Certified Mental Health & Nutrition Clinical Specialist (CMNCS)
Clinicians are told that the gut is our 2nd brain, holding keys to our overall wellness, contributing to inflammation throughout the body, and significantly impacting our energy and mood. However, the brain and gut are still treated completely separately in our medical system, and mental health professionals are not traditionally educated further on how we can use what we know about the gut to help client's overcome concerns.
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Ultimately, that was not good enough for me. If there is a part of the body that has a significant impact on people's mental health - I wanted to learn a lot more about it. So I did. After completing coursework covering Integrative Medicine, Functional Health, Nutrition Psychology, and Mental Health Nutrition- I became fully certified as a Certified Mental Health & Nutrition Clinical Specialist (CMNCS).
A few things we know:
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Your gut microbiome is completely unique to you, just like your fingerprint, and is directly impacted by your environment, diet, and medications
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All of the neurotransmitters in your body (which help move messages throughout our system informing everything from our heart rate to digestion) are made in your gut​
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If we aren't eating, moving, or sleeping in the way that our body needs, it can disrupt our endocrine system (increasing cortisol, the "stress hormone") and even trigger our fight/ flight/ freeze response
Optimizing how we care for our gut can decrease inflammation throughout your system and improve cognitive functioning
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How I can help:
I believe that when you -a whole person- take the big step of starting therapy, you should be treated as the whole person that you are. It seems silly to think that we can treat the brain and body completely independently and achieve the inner-balance that we seek, so I incorporate education about both in my work with clients.
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While I am not a dietician or nutritionist, I have completed specialized training on the gut-brain axis and help client's understand how they can better support their mental health healing by also considering their diet, movement, sleep, and energy. This service is available to all clients, but is completely optional. If client's are interested in Mental Health & Nutrition, we will discuss their metabolism, biological rhythms, hormones, digestion, nutrition, and how food impacts their mental health.
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