I’ve been surrounded by cancer most of my life. My grandmother died of breast cancer and my great-grandmother died of ovarian cancer when I was a teenager. When I was in college, my aunt was diagnosed with uterine and ovarian cancer. When I was climbing the corporate ladder, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I spent a good bit of my life worrying about my risk of cancer. I felt like a sitting duck. Then one day I heard someone say, “Worry is a waste of energy. If you are consumed by worry, there are two things you can do to overcome it. You can let it go or you can do something about it.” I realized then that I needed to do both of those things. I needed to let go of the fear and I needed to take action.

It occurred to me that all the cancers in my family were related to hormones. I was also battling my own hormone issues - adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, and perimenopause. I was under a lot of stress and I felt like things were unraveling.

Step by step, I was able to regain control and find balance again. I reversed my adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism with dietary changes, lifestyle shifts, and a lot of soul searching. I naturally managed my perimenopause symptoms too and I started feeling like myself again. A key part of balancing my hormones, was addressing my stress. I took a deeper look at who I was and what I wanted in life. I learned new strategies for shifting my type-A personality so I could be calmer and better manage the challenges life threw at me. It was a journey of self-discovery and self-empowerment.

The shifts in my health and mindset came after years of training in advanced coaching skills, nutrition, hormones, cancer prevention, and yoga.

I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where I studied over 100 dietary theories with leading experts in the field of nutrition. I then went on to become a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) through the National Board of Medical Examiners. In addition to these credentials, I am also a Certified International Health Coach through the International Association of Health Coaches.

I trained with Dr. Sara Gottfried, a Harvard Medical Doctor, to become a Trained Hormone Coach and completed the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s (IIN) Hormone Health Course. I now work with IIN as a hormone expert, where I mentor other health coaches who are studying hormone health.

After completing my National Board Certification, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition invited me to be an instructor for their Coaching Intensive Practicum course. When I’m not coaching my clients, I’m teaching and mentoring other coaches to further develop their coaching skills.

I have been a student and teacher of yoga for over ten years, which certainly influences my coaching by allowing me to incorporate mindfulness, meditation, stress reduction, and techniques for looking inward.