My Philosophy
I practice with a compassionate, weight-inclusive, trauma-informed, non-diet approach. I believe we are all born with the innate ability to nourish and care for ourselves. This innate ability can be overridden when we are bombarded with external messaging around our food, bodies, and movement (diet culture). My goal is to help you reconnect to your internal wisdom. I will not give you a strict diet plan, force you to move your body in ways that do not feel good, or give you a weight loss goal. Instead, I will hold your hand as you reconnect to your body, unlearn diet culture messaging, relearn how to feed yourself, and explore how to move your body in enjoyable ways.
I will invite you to approach your habits and body in a non-judgmental, compassionate, and ever curious manner. I will guide you to uncover your true values and build resilience against diet culture. I recognize that you have invaluable innate wisdom and lived experience that cannot be ignored. My clients have shared countless stories of how they’ve previously felt shamed, invalidated, or unheard while seeking out health care, and so I vow to do my best to provide a safe, compassionate, inclusive space for you to feel heard, seen, & valued.
Connecting to your body is vital for this approach. This can feel very scary and impossible for some, especially those with a history of trauma. That is where my training in trauma, yoga, and mindfulness comes in. I can help you slowly explore reconnecting with (and eventually befriending) your body.
I have made it my life’s work to be here for you while you heal your relationship with food, body, and movement. I will be here to provide a safe space, give you gentle guidance, challenge unhelpful beliefs, welcome your feelings, shed what no longer serves you, and unlock your beautifully radiant authentic self.
I will tell you about the experiences that helped me weave my approach.
In grad school, I worked with a program centered on self-compassion, Intuitive Eating, enjoyable movement, & Health at Every Size® (HAES®). It was my first time learning about HAES®. I was utterly skeptical as it went against everything I thought I knew about nutrition and health. I laugh/cringe at that now and like to share because so many of my clients are in the same spot when they first come see me. It did not take me long to become a believer. I watched the participants in that program transform. I watched the shame dissipate. I watched them relax and find new, enjoyable ways to relate to food, movement, and their bodies. And most impactful, I watched their self-compassion skyrocket. It was palatable. I saw the benefit of providing nutrition care through a compassionate, non-diet, weight-inclusive approach and never looked back.
After graduating, I worked in a couple hospitals before finding my way back to treating disordered eating. I worked at many levels of care in eating disorder treatment, including residential, PHP, IOP, and outpatient. I learned to complement my Motivational Interviewing skills with CBT, DBT, and ACT. I focused in on trauma. I knew yoga helped me process and release, and was stoked to see research on yoga and mindfulness for trauma healing. I became a yoga teacher, which was an extremely transformative process. I learned to finally feel safe in my body. I returned to my body to heal. Connecting to my body via yoga truly taught me self-compassion, and I want to provide that to you.
I recognized that most of us have trauma to some degree. Trauma that is locked in our bodies and shaping the way we view and move through the world. I have firsthand witnessed the liberation that comes from addressing unprocessed trauma. I wanted to walk alongside clients on their journey with trauma, so I took a course on trauma-informed dietetic care and a course on trauma-informed yoga. I am passionate about helping others take back their power and reclaim their autonomy.
I hope it is clear that my nutrition and yoga approach is woven out of my education, professional experience, and personal experience. It is a specialized approach formulated with the intention of helping you find meaningful recovery, body trust & food freedom.
My Qualifications
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Registered Yoga Teacher (double registered, so you know I am legit)
2 degrees in nutrition & 1 certificate of graduate study in eating disorders (two more nutrition degrees than Dr. Oz!)
Bachelor of Science in Food & Nutrition, San Diego State University
Master of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics, Northern Illinois University
Certificate of Graduate Study in Eating Disorders, Northern Illinois University
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Pilgrimage of the Heart
Years of experience in eating disorder treatment
Where: 1 hospital, 1 treatment center, 2 outpatient practices
Levels of care: Inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient
Course in trauma-informed dietetic care for dietitians
Course in trauma-informed yoga
My own lived experience. I am also in Recovery! I’ve experienced the intersectionality of eating disorders, race, trauma, & more
So Who Am I, For Real?
I am also in recovery. I became an eating disorder dietitian because I get it. I remember not believing recovery was possible. I remember the pain of living out of alignment with my truth.
I became a dietitian to offer hope to others, because I remember the desperation of feeling absolutely hopeless.
My favorite skill is radical acceptance.
And I strongly believe recovery is worth it :)
Oh, you meant for real for real? Well I was born & raised in Cali. I love the outdoors! I enjoy backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, roller skating, yoga-ing, running, beach-ing, pretty much any kind of -ing outside! I am forever emo, don’t let my picture in a bright yellow blouse fool you. I’ll love MCR till I die. I loveeee Stephen King novels. My favorite movies are Moulin Rouge, Rent, and Labyrinth.
Want to know my favorite MCR album? Check out the FAQ section!