Background
To make meaningful and lasting changes to nutritional health, I believe we should use "a feather, not a hammer". Today, that is the cornerstone of how I approach nutriitonal counseling. Too often, we all want a quick fix. A snap of the fingers and weight is normal, eating habits are perfect. But that is not reality. Changing eating styles takes time and thoughtful consideration.
And, the REALITY IS WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT. There is no cookie cutter plan that will give YOU the results you want. I spent the majority of my career in cancer care. Persons with cancer don't just have cancer; they have other diseases as well and none of them all need the same approach. Each client has a unique history in their relationship with food, the stress in their lives, the way they feel about their body, and more.
I perceive nutritional counseling as a practice of patience--in myself as a client grows, and as a gift to this client who is developing the patience to make important changes to food choices and beliefs.
As cancer survivor myself, I became keenly aware of the highly personal experience they were embarking on and I spent more time listening, not adding my two-cents so quickly. I found it worked and I changed my whole approach to cancer care--head and neck, colon, lung, prostate, gastrointestinal--you name it, I had reworked my style. I am proud of this and now I seek to do the same in a private practice.
My ideal client is one who desires long-lasting changes to her relationship with food and has an open mind to how food is medicine, yes, but food is also comfort, celebration, culture, and family. I am especially interested in helping a client gain insight into their personal relationship with food because this is the key to losing weight, eating more healthfully, and embracing life.
I am a survivor, a certified specialist in oncology nutrition for 18 years, a lifelong learner of all things nutrition, an author/writer, and most of all, I have a passion for people and health.
Availability
Approach
My approach is to use a lighter touch to guide clients to healthier food choices and eating styles. Through motivational interviewing and decisional balancing, I incorporate a collaborative conversation and questions to help you get where you are going with a "feather, not a hammer". I particularly enjoy watching clients get an "ah-ha" moment when something about what they have tried clicks.
Specialties
Modalities
Insurance accepted
Aetna, Golden Rule, Optum, Oxford, Select Health, United Healthcare, United Medical Resources (UMR)
Seeing clients in
AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, HI, ID, IN, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
