I believe in asking and exploring

Health coaches partner with clients who want to heal through self-directed, sustainable change that aligns with their values. We work with clients to understand their unique needs and health goals in order to co-create individualized food and lifestyle plans to meet these needs. We understand that the client is the expert of their own life, which sets the stage for respectful and non-judgmental interactions.

This work includes but is not limited to:

• Nurturing a positive relationship that empowers you to make lasting change for better health and well-being
• Offering support, accountability, collaboration, education, and resources
• Translating a practitioner’s plan of care into a plan of action
• Assisting with dietary changes, food plans, physical activity protocols, stress management, and fostering spiritual and community connection

Functional Medicine is a systems biology-based approach that aims to restore health and promote optimal wellness by looking beyond the treatment of symptoms and instead addressing the underlying cause of disease. The functional medicine model requires a deep understanding of each patient’s genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle factors and leverages that information to direct personalized treatment plans that lead to improved and sustainable health outcomes. This approach fosters collaboration between patients, doctors, and health coaches in order to resolve the complex underlying causes of disease and restore health through diet and lifestyle change.

Yes! You will still want to see your primary care physician at their recommended cadence. With your permission, a health coach can also work closely with your doctor to understand your health plan to help you turn it into a plan of action.

A health coach is not a doctor. We do not diagnose, treat, or prescribe. Instead, we are an added member of your care team who works with you to understand imbalances, and then we support you in restoring wellness. We aim to restore a person’s health as a whole, which means looking at all lifestyle behaviors and not only food. We also take into consideration movement, stress relief, sleep, emotional well-being, relationships, life meaning and purpose, mind-body connection, and spiritual practices.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of strengths that empower individuals and communities to thrive. It is used in health coaching because it is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play which is supportive in achieving sustainable lifestyle changes.

Results depend on several factors, including the specific goal, your commitment and adherence level, and your own bio-individuality. All of our bodies are unique (as well as our minds and spirits) which means we all react differently to change.

Establishing new habits or stopping old ones that are not serving your goals can be difficult and buying one-off sessions can impact your commitment. A package allows:

• you to take stock of your commitment and motivation levels
• us to build a relationship which increases trust and adherence
• you support and accountability for establishing and executing on your goals

• I have a Masters of Education with an emphasis on Language Arts
• I am a certified Functional Medicine Health Coach through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy
• I am a 200-hr certified Yoga instructor through the Awakening Yoga Academy
• I am currently enrolled in the Functional Nutrition Lab with Andrea Nakayama

During the first session we’ll take time to understand the several aspects that make you, you. What to expect:

• I will conduct a thorough health history to understand your past and establish a baseline.
• From there, we’ll explore your current social, emotional, spiritual, physical, and nutritional standing and how you feel about each.
• We’ll then get clear on your intention and level of willingness to make changes.

Each follow up meeting will range from 30-45 minutes.

I am a cis-gendered hetero-white woman. I am doing the work to acknowledge my privilege and support anti-racist, inclusive agendas, and recognize I always have more work to do here. I understand that working with a coach who matches your life experiences can be very helpful, and I would be happy to refer you to a coach who closely matches yours if I'm not the right fit.

I believe Covid-19 is real, and I have been vaccinated. I am also adhering to guidelines informed by the science.

If you are vaccine hesitant, I am happy to answer questions.

I don't believe there is one "diet" to follow. Since our biology is all unique, each of us will need to sort through and understand what works well for our bodies and our current level of health. Some people do well on a vegan diet and some don't. Some people do well eating keto and some don't. My goal as a health coach is to help you figure out what works best for you and find ways to sustainably implement it in your life.

That said, no matter which approach you take I do believe the majority of us can improve our nutrition by consuming:

• More vegetables
• More whole foods
• Less processed foods