My path to becoming a massage therapist started when I was as a musician with a repetitive stress injury. I was at a breaking point where I was in constant upper back pain. A friend recommended neuromuscular therapy – something I’d never heard of – and I said “I’ll try anything.” The experience with that practitioner changed my life. I learned what it was like to do what I loved – play French horn, go trail running – without pain. I also learned that there were ways I could take care of myself between sessions that made the benefits of massage sustainable in my day-to-day life. Since then, I’ve been inspired by several other practitioners who have shown me how powerful bodywork can be physically and beyond – nspired so much that I became a bodyworker myself! I particularly love the detective work in finding the root cause of discomfort or pain and co-creating a treatment plan to address it.   

I came into health coaching a bit backwards - I noticed in the massage room that clients were organically bringing up concerns about their overall wellbeing and a general desire for balance. I wanted to engage with them in an authentic, thoughtful, and informed way, and my training in mind-body facilitation for groups wasn’t translating to those needs. So, I decided to pursue formal health coach training to do just that. 

I know what it’s like to feel disconnected from one’s body, and the challenges that come from wanting to feel more integrated in all dimensions of health. I’ve lived with a chronic health condition and also come back from several major surgeries, experiences that challenge me to redefine - and be happy with - my own definitions of health, wellbeing, and high quality of life. It is not necessarily easy, but absolutely achievable.

I've completed coursework with The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Wellcoaches (ICF certified training program), and Potomac Massage Training Institute. I've also collaborated on research projects at the GW Center for Integrative Medicine and GWU Milken School of Public Health on nonpharmacological interventions for insomnia, and worked with nonprofit organizations to bring integrative health services to DC residents who use Medicaid or are under/uninsured. I am a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and International Coaching Federation. I hold a BA from Smith College (Northampton, MA).