About Me
My “Why”
Our stories matter. They are the lens through which we view our lives, and how we make meaning and purpose of the events and experiences of our lives. This is my story and the reason why I am doing this work.
I switched careers late in life. The first reason was to follow my passion. The second is because my family was and still is one of my top priorities. When my children were very young, I gladly left a promising career in banking to stay home and raise them. We made sacrifices to do this and it was so worth it. When I returned to the job market ten years later, I took positions that allowed me to be flexible as a mother of four young boys. While the jobs were flexible, they weren’t always fulfilling. So, when my youngest child was old enough, I went back to school to study a subject I had been fascinated with for most of my adult life – and that is the subject of health and wellbeing. In particular, I was very curious about how people heal. I was fortunate to live near a highly regarded integrative health university that offered a graduate program in Health & Wellness coaching. So I applied, was accepted, and enrolled.
I became interested in alternative healing
modalities when my mother became ill in her early forties. I was in my early twenties at the time. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia – an illness from which she never recovered despite seeing many doctors and trying many different combinations of medications. The medications occasionally eased some of her worst symptoms, but only temporarily, and often with horrible side effects, and never offered a cure. Her diagnosis and illness were devastating for her and our family. It impacted me greatly and left me asking some big questions about the hows and whys of health and healing. It left me upset about how people who are experiencing mental health crises are treated in our healthcare system. I witnessed some pretty horrific events. It left me wanting to take action. My search continued throughout her illness, I read, researched, and tried many different modalities looking for anything that might help her or to help me understand more about the healing process.
I studied, trained in, and experienced
Reiki, Shiatsu, Sound Immersion, and Biofield Tuning to name a few. I found all of them beneficial in one way or another, often gaining relief as well as valuable insights about myself and the healing process but they also didn’t offer a quick fix or a guarantee of healing. This exploration has been part of my own healing and spiritual journey. When I was in my mid-forties, I faced a health challenge which included a diagnosis of SIBO and IBS. Not surprisingly, I had also been chronically stressed and anxious for most of my adult life – a behavioral pattern observed and learned from my mother. After utilizing several different interventions, including nutritional protocols, mindfulness, meditation, and the HeartMath coherence practices, I was able to heal this ailment over a three-year period. More importantly, I was beginning to feel a sense of peace in my life. The mindfulness, meditation, and coherence practices made a huge difference in how I showed up in the world. Along with a lot of self-reflection, these practices helped me become significantly calmer, more at ease, and more self-aware – crucial ingredients for my healing process. My healing required a shift in my behaviors, my attitudes, my beliefs, and my emotional states. In my experience and from what I’ve observed in my clients, healing can be hard work. It takes dedication, commitment, and a willingness to change. In my observation, there is no quick fix. And sometimes even if all those ingredients are present, healing isn’t guaranteed. Then it becomes about living your best life given your circumstances.
“Health does not always come from medicine. Sometimes it comes from peace of mind, peace in the heart, peace in the soul. It comes from laughter and love.”
Author Unknown
While my journey is ongoing,
I’ve learned some important lessons along the way. Self-awareness, self-care, self-compassion, self-forgiveness, and self-love are essential for the healing process based on my experience. Healthy boundaries are necessary to allow you to authentically express yourself. Suppression of the Self can lead to a state of dis-ease. One size doesn’t fit all – what works for some might not work for others. Trust yourself, your experiences, and YOUR inner guidance – you know what you need better than anyone else. I believe our illnesses and challenges in life are gateways, opportunities to become our best, most illuminated selves. (Diamonds only form under significant pressure.) Healing can be a challenging process - and it is worth the effort. You are worth the effort. It can be helpful to have an ally in your corner during this process. Working with others to overcome their health and wellness challenges is one of my greatest joys. When we come together in partnership for a common cause, we create something greater than ourselves, greater than what we can accomplish individually that opens the door to possibilities. I would be honored to accompany you on your journey.
Master of Arts (2018), MD University of Integrative Health Health and Wellness Coaching/Nutrition Concentration
Bachelor of Science, Mt. St Mary’s University, Business & Finance & Economics
Certifications:
HeartMath Certification: Trainer (2022), Coach/Mentor (2018)
National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (2021)
Certified Biofield Tuning Practitioner (2022)
Power of 8 Intention Master Class (Feb. 2021-2022)
Functional Medicine Coaching (2019)
Credentials
Mission & Philosophy
Our states of being matter. Not only do they have a profound effect on us in body, mind, and spirit, but they also affect others around us. The peace and healing we are seeking in the world have to first come from within.
My mission is to spread peace, harmony, and well-being by first being in this state myself and then by working with others who wish to develop this healing state in themselves.
“If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nations. When there is order in the nations, there will be peace in the world” Confucius