Meet Nicole

My story….

Like many practitioners, I discovered my passion for holistic health through my own health challenges. I have worked for over 22 years in government in fast-paced, high-stress environments. Over time, it began to take a toll on my health and I started facing health challenges after health challenge – everything from autoimmune disease, leaky gut, and candida. I knew I needed to change how I was living, so I began reading everything I could find on nutrition and wellness. I was hooked – so much so that I decided to return to school in 2009 and get a second graduate degree in nutrition from the University of Bridgeport.

But the pivotal moment came for me in 2013. One fateful day, I received a vaccination and experienced the first anaphylactic reaction of my life that cascaded into a complete body breakdown over the following months. I experienced anaphylactic reactions to everything I ingested and couldn’t sit, stand, or walk without my heart rate skyrocketing and fainting. I lost 90 pounds, spent over 5 weeks in the hospital, was unable to walk, and could only eat 4 foods without going into anaphylaxis. I was rendered totally disabled for the better part of a year. I was subsequently diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and advised to go on disability and learn to live with it.

But I knew with every fiber of my being that was not my path. I had always been my own test tube case, and once again I immersed myself in all the nutrition and medical research I could find on these conditions. I vowed that if I found a way to heal that I would make it my mission to help others do the same. I discovered how to truly use food as medicine and give my body the nutrients it needed. And when I did that, my body began to heal, and slowly but surely, I got my life back.

Having gone through a “dark night of the soul” type experience changed my perception of health. I had to approach my healing differently than in the past. Healthy foods and supplements were a key part of my recovery, but I did not experience true healing until I addressed my mental and emotional bodies.

My experiences have given me a unique perspective with my clients because complex, chronic, and/or life-threatening health conditions are not something I learned about from a book or a webinar. I’ve lived them and I understand what it feels like to experience them. I understand the frustration and despair of shuffling from practitioner to practitioner with no relief. I understand what it’s like to have your world turned upside down by illness and its effects on family, relationships, and work. And I understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll it takes on you.

I’m grateful for the many lessons these experiences have taught me and for the knowledge, I’ve been able to pass along to my clients. Nothing makes me happier than when I receive a message from a client when they experience a healing breakthrough!

My credentials….

• Master’s degree – Health Policy & Administration, University of Chicago
• Master’s degree – Human Nutrition, University of Bridgeport
• Certified Dietician-Nutritionist (CDN) – Connecticut Department of Public Health
• Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) – American Nutrition Association
• Board-Certified Holistic Nutritionist (BCHN) – National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP)
• Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P) – Functional Diagnostic Nutrition with Reid Davis
• Advanced FDN Courses: Oxalates, Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis, Mitochondria, Blood Sugar Management, Foundations of Herbalism, Organic Acids, Stress and Hormones, and Thyroid Function
• Certified Gut Thrive Practitioner – The Whole Journey, Inc. 
• Certified Leap Therapist (CLT) – Oxford Biomedical MRT Food Sensitivity Testing
• Certified Eating Psychology Coach – Institute for the Psychology of Eating
• Certified Gluten-Free Practitioner – Dr. Tom O’Bryan
• Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) Expert Practitioner Training Course – Kendra Perry
• Reiki Master Practitioner – Heart 2 Heart Healing Center
• Integrative Energy Therapy (IET) Practitioner – Heart 2 Heart Healing Center
• Medical Intuitive Certificate Program – PSYCHE Institute for Higher Learning