Founder – whose Northamptonshire business was born from resilience and turning pain into purpose – celebrates ‘incredible’ year
A founder, whose business was born from lived experience, resilience and turning pain into purpose, is celebrating an “incredible journey” so far in 2026.
Ria Farmer, the founder of Rainbow Ri Holistic Health Coach at The Old Vicarage in Flore, was made redundant after 23 years with the same employer and has navigated significant health challenges for most of her life – including severe endometriosis.
After multiple operations, Ria lost her uterus at 32 years old, her ovaries at 36 and subsequently a rare ovarian cancer was discovered. The treatment was the removal of the ovaries, which had thankfully already taken place.
However, this meant she could no longer take HRT as planned and was left to navigate surgical menopause naturally without medical guidance or aftercare, only seeing the cancer consultant for reviews.
Ria experienced debilitating fatigue, anxiety, panic attacks, brain fog, insomnia, joint pain, emotional volatility, and a complete loss of identity.
Despite this, the last time she spoke to the Chronicle & Echo, Ria said she is a strong believer that she needed to walk that path first so she could later support and guide others.
Over the last four years, Ria stripped back her diet, removed anything hormone-related and lost a lot of weight in the process, which has made her feel so much better. She also invested in talking therapy and has utilised the Japanese technique Reiki.
As she grew stronger, she felt called to help others and is now qualified as a Reiki Master, life and spiritual coach, CBT counsellor and menopause champion.
Rainbow Ri Holistic Health Coach grew quietly alongside her employed role and she took the leap of faith to step fully into this following redundancy.
Summarising her work, Ria said: “I support people through healing and personal transformation. I am open to everyone, although I mainly specialise in supporting women navigating menopause, trauma, illness, burnout and major life transitions – holding space in the way I once needed myself.”
‘These recognitions have been incredibly humbling’
Ria told this newspaper that this year has been an “incredible journey” so far and she is proud to have received further recognition for a second consecutive year at the Quality Business Awards.
Rainbow Ri Holistic Health Coach was once again named the ‘best rated alternative medicine provider in Northampton’ and won a new award for ‘best life coach in Northampton’.
Ria was also named the ‘holistic health coach of the year’ for central England at the Prestige Awards and the founder said: “These recognitions have been incredibly humbling and reinforce that the work I'm doing is making a genuine difference in people’s lives.”
The business owner has become one of just 13 women selected to be part of a Menopause Support Directory, helping women access trusted support. This is especially meaningful to Ria as she has seen first-hand how many women feel lost, unheard and unsupported during this stage of their lives.
“Being able to walk alongside those who choose to work with me is an honour,” said Ria. “Helping them regain confidence, better understand their bodies, and feel like themselves again has been one of the most rewarding parts of my work.
“Over the past few months, I've had the privilege of supporting many women through their own personal journeys, witnessing some truly powerful breakthroughs. I've seen women rediscover their confidence, find clarity after feeling stuck, set healthy boundaries, overcome self-doubt and begin believing in themselves again.”
One thing Ria has become increasingly aware of through her work is that people are searching for more than just a service.
“They’re searching for community, belonging and purpose,” she said. “We’re beginning to move away from isolation and back towards connection, and life coaching is becoming such an important part of helping people navigate life’s challenges.
“It's not simply about talking through the past or acknowledging trauma – it's about creating a safe space to be heard, understood and supported while giving people the tools, confidence and perspective to make healthier choices and move forward.”