Beyond the Mind: How My Nutrition Background Shapes My Approach to Therapy
Long before I became a therapist, I was interested in how our physical and emotional health are connected. That interest led me to study Clinical Nutrition at UC Davis alongside Psychology, and later to work in behavioral nutrition and become a personal trainer.
While I don’t offer nutrition counseling as a therapist, those experiences still influence how I understand and work with clients. Here are five ways that background shapes my approach to therapy.
1. The Mind and Body Aren’t Separate
My background in nutrition helped me see early on how much physical health can influence emotional well-being, and vice versa. Sleep, energy, appetite, movement, stress, and hormones can all affect how we feel emotionally. And when we’re struggling with our mental health, we may feel it physically.
2. Physical Symptoms Have a Place in Therapy
I’m not a registered dietitian, but my background has given me a strong understanding of how physical health connects to mental health — whether that’s GI symptoms, appetite changes, fatigue, sleep, movement, or simply not feeling comfortable in your body. These experiences can affect so many parts of everyday life, and I want clients to feel comfortable bringing them into our conversations.
3. The Gut-Brain Connection Matters
I’m especially interested in the gut-brain relationship and the growing research on the microbiome and mental health. It’s a two-way relationship where stress and anxiety can affect the gut, while chronic GI symptoms can add to feelings of stress and anxiety. When you don’t feel well physically, it can affect everything from your mood and confidence to your relationships and social life.
4. Food and Body Image Are Never Just About Willpower
My experience in behavioral nutrition taught me that knowing what is supposedly “healthy” and actually being able to make changes in your life are two very different things. Our relationships with food, movement, and our bodies are shaped by so much more than willpower. Stress, emotions, family, culture, identity, and past experiences all play a role. That experience has helped me empathize and understand just how personal and complicated these relationships can be.
5. I Look at the Whole Person
My background in psychology, clinical and behavioral nutrition, and personal training helps me see the bigger picture when working with clients. Mental health doesn’t exist separately from the body, relationships, environment, or everyday life. I believe therapy should make space for all of these pieces, rather than focusing on symptoms alone. It’s about understanding the whole person and what may be contributing to how they feel.
What You Can Expect When You Work With Me
You can expect therapy that is warm, collaborative, and looks at the whole picture. There’s room to talk about stress, relationships, physical symptoms, body image, sleep, energy, and whatever else may be affecting how you feel. I think this is especially important during major life transitions, including pregnancy, postpartum, and new motherhood, when your body, relationships, identity, and everyday life can all be changing at once. We’ll work together to understand what’s going on and what kind of support actually feels helpful to you.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re looking for a therapist who makes space for both the emotional and physical parts of your experience, reach out to schedule a consultation and see if we might be a good fit.
