More ABOUT
ME
From Patient to Provider
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, the forest will always have a special place in my heart. I grew up playing outdoors, kicking soccer balls in the mud, hiking, biking, blackberry-picking, and soaking up every sweet scent the baking season of the pacific northwest had to offer.
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As my teenage years came around, spending time outdoors in the crisp air and finding sweetness within the darker months of the year became more and more difficult. Depression, anxiety and poor coping mechanisms left me looking in the mirror at my 18 year old self - horrified at the lifeless, anxious and underweight reflection staring back at me. I knew right then something had to change.
Unsure of where to start, I walked into a local Dietitian's office and watched life as I knew it completely unravel before my eyes. I learned about the direct association between the foods we eat and mental health. I learned about the extensive effects of inflammation within the body, the incredible role of the gut in neurotransmitter synthesis, and how we can turn certain genes on or off through proper nutrition. I learned the immense sense of empowerment that accompanies proper education on a topic as influential as how we nourish our every cell.
I learned I absolutely adored the science behind nutrition, and the sacred blueprint it provides for a life marked by joy, abundance and longevity. Most of all I learned I was in complete control of my destiny (mind and body), and that I wanted to spend a lifetime making sure others knew the same.
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Almost a decade of higher education later, I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work with others in the way that I do. There is nothing more sacred than the vulnerable space created when one decides seek help in creating a better life for themselves, and I feel so honored to be a part of that journey for so many.
Education & Qualifications
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Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Santa Clara University
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Minor in Public Health
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Master of Science in Whole Foods Nutrition from Bastyr University
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Experience providing medical nutrition therapy at level 1 trauma center (UC San Diego Medical Center) located in La Jolla, California.
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Additional experience in a variety of inpatient & outpatient settings including Ornish cardiac rehab, organ transplant, dialysis units, eating disorder rehab & private practice.
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Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Areas of Special Education & Interest
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Anti-inflammatory Diets
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Plant-based / Vegan / Vegetarian Nutrition
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Prenatal Nutrition
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Cancer Prevention
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Heart Disease Treatment & Reversal
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Eating Disorder Recovery
Family & Private Life
While I like to think of psychology as a huge contributor to effective nutrition counseling, my psych degree was the second best thing I left Santa Clara with. I met my husband on a blind date when I was just a freshman in college - at an ugly Christmas sweater party no less. From the minute we met, we always dreamed about a distant future where I'd complete my long path to licensure and we'd find our way back to California to raise a slew of beach babies together.
After years of long-distance as I pursued my graduate degree in Washington State and my husband climbed ranks in a San Francisco start-up, we decided that same dream from our college dorm-rooms was still worth fighting for. Shortly before I completed my Masters, my college sweetheart moved up North just long enough to get down on one knee in our tiny Seattle apartment - wearing that same ugly Christmas sweater we had met in so many years before. A couple of vows and a positive pregnancy test later we were headed back to California to see that same dream through - and the rest is history.
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