Funmi Fatona-Ayowole is the founder of TheVirtualSoulClinic, a tech-driven non-profit organisation dedicated to providing mental health support for Canadians. As an emotional health and wellness coach, speaker and counsellor, Funmi’s mission is to contribute to healing the world and leave a legacy of impact, health, and wealth for the next generation. Through TheVirtualSoulClinic, she offers free mental health support to individuals, particularly immigrants and young leaders of colour, through diagnostic surveys and support calls with trained coaches. With over 15 years of experience in coaching and counselling, Funmi is committed to helping clients build soul strength, leading to increased mental and emotional independence, clarity and resilience. In this exclusive interview with ESTHER IJEWERE, she shares her story.

Childhood influences: Shaping the path to emotional wellness coaching
Growing up, I think I had some spunk and charisma, so friendships were ‘easy’. However, I was the middle child and, in a lot of ways, didn’t feel like I had a ‘position’. From early on, I was trying not to be too spoiled or too commandeering. Then it appeared that I was the ‘first class kid with the photographic memory’, so I also didn’t want to be intimidating. As a young adult, I moved up the ranks quickly, was an extrovert and great at talking, but I didn’t want to be the blabbermouth. I truly struggled, internally, just to BE.

At 17, I was sexually assaulted and despite the religious and family coverings, it took me over 10 years to overcome the emotional pain and the sting of shame that accompanied the experience.

In 2016, my marital home got completely flooded, throwing us (my husband and one-year-old) back to my old room in my dad’s house. You can only imagine the financial and relationship crisis that ensued. After a couple of months, I was at the edge.

Contemplating suicide and struggling with anxiety, stress, depression and self-hate, the face of my baby was the only vision (at the time) that prevented me from taking my life. A few months later, I found and reached out to a Mom-Coach on the streets of Instagram and she offered me a coaching scholarship that I sucked the absolute juice out of. It was my lifeline. With late-night Zoom calls on the floor of my bathroom, my journal and tissue boxes, I did the rigorous inner work. I came out after six months with an understanding of my identity and a compelling vision for my future.

These and other experiences have shaped my approach to what I call #SoulCoaching – which is my brand of emotional and mental wellness solution that infuses best practices in psychology, coaching and counselling to help people heal and regain their soul strength.

The journey to establishing TheSoulClinic
Well, my experience with Oluseye Ashiru (that superhero coach in 2016) provided the clarity and answers I needed for how and why my life was significant. Through divine inspiration, I penned down the word – TheSoulClinic and the thoughts of a network of relief centres worldwide. I was eager to comfort and strengthen others in the same way I had been comforted.

From there, I signed up for a counselling course which I did part-time while working my nine-to-five to understand the human psychological framework. When my family and I moved to Canada in 2017, I trained and got certified by an ICF-accredited institution as an emotional health and wellness coach, and so the journey began. With individual and group coaching programmes, webinars and social media content, I registered TheSoulClinic as a legal entity and it has all been so fulfilling!

Coaching strategies for mental and emotional independence at TheSoulClinic
My approach is sourced from the understanding that all humans are tripartite – we are spirit beings with a soul, living in a body. The soul is the crucial connection point between the spiritual and physical and is made up of the mind (not the brain), will, emotions, imagination, tinted memory and the heart (not the one pumping blood) that ties it all together. All these components work together, in tandem with our background, upbringing, exposure, past (positive or negative) experiences and current physical, verbal and emotional environments to determine our outlook on life. My #SoulCoaching methodology helps clients excavate useful insights from the past, present challenges and a vision of their future while equipping them with tools for self-awareness, self-regulation and consistent Soul Care to enable them to become stronger and more independent in their inner man.

For me, the work is deeply spiritual and it takes at least six to eight weeks of consistent contemplation, talk therapy, tasks and reframing with the client to get the results that we’d have discussed at the start of the programme.

I do this with both one-on-one clients and carefully curated group cohorts.

Memorable moments in impactful coaching sessions
I distinctly remember a moment when a private client (with tears of joy streaming down her face) identified specific changes to close the gap between her present self and her future self. You see, I have this coaching tool that places you 10 years ahead of your current circumstances in such a way that you can taste, smell, see, hear and feel it all so vividly.

My client, with some guidance, had hit a gusher of revelation and that breakthrough, though coming from three previous weeks of intensely sad sessions, led her to independently make crucial decisions and keep them.

TheSoulClinic’s vision for connecting Canadian therapists and clients
A person’s ethnicity, lived experiences, faith (existence/degree) and socio-economic environment can shape his or her ability to be open to and draw benefits from psychotherapy. These factors are even more so when the therapist shares some or all of that cultural context. Canada’s growing immigrant population is at an all-time high, with more students, working professionals and entrepreneurs needing mental and emotional help as they grapple with the change of environment (from their home country), their challenges and the pace at which they must execute their goals for success.

This expansion was inspired by the fact that I certainly can’t coach or counsel every BIPOC client in Markham (the city where I live), talk less of the Greater Toronto Area and I don’t want to! However, there’s a burgeoning need for this solution in our African communities.

In terms of impact, woah! You’ve heard the phrase: ‘hurting people hurt people’? Let’s flip it. Healing people, heal people. It’s a ripple effect that impacts our relationships, families and the immigrant communities in Canada. We can expect to have more balanced leaders, business owners, employees, vendors, friends and so on.

The mission of TheVirtualSoulClinic
We at TheVirtualSoulClinic recognise the growing prevalence of mental health issues, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s alarming how many individuals are grappling with anxiety and depressive disorders, often without access to adequate mental health support. Our organisation aims to address this crisis by offering a proactive solution. Through our QuickScan tool, individuals can assess their emotional well-being and receive free coaching sessions from our trained mental health support coaches. Since 2021, we have conducted 80 free support coaching sessions, and our efforts continue to make a difference in supporting mental well-being.

Navigating challenges and rewards: Leading TheVirtualSoulClinic as Founder
Establishing and leading TheVirtualSoulClinic has presented both formidable challenges and rewarding opportunities. Navigating the technological complexities of software development, data security and user experience design has demanded specialised expertise and resources. Additionally, ensuring equitable access to mental health resources through technology requires addressing barriers such as digital literacy and internet access, particularly in underserved communities. The ongoing challenge of securing sustainable funding for technology development, operational needs and scalability demands strategic planning and diversified revenue streams.

The rewards of founding and leading TheVirtualSoulClinic offer numerous rewards that extend beyond financial gain. Firstly, there is a profound sense of fulfillment derived from knowing that we are making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals needing mental health support. Witnessing the positive impact of our initiatives and services on the well-being of our clients has been deeply rewarding. Additionally, running TheVirtualSoulClinic provides an opportunity to contribute to destigmatising mental illness and promoting greater awareness and understanding within communities and across the globe.

Reflections on the Canada Vendors Community Impact Award
It was a great honour to receive the award from the Afro-Canadian community but you’ve heard the phrase: The reward for hard work is more work. The recognition helped to put a stamp on the progress made up to 2022 while spurring me and the team on to even more input.

Integrating project management and marketing expertise into coaching and non-profit initiatives
My training and experience over the past 15 years have helped me to see projects through, develop a finishing spirit and never give up on the people who are the heart and soul of the work. I endeavour to maintain a thick skin and a soft heart, with the understanding that healing people heal people, as I said earlier. The team and I work to scope out tasks appropriately, estimate human, time and budget resources required, maintain the right reporting modalities, work through hiccups to mitigate risks and celebrate our small and big wins! I maintain a mindset that both organisations bring profit – whether in cash or kind, delivering tangible results for our clients and audiences.

Inspirational women: Personal and professional influences on her journey
The late Joyce Delores Fatona, my beloved mother, played a pivotal role in shaping my character and identity through her deep care, positive affirmations and global exposure.

Debola Deji-Kurunmi, my coach and mentor, has been an invaluable source of wisdom and support, guiding me through challenges and inspiring personal reinvention since our first encounter in January 2017.

Sarah Jakes-Roberts, with her remarkable resilience and ability to turn her past into a platform for inspiring millions, serves as a beacon of transcendence and legacy-building, showcasing the power of leveraging personal experiences for positive impact.

Being a Woman of Rubies
I am a woman who has been through fire and is coming out as gold. I have taken my pain and used it as the ingredient for my resilient resurgence. I am investing in myself and my team, building organisational systems and structures that will outlive me. A woman of rubies, according to the Amplified Classic version of the Bible, is capable, intelligent and virtuous – not in the conventional pious way we’ve religiously imagined it. Virtue speaks to power within, which translates to capacity, character and competence. I am that woman – both in reality and the making – it’s a progressive elaboration of my destiny. My compelling vision encompasses a people (including me!) who are set free from the bonds of complacency, self-sabotage and fear that’s fueled by trauma and the lens through which past experiences are viewed. I’m here to stimulate the growth of a team of health and wealth champions who catalyse the healing of nations, radically reducing the rates of global rates of suicide, anxiety and depression.