Mental Health Interest

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When I first opened my private practice in 2017, I did so with the intention of it being a virtual private practice to support nutrition for mental health. Since then, I've expanded my niche as I saw need for other areas I feel passionate about, but initially, I was drawn to supporting those struggling with depression, anxiety, and bipolar. Nutritional psychology is the study of the impact of nutrients on the brain and our mental health, behavioral health and the food relationship, and how our eating impacts aspects like mood, memory, attention, and learning. The data is beginning to be robust in that we can affect change and relieve symptoms significantly through our health behaviors.

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I've struggled with anxiety and depression in the past- my family history also includes bipolar disorder and ADHD. I have found that my self-care has drastically changed my anxiety symptoms, and I no longer feel depression the way that I did when I was young. I would have days of despair (for no reason!) starting in elementary school, and I remember the cloud of sadness that just wouldn't disintegrate. Self-care is also something that is very difficult when we are feeling dysregulated. I love supporting clients in finding manageable ways to create space for honoring themselves. 

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Plant-based Interest

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I have been eating a primarily plant-based diet for 16(ish) years and feel amazing. I follow a plant-based intuitive style of eating which means I honor my cravings for animal foods when they arise- but they are honestly few and far between due to the robust and delicious nature of plant-based eating! Admittedly, at times I crave hot dogs at football games and will totally enjoy guilt-free, but ultimately it is not aligned with my strong values of environmental justice and animal rights. I've worked hard to explore plant-based food choices that both feel good in my body and are super satisfying.

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I've also noticed that eating this way has staved off health concerns. As you'll read below, my PCOS symptoms have disappeared as compared to my early 20s. I feel energetic and pain free even as my 40th birthday approaches. I value this energy SO much as chasing 3 little ones requires a lot of it!  

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Women's Health Interest

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I also have a very special interest in women's health. I was diagnosed with PCOS, suffered irregular and missing periods, and was once told I would need fertility medication if I ever wanted to have children. Starting from the onset of puberty until my mid-20s, I also experienced severe acne, a sign of elevated androgens. 

 

In my journey, I was never provided with any information about how lifestyle and nutrition as well as stress management could benefit my hormone imbalance or androgen excess. I was only offered birth control, which can have deleterious side effects (weight gain, increased blood clot risk, hair loss, anxiety and depression due to no progesterone production).

 

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Once I began studying nutrition and changing my self-care habits, I was able to see a remission in my acne and a normalization of my periods. I am now expecting my third child in early 2023 with no fertility treatments, and I no longer consider myself to be struggling with PCOS. I did, however, experience early pregnancy loss before my 3rd pregnancy- something that is never a women's fault. I understand the pain associated with this trauma. I love providing supportive, warm, evidence-based nutrition care to help optimize fertility, manage gestational diabetes, and for the pre, peri- and post-natal period. 

 

I provide women with the education and guidance that is severely lacking in our Western, pharmaceutical-based healthcare system- the guidance I wish I had been given. We really can affect significant positive change through our food relationship, lifestyle, stress management and eating habits. 

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Food Relationship and Disordered Eating Interest

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My interest in the food relationship and Intuitive Eating grew from my early career work with chronic diseases. I am also a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and I really appreciate the connection between hormonal and overall health and our metabolic function. Initially, I counseled the way that I was taught in my training- eat this, not that. Obviously, it wasn't very helpful for my clients! I truly struggled with how best to support them. I also noticed the damage that dieting can have on our food relationship and life in general- fatigue, irritability, increased risk of eating disorders and disordered eating... so I decided to stop thinking in the weight loss-oriented, BMI-centric paradigm. 

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I began learning about Intuitive Eating, Health at Every Size, mindful eating, and I studied psychological therapeutic modalities such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) so that I could better guide my clients toward wellness-centered behavioral change and a greater quality of life. I also worked to learn about and become skilled in treating eating disorders and disordered eating (ED/DE) (which can also greatly impact our hormone levels!). I can treat and manage all adult ED/DE- from restriction to binge or night eating syndrome. In my work, I like to connect the food relationship with the physical symptoms that my clients are experiencing in a truly holistic approach.

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My non-diet, self-compassionate-focused nutrition therapy is grounded in the belief that health cannot be so simply quantified. Our weight, our labs, our pants' size- they are only small pieces of a large puzzle- albeit they can be very informative, we must look at our thoughts, concerns, goals, and emotions as well. The impact of stress is so powerful, for example! 

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I love helping my clients discover all those the other pieces- and get to a place of food and body joy while focusing on health-related goals in a gentle and effective way. I'd love to chat with you about it!