Welcome!
I specialize in helping people listen to and care for their bodies with gentleness and understanding so they can form more meaningful connections with themselves and others.
“Wellness consists of a way of life oriented toward optimal health and well-being, in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live life more fully within the human and natural community.” (Ohrt, Clarke, & Conley, 2019)
Caring for our bodies as an integrated whole - rather than through a compartmentalized approach - is a very effective way of understanding causes and connections, which when addressed, can lead to a more clarity of choice, self-compassion, and sustainable health. Good Therapy explains that wellness is an approach within holistic medicine that “addresses the entirety of a person’s lifestyle and attempts to uncover ways in which lifestyle, relationships, and environment contribute to issues...the mind and body are not discrete, separate entities, and physical health can affect emotional well-being.”
There are six dimensions of wellness: emotional, physical, intellectual, occupational, spiritual, and social, according to the National Wellness Institute (NWI.) Wellness counseling focuses on a whole person approach in addressing these dimensions. As a wellness counselor, I adhere to those six dimensions of wellness for my scope of practice set forth by the NWI, and my emphasis is on how the relationship we have with our bodies - how we listen to and care for them - influences and replicates in the relationships we have with those around us.
I also have additional training in navigating body image struggles, grief, adolescence, parent-teen relationships, recovery from disordered eating, new parenthood, and other major life transitions. I am trauma-informed and client-directed, and my underlying emphasis in my work is in how our nervous systems influence our sense of safety and thereby our ability to connect with others. I work from a strengths-based, positive psychology paradigm - meaning I look for the beauty and strengths in who you are, and help you build on that foundation.
I do not diagnose mental health conditions or prescribe medications. I am not a mental health therapist. The modality I work with for embodied eating disorder recovery can be read about here. I am also board certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) as a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC.) I practice under their National Board and adhere to their ethical guidelines and best practices.
I meet with many of my clients online, allowing them flexibility and convenience in scheduling appointments, as well as in person for those on the Oregon Coast. Additionally, I offer consulting and mentoring for those in established practices. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
CONTACT ME
I offer complimentary 20-minute phone calls to explore if we are a good fit for working together and to answer any questions you may have.