My path to health coaching began through my own health challenges. After navigating Hashimoto’s, breast cancer, and years of searching for answers, I discovered how powerful it can be to feel heard and supported. That experience led me to IIN’s Health Coach Training Program and Coaching Intensive Practicum, where I gained the knowledge, skills, and confidence to turn my passion into meaningful work.
Today, I help women navigating midlife, autoimmune conditions, and chronic health concerns cut through the noise, reconnect with their bodies, and create realistic changes that last. Through my private practice and work in clinical healthcare settings, I’ve learned that transformation often begins with something simple: having a clear place to start and knowing you don’t have to figure it all out alone.
WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACHING?
A: I was looking to pivot into the health and wellness space and was researching master’s programs to become a dietitian or nutritionist, but that didn’t feel like quite the right path at the time. That’s when I discovered health coaching, and I was immediately intrigued. I was also navigating some of my own health challenges, so I felt that if nothing else, it would support me personally as I explored this path.
Through training with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I quickly fell in love with the content, the connections I was making, the ripple effect I saw it having on those around me, and the overall alignment I felt. It became a natural and meaningful direction for me, one that continues to evolve as I grow in this work.
WAS THERE A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT LED YOU TO FOCUS ON WOMEN’S HEALTH AND AUTOIMMUNE SUPPORT?
A: Yes. I think many of us are drawn to this work through our own personal health experiences. I’ve navigated Hashimoto’s since I was 13, and in 2017 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Then, in 2022, I reached a point where my symptoms were significantly impacting my quality of life and my relationships. I saw multiple doctors but wasn’t finding clear answers or relief, so I eventually turned to a naturopathic approach. That’s when things began to shift for me.
That experience really opened my eyes because I knew I couldn’t be the only one going through something like that… feeling unwell, searching for answers, and not always feeling heard or supported. It deepened my desire to focus on women’s health and autoimmune support.
FOR SOMEONE NEW TO HEALTH COACHING, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ROLE IT CAN PLAY IN SOMEONE’S LIFE?
A: Health coaching is a supportive partnership that helps people turn awareness into action. Many individuals already know a lot about health but struggle with where to start, what's right for them, and how to stay consistent.
Coaches also help bridge the gap between information, such as a medical diagnosis, and how to live with it in real life. Coaching provides structure, accountability, and space to explore what feels realistic and sustainable for that person's life. It's not about quick fixes but about creating lasting shifts in daily habits and overall well-being.
I've seen firsthand that transformation often starts with something much simpler than people expect: feeling supported, understood, and not having to figure everything out alone.
WHAT MAKES THIS APPROACH ESPECIALLY POWERFUL FOR WOMEN NAVIGATING MIDLIFE TRANSITIONS?
A: Midlife often brings a lot of change all at once. Women may be navigating shifting hormones, new health concerns, changing family dynamics, career transitions, caregiving responsibilities, or simply realizing that what worked for them in their 20s and 30s is no longer working.
What makes health coaching especially powerful during this stage is that it helps women cut through the noise. Many are receiving conflicting information, feeling pressure to do everything perfectly, or trying to navigate changes in their bodies with no direction.
Coaching creates space to slow down, focus on what matters most, and build habits that are realistic for their current season of life. Rather than forcing themselves into a one-size-fits-all approach, women can learn to better understand what their bodies need, gain more self-compassion, advocate for themselves, and make sustainable changes that support their overall well-being.
For many women, it's also an opportunity to reconnect with themselves after years of putting everyone else first.
TELL US ABOUT GRACE WELLNESS INTEGRATIVE HEALTH COACHING AND THE WOMEN YOU SERVE.
A: Grace Wellness Integrative Health Coaching primarily supports women navigating chronic illnesses and autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s and celiac disease. However, many of the foundational wellness pillars we focus on can benefit anyone. While some women do have other specific goals, a common experience is feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to start when it comes to making sustainable lifestyle changes.
Together, we focus on areas such as stress and nervous system regulation, sleep, nutrition, movement, relationships, and daily habits in a way that feels supportive and realistic rather than overwhelming. I help clients cut through the noise, focus on what matters most for their unique needs, and create changes they can maintain.
We also explore the mindset patterns that can either support or hinder lasting change, because health is about more than habits alone.
A big part of my work is also encouraging self-advocacy within healthcare. Many women know something feels "off" long before they receive answers, and I believe it's important for them to feel informed, supported, and empowered in their own health journey.
WHAT ARE YOUR CLIENTS TYPICALLY EXPERIENCING WHEN THEY FIRST COME TO YOU?
A: Many women who seek health coaching support feel confused, overwhelmed, discouraged, and exhausted from trying to figure things out on their own. Some have recently received a diagnosis, while others have been searching for answers for years and feel like they're not getting the support or direction they need. Others already know many of the things they "should" be doing but are struggling to put that knowledge into practice consistently.
Physically, they may be experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, digestive issues, weight changes, anxiety, hair loss, joint or muscle pain, or brain fog. But beyond the symptoms, there is often a significant emotional toll that comes with not feeling well and not knowing what to do next. When someone is exhausted, overwhelmed, or trying to juggle multiple responsibilities, even simple habits can feel difficult to maintain.
By the time someone reaches out for support, they are often looking for clarity, support, and a realistic path forward. My role is to help simplify the process, focus on what matters most, and create sustainable changes that fit their life.
WHY IS MIDLIFE SUCH A CRITICAL TIME TO FOCUS ON NUTRITION, MINDSET, AND STRESS?
A: Midlife brings a mix of expected and unexpected changes. Hormones begin to shift, energy and metabolism can change, and many women are also navigating major life transitions.
Because the body is adapting to these changes, the way women experience stress, nutrition, sleep, and daily habits can start to feel different from earlier decades. What used to feel manageable may suddenly feel harder to sustain.
This makes it an important time to pay closer attention to the foundations of health, not in a restrictive way, but in a way that supports the body through transition and helps women understand what they need in this season.
HOW DO YOU HELP CLIENTS FEEL MORE IN CONTROL OF THEIR HEALTH DURING TIMES OF CHANGE OR UNCERTAINTY?
A: When women are going through periods of change or uncertainty, things can feel scattered and overwhelming, especially with so much conflicting information and pressure to “do it all and do it right.”
In coaching, we start by narrowing the focus. Instead of trying to fix everything at once, we identify a starting point based on what feels most relevant and realistic right now.
From there, we build simple, practical steps that are doable in real life. Over time, this creates more clarity and helps them feel less reactive and more intentional in their decisions.
A big part of this process is also helping clients notice how their body responds to different inputs, like stress, sleep, food, and rest, so they can start trusting their own experience instead of relying only on external advice.
Ultimately, feeling more in control comes from having a clear place to start and support while building momentum—not from having everything figured out at once.
WHAT’S ONE APPROACH THAT CONSISTENTLY HELPS YOUR CLIENTS BUILD LASTING ENERGY AND RESILIENCE?
A: One approach that consistently supports meaningful change is mindset work. Many women already know what they "should" be doing for their health, but they're carrying beliefs or thought patterns that make change feel much harder than it needs to be.
Sometimes that looks like all-or-nothing thinking, perfectionism, or the belief that they've failed because they haven't been able to stick with a plan. Other times, it looks like feeling disconnected from their body, doubting themselves, or believing they need to do everything perfectly before they can make progress.
When those patterns begin to shift, healthy habits often become much more sustainable. In my experience, building energy and resilience isn't just about what we do. It's also about how we think about ourselves, our health, and our ability to create change.
HOW DO YOU SUPPORT CLIENTS IN MANAGING STRESS IN A WAY THAT FEELS REALISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE?
A: There are many ways to manage stress, and I believe it's important to have multiple tools in our toolbox. Most people automatically think of meditation or yoga when it comes to stress management, and those can be incredibly helpful, but it's often more complex than that.
Together, we explore not only what is causing stress but also how it is showing up in the body and how a client naturally responds to it. From there, we can identify practices that feel supportive, realistic, and sustainable for that individual.
For one person, that might be meditation or breathwork. For another, it might be walking outside, dancing in the living room, spending time with loved ones, or simply creating more space for rest. The goal is to help clients build a personalized toolkit they can return to depending on the specific circumstances.
HOW HAS YOUR OWN DEFINITION OF WELLNESS CHANGED SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED THIS WORK?
A: When I first started, I think I saw wellness as something we could achieve by doing everything “right.” Today, I see it as a relationship—an ongoing conversation with our bodies, our inner lives, our communities, and the world around us.
Wellness isn’t about perfection or constantly trying to improve ourselves. It’s about feeling connected enough to notice what we need and flexible enough to respond as our lives, bodies, and seasons change.
WHAT LED YOU TO PURSUE YOUR TRAINING THROUGH THE INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATIVE NUTRITION?
A: I chose IIN because of its integrative approach, blending Western medicine with a more holistic view of health and well-being. I was also drawn to the business coaching component, which felt important for learning how to build a successful practice and support clients in a professional setting.
HOW DID YOUR IIN EDUCATION SHAPE THE WAY YOU SUPPORT YOUR CLIENTS TODAY?
A: The Health Coach Training Program™ gave me a strong foundation of health and wellness knowledge and reinforced many of the values that had already drawn me to this work, while also supporting my own health journey.
The Coaching Intensive Practicum helped me take that knowledge and learn how to apply it in a coaching relationship. It taught me how to guide clients through change using tools such as motivational interviewing, positive psychology, and behavior change techniques, rather than simply sharing information or telling someone what to do.
Together, those experiences gave me the confidence, skills, and practical experience to build my own practice and support clients in creating sustainable changes that work for their lives.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR WORK SO FAR?
A: The most rewarding part of my work is witnessing the ripple effect that happens beyond my sessions with clients. When someone begins making changes in their own life, it often naturally extends to the people around them. Their friends, partners, and family members start to notice, ask questions, and sometimes begin making healthier choices for themselves as well.
There are also those moments when things start to click for a client—when they gain clarity, feel more connected to their body, and begin to realize that change and feeling better are, in fact, possible for them.
It’s incredibly meaningful to watch clients reach their goals, but even more meaningful to see them feel empowered in their own health decisions and more confident advocating for themselves. Those shifts tend to extend far beyond our sessions and into other areas of their lives.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE CONSIDERING A CAREER IN HEALTH COACHING?
A: My advice would be to go into it with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to grow. Health coaching is deeply rewarding, but it also asks a lot of you in terms of listening, presence, and learning how to hold space for others.
It’s not about having all the answers or telling people what to do. It’s about learning how to support someone in finding their own path forward, which takes practice and patience.
If you’re drawn to that kind of work, it can be incredibly meaningful, but it’s also a profession that requires commitment, skill-building, and ongoing learning.
WHAT’S ONE COMMON MISCONCEPTION ABOUT WOMEN’S HEALTH OR AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS YOU’D LOVE TO REFRAME?
A: One common misconception I would love to reframe is that women are “overreacting” or “complain a lot,” or that their symptoms are just a normal part of stress or getting older.
In reality, many women navigating autoimmune conditions or hormonal changes are experiencing very real and often complex symptoms that can significantly impact their quality of life. Fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, and pain are not signs of laziness or lack of effort, but signals from the body that something deeper is going on.
I hope that we move toward more compassion and curiosity in how we approach women’s health, so women feel heard, validated, supported, and empowered in their care.
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU’RE CURRENTLY LEARNING OR EXPLORING IN YOUR WORK?
A: I’m currently enrolled in IIN’s Hormone Health Course, something I’ve been interested in ever since I started the Health Coach Training Program. I was looking for continuing education that would provide NBHWC CEUs while also helping me better support clients in a meaningful and practical way.
As I move through this stage of life alongside many of the women in my life, I’ve become even more interested in understanding the impact hormones can have on overall health and well-being. I’m still early in the course, but I’ve already been enjoying the depth of information and the practical tools that I know will support both my clients and my own personal health journey.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GO-TO SNACK LATELY?
A: I’m not always a big snacker, but I do go through phases. Most recently, I’ve been loving apples with natural peanut butter for something a bit more satisfying. I also tend to reach for things like hummus with carrots or gluten-free crackers when I want something more substantial.
When I want something sweet, Hu dark chocolate bars are a go-to, and when the weather is warm, I gravitate toward lighter, cooling options like yogurt with berries (sometimes after it’s been in the freezer a bit) or frozen grapes. I tend to keep it simple and listen to what feels good in the moment.
BEST DECISION YOU EVER MADE FOR YOUR HEALTH OR CAREER?
A: The best decision I ever made for my health and career was choosing to step into health coaching before I felt fully “ready.”
I was considering more traditional paths like becoming a dietitian or nutritionist, but it didn’t feel like the right fit. When I discovered health coaching, I was immediately drawn to it, even though I didn’t fully understand what it would become. There was just a “ping” of intuition that I needed to follow, even without a clear roadmap.
Looking back, what made that decision so powerful wasn’t just the career shift itself but learning to trust that inner knowing and move forward before everything felt certain. It gave me permission to step into the unknown, something that felt both terrifying and exciting at the same time, and it ultimately helped me feel like I was finally moving in a direction that aligned with who I’ve always been becoming.
That decision opened the door to both personal and professional growth. It supported me in navigating my own health journey and created space for me to build meaningful work helping other women do the same.
A BOOK OR PODCAST YOU’D RECOMMEND TO THE IIN COMMUNITY?
A: One book that has stayed with me over the years is Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff... and It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. It’s an easy read, but a powerful reminder of how much our stress, perspective, and daily mindset impact our overall well-being. I keep it on one of the end tables in my den, and I often find myself picking it up for a quick reset. It’s a simple but meaningful reminder not to get lost in the small things.
IF YOU COULD BE ANY FRUIT OR VEGGIE, WHICH WOULD YOU BE—AND WHY?
A: I would be a sweet potato! Grounding, dependable, and more versatile than it gets credit for. It can be simple and comforting, savory like fries, or sweet like pie. It just feels like a nice balance of practical and a little fun.