About

What is a Health Coach?

Health coaches are supportive mentors and wellness authorities.  We guide and encourage our clients to rediscover their health and happiness, helping them make sustainable changes to their lifestyle and nutrition.  Rather than prescribing one specific diet, pill or plan, we treat each client as an individual and tailor a program which will address their specific needs and fit seamlessly into their unique lifestyle. It's not just about diet. Health is happiness, is purpose, is love, is contribution and growth.

Why do I need a health coach when I have a doctor?

Many doctors are trained to treat specific illnesses, not necessarily the behaviors that created those illnesses in the first place. They might prescribe drugs for your symptoms rather than fixing the deeper problem at hand.  Good, functional doctors WILL get to the deeper issues and will most likely offer important lifestyle advice. However most of these doctors will not have the time nor training to guide and support you through the behavioral changes that must be made. Here is where we step in! Health coaches work alongside other professionals to help people make sustainable habit changes which will lead to optimal health and healing. The work of a health coach is both preventative and restorative. 

Who do you work with?

Clients come to me when they feel stuck. They have been given plenty of suggestions by doctors and healers but don't know how to connect the dots.  I offer clients a safe space to piece together their 'health story' and we work together to discover a holistic path to healing, whether that be tweaking diet and adding supplementation or life strategizing and dismantling destructive habits and limiting beliefs.  Many of the women who come to me struggle with digestive issues, hormonal imbalance, anxiety, depression, weight or disordered eating. I also enjoy supporting young women through the transition of college and young adulthood, as well as mothers looking to turn their health and the health of their family around.

My Right Brain Health Philosophy:

I believe in correspondence. I believe gods image is reflected in the design of this universe, our planet, earth’s eco-systems, our bodies, DNA, holobionts, all the way down to the teeny-tiniest atomic protons, electrons, and neutrons. God, or Love, or whatever you might wish to call it, finds meaning IN RELATIONSHIP. The way we are in relationship with one thing is the way we are in relationship with everything. We must love every cell in our body, every seed in the ground, bird in the sky, drop in the ocean, the way we love our families, our bosom friends and our ‘god.’  This will bring health, full health, to the earth and to us all. Everything in loving relationship always.

My Left Brain Health Philosophy:

Prevention is key.  Unfortunately many of us don't realize we are unhealthy until our bodies fail us. In this case I believe in functional treatment, meaning that when we are suffering from illness (physical, mental, emotional) we must look to the root causes rather than treat the symptoms. Our bodies have the power to heal themselves when they are in full function, supported by real food, a positive lifestyle and a loving mindset.  
 
Cooperation between health specialists of all modalities could create extraordinary results in the healing world but so often it seems their differences put them at odds.   My goal is to listen to your individual needs, allowing your inner knowledge to lead. No one knows your body and heart better than you!  After that I am open to working alongside anyone who has your best interest at heart. "Teamwork makes the dream-work!"

My Story:
As a young adult I spent many years struggling with anxiety, depression, and their common companion, an eating disorder. I always felt these were things I could overcome by myself, in my own head and on my own time.  It wasn't until one morning after waking up in horror to a face fully covered in painful, cystic acne that I realized something was terribly wrong and that I needed to seek help outside of myself. Vanity came in handy just that once!  With the help of an amazing nutritionist, therapist and integrative doctor I discovered that I was struggling with some serious gastrointestinal, hormonal and adrenal imbalances.  At age 23 my lab tests reflected nutrient deficiency of a 70 year old and the hormones of a woman transitioning through menopause! Needless to say I had to do quite a lot of soul-searching and health experimentation before rediscovering my wellness.  Over time, with the help of professionals and the support of my beautiful family and friends, I was able to heal my sickly self with nourishing foods for for the body, mind and soul.  I knew one day I must help others do the same!

Training and Certification:
Anastasia studied Integrative Nutrition with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She is a Certified International Health Coach with the International Association for Health Coaches. She is currently working with the Green Wisdom School of Natural and Botanical Medicine to complete her Master of Herbalism certification aligning with national standards and directives. Having studied at the Robbins-Madanes Training Center she has a background  in Strategic Intervention. "Strategic Intervention is a project dedicated to extracting the most practical and effective forms of strategic action and communication from a variety of disciplines: Ericksonian therapy, strategic family therapy, Human Needs Psychology, organizational psychology, neurolinguistics, psychology of influence, strategic studies, traditions of diplomacy and negotiation, and others." Strategic Intervention is inspired and influenced by the love and wisdom of extraordinary individuals like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela as well as the great insights and works of Victor Frankl and Milton Erickson.

“I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you. "
-Joyce Meyer