Hi! I’m Denise!

Things really got started when I was living in New York City. I loved a lot about the city, yet I noticed I felt incredibly distracted, detached and drained — all the time. Much of this had to do with the declining health of my adrenals and the fact that I was walking around with the beginnings of Hashimoto's Disease (an Auto-Immune condition that attacks the Thyroid) and didn't know it. But I think I was also affected by the separation I felt from the food I ate and the natural world around me. I wanted to change something, and my food seemed like the obvious choice - food is so fundamental yet something I could control myself. Coming to this realization was empowering and sparked action!

I focused on eating more plants and less processed food. I remember looking at my pantry one day and vowing to only have jars of grains and beans and spices on there one day — instead of loads of boxes and plastic. It took about six months to fully realize that goal, but I managed to transform the food in my home to be whole and closer to the source. I learned a few tricks in the kitchen that made cooking and eating a whole foods diet possible while maintaining a busy social life and a demanding career. I was involved in a CSA (Community Sustained Agriculture), I had chickens in my tiny Brooklyn backyard, and I was heavily involved in my food co-op. The quest to clean up my eats came with the added benefits of community, joy, and support. The nutritional benefits were great, but that connection to my food, my health, and the role that food and nourishment played in my life, was the real profound shifts.

My perceptions changed, my relationships improved, my energy soared — I found myself attracted to the “right” things, the things that made my life feel good and whole. I started to keep track of this! Simply noticing how I felt after eating foods that nourished, vs foods thats didn't became intrinsically motivating. After this, I was sold on the idea that if we clean up our diet and have a sincere relationship with our food, so much can change! At about this time, along came the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where I enrolled in the Health Coaching Certification Program. IIN was profound, because it introduced me to so many different approaches to food, health, wellness and psychology. It gave me the opportunity to find teachers that I really loved (Dr John Douillard, Andrea Nakayama, Dr Weil, Dr Mark Hyman, Dr Vasant Lad, and more!) as well as recognizing the approaches that just didn't work for me -- and this helped me to clarify my perspectives. IIN also introduced the idea that health coaching could be a career, and that definitely got me thinking! From there I practiced on the side while I worked as a User Experience Designer with a variety of software companies. In my coaching practice I use my systems thinking and design skills all the time, as I aim to present health information in a "'digestible" and delightful way! I want to make learning about your body and your food easy and fun!

Daily I feel I am witnessing the unfolding of positive changes in the world. Personally, I still have days that I feel low energy and foggy-headed, but I also feel like I have tools to call my power back to me. Each step becomes more clear and more aligned with what feels good in body, mind, and soul -- in the moment. This all takes time and effort and intention — and the rewards are rich. Experiencing this for myself, and coming back to it again and again, is what has inspired me to share this with others.

I received a certificate in Holistic Health Coaching from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City, and I became a Functional Nutrition Counselor studying under Andrea Nakayama at the Functional Nutrition Alliance. My education has included intensive studies of the digestive, immune, urinary, cardiovascular, endocrine, nervous (brain), and reproductive systems. I am also well-studied in multiple dietary theories, contemporary health issues and topics, Eastern and Western nutrition, with a particular emphasis in the wisdom of Ayurveda.

I also have a Masters's in Library and Information Science from the Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from Linfield College.

I studied astrology with the Portland School of Astrology, and am a Kundalini Yoga enthusiast - practicing since 2012 with various teachers.

In all that I do I take a whole system appoach. I also infuse all of my programs with art, storytelling, authenticity, community, curiosity, and a dedication to practice - these critical life components are immensely important! I will work with you to make this journey an interesting ride! I believe that finding fun and cultivating curiosity for what is happening inside YOUR unique body does wonders to keep motivation high while on this transformational journey.

I also have spent the last decade (plus) working with large corporations, startups, and digital agencies as a User Experience Designer and strategist. I am keen to consider how technology and human evolution intersect!

I get geeky about astrology, and other modes of understanding and relating to ourselves and others. I find that when we understand our unique constitution, biases and tendencies, we can use that information as a healthy foundation for growth.

If you're into that too -- then here are some of my favorite tools for self-understanding:

Astro line-up Our astrological charts offer a glimpse into that unique sliver of time when our souls started off on their journey. This offers a specific lens for perceiving the nuances of personality, character, soul goals, areas of challenge, and motivators. I love to incorporate this into my work with clients.

I’m a Libra Sun, Capricorn Moon, Aquarius Rising.

Human Design Human Design is an incredibly rich method of understanding our unique makeup. It offers a map, a manual, a blueprint, that helps to guide you to live in accordance with your unique design: From the way you make decisions to the best atmosphere for digesting your food.

I’m a 5/1 Splenic Projector.

Myers-Briggs Type Identifier This test was developed based on the work of psychiatrist Carl G. Jung who recognized that people's behavior was the result of their preferred methods of engagement within a particular set of mental capacities. This test is widely used to discover work that satisfies -- based on our natural tendencies!

I’m an INFP.

Four Tendencies Framework Created by Gretchen Rubin author of The Happiness Project, and Better Than Before - a book on making new habits stick. This framework was created while writing Better Than Before when Rubin discovered that the key to making new habits was to understand how we respond to expectations. I like to use this framework in partnership with my clients.

I’m the R E B E L!

Thanks for letting me geek out!

If you're curious...do explore for yourself!

Oh and... I live in North PDX with my partner and my daughter Juniper Blue. I like to grow food, flowers, and herbs, love to sing/dance/kirtan/laugh/cry, and just can't walk away from a wooden-soled shoe.