Meet Nancy McKay

My path to this work wasn’t linear, polished, or pretty — and frankly, that’s the point.

I’ve been in recovery from alcohol use disorder since 2009 and an ovarian cancer survivor since 2015. Along the way, I’ve navigated grief, burnout, identity loss, and the bone-deep exhaustion that comes from being “the strong one” for far too long. Those experiences didn’t break me — but they did dismantle a lot of bullshit, including the belief that healing should be quiet, graceful, or done without making anyone uncomfortable.

Here’s what I know for sure:

You don’t need to be fixed.
You need space to stop holding your shit together.

Over time, my personal recovery became my life’s work.

As a Certified Equus Coach, Certified Wayfinder Life Coach, and SHE RECOVERS® Coach, I’ve supported women navigating the messy intersection of addiction recovery, trauma, grief, illness, and major life transitions. I don’t believe recovery is about fixing what’s broken — because you were never broken. I believe it’s about remembering who you are beneath survival mode, over-functioning, and years of putting yourself last.

That belief is what led me to create The BRAVE Recovery Method™, a trauma-informed, body-based framework designed specifically for women — and the foundation of how I work with clients today. It’s grounded, practical, and real.

No spiritual bypassing.
No toxic positivity.
No pressure to “heal faster” or be more grateful.
And absolutely no pretending everything’s fine when it’s clearly not.

This work is not about becoming someone new.

It’s about reclaiming the woman you buried under responsibility, resilience, and everyone else’s expectations.

Horses are a core part of this work for a reason. They don’t care how insightful you sound, how many books you’ve read, or how convincingly you’ve learned to hold it together. They respond to presence, honesty, and nervous system regulation. In partnership with horses, women experience clarity, trust, and breakthroughs that talk alone often can’t reach — gently, powerfully, and without judgment.

I’m also the author of The BRAVE Recovery Method™ and a contributor to multiple multi-author books, including Phoenix Rising: Powerful Women Who Rose From the Ashes to Claim Their Place and Corporate Dropouts: From Employee to Entrepreneur. Writing, like coaching, is another way I help women feel less alone — and more possible.