My Training and Approach

Gut health is a  primary area of focus in functional medicine. Please use this link for more details about functional medicine.

I think of our gut as the house and the microbiome as the family living inside the house. There are certain strategies to keeping the house well repaired and other strategies to keep the family inside happy and healthy. “Healing and sealing” the gut will help prevent large, undigested food particles from entering the blood and immune system. Leaky gut is known to be a primary root cause for systemic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, allergies and more.

Advances in genetic sequencing only 10 years ago provided an explosion of information on the gut microbiome. This prompted The National Institutes of Health (NIH) to found The Human Microbiome Project. We now know that this 5 pound organ (and yes, it has officially been added as an organ in our body!) controls, well, basically everything. I am not overstating this; it controls our immunity, nervous system, brain health, skin health, our moods, our emotions, our cravings, our weight, blood pressure and much more. 

Even some so-called healthy foods can throw your microbiome health off and this is where individualized strategies can be very helpful. I can help you get started in examining how your past medical history and food choices may be impacting your present gut health. Moving forward we will develop a step-by-step plan where you can reseed and regrow your inner garden.

I received my degree in Occupational Therapy from The Medical College of Virginia in 1985 and currently work as a hospital based therapist. My experience over the past 30+ years has included acute care hospitals, neonatal intensive care, pediatric hospitals, rehabilitation centers, home health, skilled nursing facilities and school systems. The majority of my career has been with adults and children who are struggling with neurological and orthopedic challenges, developmental delays, brain injuries, post-trauma recovery, degenerative diseases, and autoimmune challenges.

Occupational therapists help you regain your independence and help you to re-engage in the parts of your life that are most meaningful. We use special exercises, neuro-reeducation strategies, balance retraining, cognitive retraining, visual-perceptual retraining, etc to treat various deficits and help you regain your independence.

I love working with my patients and their entire family. My experiences as an occupational therapist, a health coach and a caregiver have empowered me with tools and insights to best support you on your own journey.  I want to help you achieve balance, happiness and health. 

Guess what I have had to work on over the years...balance! My own personal journey seems to be about major lessons in self care and balance; areas I have not done but so well in until recent years. 

One part of my history I will share is that of being the primary caregiver for 25 years for my dad who had multiple sclerosis and later he also acquired an anoxic brain injury. These intense care-giving years occurred during my 20’s, 30’s and part of my 40’s; and this was while trying to juggle a personal life and professional career. Let’s just say that I had a lot to learn about the value of self care and balance! 

It is true…you end up teaching what you most need to learn. I have been using a technique called live cell microscopy for 25 years as a tool to help you improve your digestive and immune wellness (link). When I was able to see how my own cells had actually changed in response to my chronic stress, well let’s just say I started “getting it”. I feel these experiences are so valuable and have empowered me enormously with personal insights to support you on your journey as well.