This is me!

Hi, I’m Grace McLean. At the time of writing, I’m 46, and while I’m relatively new to the kinesiology world, I’m not new to personal development or helping people find their way. I often joke that I’m in Grace: Season 7 or 8 by now. Each season a new version. A new chapter. A new remembering.

In some ways, my journey began when I was a little girl. I had a makeshift doctor’s room set up in my bedroom. When Mum asked me what my job was, I told her, "I mend hearts." Not broken bones. Broken hearts. Even then, I think I knew what I was here for.

Rewinding the Tape…

When I was 19, I became a Christian. I can only describe the moment as a lightbulb from heaven. I saw a preacher and thought: "that’s what I want to do". It was the first time I felt true purpose. I spent years studying ministry, leading youth groups of 40+ teenagers, and giving my heart to service.

Fast forward to 2001. I was offered the opportunity to be a missionary in Hollywood. My first day on the job was 11 September 2001.

That year changed everything.

It broke me.

With the surreal highs (Sheryl Crow’s birthday, playing tip with Tom Cruise and his kids), there were very dark lows and I came home spiritually, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. During that time, I began psychotherapy and learned about my patterns, my people-pleasing, and the deep belief that love had to be earned. I learned about the roles I was playing in relationships—parent, child, adult. And I started to ask: what do I actually need?

I continued therapy after returning to Australia. It was a slow peeling back the layers. From family dynamics to workplace stress to romantic relationships—I was learning who I was beyond the masks that I had created when I was very young. Beyond the burnout.

Creating Space to Heal

When I came home from the USA, I went from preaching to paperwork, taking a job at KPMG. For the first time, I had a role that didn’t require me to give pieces of myself away. But purpose called again. By 2004, I was working with CanTeen, and that kicked off a 10-year career in the not-for-profit space. I raised millions of dollars, worked across three charities, and gave everything I had to the causes I loved.

But something was still missing.

In 2014, I refinanced my house and stepped out on my own. I founded NFP Connect to help charities and business connect with clarity and purpose. That work evolved into the NFP Planner—a tool that helped me balance being of service without losing myself in the process. It was the culmination of years of coaching, reflection, post-it notes, and trial-and-error. A way to bring together structure and soul. Head and heart.

From Planner to Practice: Kinesiology Found Me

In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, I moved back in with my dad—then 89—thinking it would be temporary. But as the weeks went on, it became clear he needed full-time care. So I stayed.

Looking after him gave me time to pause and reflect: Who was I now? What mattered most?

About a year in, I felt called to study kinesiology. Not to become a practitioner—at least not then—but because everything about it felt like a coming home. A return to something I’d lost. A remembering.

As it turned out, kinesiology wasn’t just something I studied. It became a personal lifeline. A way to support Dad emotionally and energetically. A way to support myself.

I’d spent so long searching for a way back to what I once thought of as "ministry" — a role that helped heal hearts and create belonging. I realised kinesiology was that for me. Not the preaching or the platform, but the quiet space where someone finally feels seen, safe, and supported.

Faith, Healing & Coming Home to Self

My faith today is quieter but deeper. It’s not about religion or rules—it’s about essence. It’s the ground I stand on. For years, I was afraid of giving too much of myself after Hollywood. But kinesiology taught me that healing doesn’t mean losing yourself. It’s about reconnecting. Lightening the load. Making space to feel again.

I believe we are spiritual beings having a human experience. But I also know that’s not everyone’s view. In session, spirituality only enters the room if it’s part of your story. Kinesiology is gentle like that. It meets you where you are.

Where I Am Now

These days, my life is simple. I live in Lennox Head with my fluffy sidekick Teddy, who often sits beside clients during sessions. He has a knack for knowing when someone needs extra love.

My work now is grounded in kinesiology and supported by the same tools I’ve always leaned on—the planner, connection, compassion, and community. I work with people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, burnt out, or a bit lost. People who are holding a lot but don’t know where to begin.

That’s what kinesiology is about for me: helping people return to themselves—one shift at a time.

If that sounds like something you need, you’re welcome to reach out. You don’t have to hold it all alone.

Lots of Blessings Grace McLean - Kinesiologist