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About Devi
Do you struggle with cooking meals? Are you struggling with your weight? Do you have family members with bad allergies? Do you feel overwhelmed when shopping at the grocery store? Do you feel stressed? Are you tired of feeling tired?
I can relate! (And, I can help.)
It’s been a life journey that has led me to become a health coach.
After graduating from Portland Community College with an associate degree in business I worked at a bank for more than 11 years which I found very unfulfilling. I had always wanted to be a nurse. But later, when I started taking prerequisite classes toward a nursing certificate, I realized I wanted something else. I pursued a biology degree at Portland State University (PSU), where my chemistry professor suggested a chemistry degree instead. I settled on biochemistry and graduated on the Dean’s List with a degree in biochemistry and a minor in biology.
While at PSU, I worked at an internal medicine office at St. Vincent Hospital, where I received training as a medical assistant. I measured blood pressure, gave injections, assisted with EKGs, set appointments, and more. I continued to work in internal medicine for 17-plus years until I changed my focus to health coaching.
Why did I change my focus? I began to see a pattern in patients’ lives that mirrored my family’s experience. I saw that many diseases could/can be worsened … reversed … prevented with diet alone. I had my own health issues (like genetically high cholesterol which I lowered by 100 points through diet alone), IBS, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), food sensitivities, and, most recently, I was diagnosed with hEDS (hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder). This explained a lot of what I was personally going through! Unfortunately, I wasn’t getting any help from medical experts and ended up doing my own research on how to get better. And so, I became exactly what I needed most, I jumped into health coaching.
From that point, I started working on educating myself more and more in the subject of personal health. I received an Integrated Health Coach certificate from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), then became certified as a Functional Medicine Health Coach from the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, Inc. (FMCA). To further deepen my knowledge, I became a 200-hour Yoga Instructor. I have recently passed a national exam for health coaches to become a Nationally Board-Certified Health Coach; a huge exam I am happy to say I passed! And I am also certified in HealthMath, a technique used to manage stress.
I am continually expanding my skills and taking classes. Drawing on this training, I help folks just like you create a completely personalized road map to health that suits your unique body, your lifestyle, your preferences, and your goals.
I want to help people move out of illness and into health. Although our genetics do play a role in our health, our environment plays an even bigger role. The physical environment, stress, sleep, nutrition, exercise, toxins, and the community we surround ourselves with all play a part in our wellness. I help clients address these influences around them and share tools and tips to help them to make the changes to health.
Health coaching should not be confined to a box; each person has different needs, goals, and challenges. I offer individualized, client-centered coaching that teaches each person the skills they need to help improve their health. It’s my goal to get you to the point where you’re confident and equipped and don’t need to meet with me regularly.
Ready to learn how health coaching can help you? Let's talk!
Schedule your free consultation today.