{"id":32504,"date":"2025-10-29T18:16:04","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T18:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifestylemedicine.org\/?p=32504"},"modified":"2025-10-31T01:56:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T01:56:23","slug":"fostering-growth-through-connection-a-mentor-match-success-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifestylemedicine.org\/fostering-growth-through-connection-a-mentor-match-success-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Fostering growth through connection: a mentor match success story\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Fostering growth through connection: a mentor match success story<\/strong>  <\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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ACLM\u2019s mentorship program <\/strong>connects experienced lifestyle medicine clinicians with those interested in learning how to integrate the growing medical specialty into their practice. A mentor and mentee shared how mentorship has impacted their mindsets and careers.  <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

By Brittany Shroyer<\/strong> | ACLM Member Engagement Manager<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 30, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the growing field of lifestyle medicine, professional growth often flourishes through the guidance and support of others. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine\u2019s (ACLM) Mentor Match Program<\/a> pairs experienced lifestyle medicine clinicians with ACLM members who are eager to expand their knowledge, skills, and impact, while also bridging disciplines and continents along the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example of a dynamic mentorship is the relationship between mentor Simon Matthews, FACLM, DipIBLM<\/strong>, and mentee Rasarie Saubhagya Wimalana, MBBS, MSc, DipIBLM<\/strong>. Their story is not only about skill-building and professional development, but also the transformative power of trust, encouragement, and shared purpose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encouragement and a new direction <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wimalana\u2019s path to mentorship started during a challenging time in her life. In 2022, she was a burned-out intensive care doctor in Sri Lanka when she discovered lifestyle medicine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter spending hours searching for alternative career paths for doctors, I randomly Googled \u2018lifestyle\u2019 and \u2018medicine\u2019\u2014and a whole new world opened up,\u201d Wimalana recalled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also discovered the Sri Lankan Society of Lifestyle Medicine (SLSLM) and decided to immerse herself in lifestyle medicine education, earning certification<\/a> by the end of the year and pivoting her career to promote the growing field in her own country.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But by 2025, doubts crept in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had tried many approaches, with more failures than successes,\u201d Wimalana said. \u201cI felt scattered, without focus\u2026I feared my growing doubts would lead me to give up. I needed immediate encouragement, clarity, and direction.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is when she decided to enroll in the Mentor Match program. When she searched for available mentors, she spotted Matthews\u2019 name. She had seen him on a webinar hosted by the SLSLM in late 2024 and knew instantly that he would make a powerful mentor.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving back to lifestyle medicine  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Matthews became an ACLM Fellow<\/a> in 2023, he viewed the honor as a call to action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile on one hand it recognizes and honors the contributions I have made, it also requires that I give back to both ACLM and, more broadly, the field of lifestyle medicine,\u201d said Matthews, who lives in Madrid, Spain.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With his combined experience in psychology, health coaching, hypnotherapy, and lifestyle medicine, Matthews volunteered for the Mentor Match program because of its unique ability to connect professionals across disciplines\u2014allowing for broader perspectives and fresh thinking.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming from different disciplines means that Matthews\u2019 and Wimalana\u2019s conversations naturally cross boundaries and spark creative problem-solving for both. Their discussions on topics like behavior change, health equity, and patient education often leave Matthews reflecting on new ways to approach his own work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnytime someone asks for an explanation or perspective, I have to engage deeply with what I think, feel, and believe about it,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cIf you\u2019re doing it right, everybody\u2019s growing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From their first Zoom meeting in March 2025, Matthews provided what Wimalana described as \u201cconsiderable relief.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe truly listens\u2014not just to give advice or fix, but to understand,\u201d she says. \u201cHe creates a space where I feel supported while also pleasantly challenged, rather than lectured or judged.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Progress and a new mindset <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since joining the mentorship program, Wimalana\u2019s professional development has taken significant strides. Matthews serves on the teaching faculty for the Wellcoaches School of Coaching and mentioned to Wimalana that the organization offers annual scholarships to students who live in disadvantaged and underserved communities to become a certified health and wellness coach.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeks later, she sent him an ecstatic message letting him know that she was awarded one of the scholarships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was completely thrilled for her, and this confirmed for me one of the values of mentoring,\u201d he said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under Simon\u2019s mentorship, Wimalana has: <\/p>\n\n\n\n