in helping women prioritize their health and well-being while navigating the demands and transitions of everyday life. Her approach is personalized, collaborative, and grounded in sustainable behavior change, recognizing that each client’s goals, values, and circumstances are unique. Lori takes a holistic view of wellness, considering the interconnected physical, mental, emotional, social, and lifestyle factors that influence overall well-being.
Lori finds great fulfillment in empowering women to live healthier, more vibrant lives—one client at a time!
Ready to Ascend?
Get inspired
Fill your inbox and feeds with inspiration, health and wellness tips, and get valuable support along your journey to wellness.
Schedule Your Free Discovery Session
The best way to see if we are a good coach/client fit is experiencing a coaching session with me. This virtual 60-minute complimentary Discovery Session is packed with insight tailored to your specific health and wellness journey.
Join the Journey to Wellness Book Club
Join Lori and a group of women interested in leading a healthy life as we read and discuss wellness-related books.
Online courses
Start your self-paced learning journey with these convenient online offerings. A flexible and accessible option you can start today!
Journey to Wellness Success Stories
Feeling Empowered and Aligning My Life With My Values
Before coaching with Lori, I was feeling low energy, irritable, and obsessed with thoughts of food. I was 25 lbs. overweight. I had joint pain and GI distress. Lori and I focused on my mindset and my relationship with food first. I have realized the importance of the quality of the food I am putting in my body. After this mindset shift, I decided to try an elimination diet with Lori to see what foods were making me feel bad and hindering my weight loss. I immediately noticed a difference. My GI system felt SO MUCH BETTER. Eating in this way has reduced the bloating and puffiness after meals, and I have lost 12 lbs. and inches around my waist! And, it feels sustainable! I feel empowered to know that I can consistently make healthy decisions that provide a foundation for my future wellness.
Elizabeth B.
Prioritizing Myself to Better Help Others
Before coaching with Lori, I was so focused on helping others in my family, at work, and in my community that I was not taking care of myself. As a breast cancer survivor, I knew that taking care of my health was important, but I still found myself eating poorly, sleeping poorly and not prioritizing fitness. The results I’ve achieved are a measurable reduction in my blood pressure; much better sleep; I am exercising consistently; and have made shifts in my diet that make me feel better. What I love most about Lori is she makes me feel empowered to pursue what I want in my life.
C. L. B.
Being Comfortable Saying No and Reducing Worry
I felt stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed. I feared disappointing people if I said “no” to them. I felt like my worth was based on being perfect and always being able to do more or to help others.
Lori helped me tune into which activities give me energy and which activities drain energy. She asked me to define my priorities and to use them as an added layer of intentionality when deciding which activities to say “yes” or “no” to. I have really learned from Lori that it is counter-productive to say “yes” to activities I really don’t want to do or that will tighten up my schedule. It just means that I am saying “no” to myself and my family.
Jane L.
Building Self-Confidence and Asking for What I Want
Before coaching with Lori, I felt like I was losing sight of who I was. I was fearful of conflict, believing that I would be rejected if I asked for what I wanted. I wanted to stand up for myself in the world so that I could be truly present, physically and emotionally, for my family.
Working with boundary setting, Lori has really helped me to build self-confidence and to see that I don’t have to bend over backwards to prioritize the needs of others.
The thing I like the most about working with Lori is she has made me realize that I am worthy of having difficult conversations and asking for what I want. Lori has helped me to see that if I set boundaries, my future will be brighter!
– Cynthia B.
Gaining Mental Clarity
I feel like I am back to my old self – a whole different person than when I reached out to Lori for coaching. I was constantly doing for others. Anytime I tried to dial in on my own needs, I felt bad. I felt like I was trapped by my own actions. Treating myself like I used to, with healthy food, exercise and better sleep helped me to shed 20 pounds and made me feel more in control. I have set some healthy boundaries and restructured close relationships by ensuring that we are all honoring ourselves first while still being there for each other. I am confident in taking care of my own needs first.
K. L.
Shifting from a Mindset of Self-Doubt to a Mindset of Empowerment
Before coaching with Lori, I had so much self-doubt. I felt like I could NEVER have the mindset to be a healthy person. Lori helped me anchor into the reasons WHY I want to get healthy. She helped me to see that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I’m making small changes over time to consistently move me in the direction I want to go. This feels like a smart, doable approach so that the changes stick with me for life, not just for a quick fix.
R.S.
These stories are just the beginning. My coaching gets results for you!
Empowered action
My Coaching Paradigms
- All behavior and experience has a positive intention.
- In order to create change in your life, you must first be able to take personal responsibility for your choices and actions.
- There is no such thing as failure – only feedback.
- Everyone is winning the game they are playing.
- In order to grow, you have to let go of the thing you are attached to that’s stopping you.
- The meaning someone makes about what happened to them is more meaningful than the content of what happened to them.
- The future is a bunch of right nows piled on top of each other.
- Growth happens outside of your comfort zone.
- Transformation is a continual process of letting go.
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Start your journey to wellness.