Life isn't always easy. You never know when someone might receive a mental health or complex health diagnosis or be targeted by comments about their weight, which is often shaped by genetics, trauma, or life circumstances. I’ve lived on both sides of that reality. From an early age, I experienced mental health struggles, addiction in my teens and early twenties, and disordered eating firsthand.

I was always aware of my depression and anxiety, even before I had the diagnosis. In my home, mental health wasn’t talked about, but weight and appearance were. Meanwhile, I faced teasing and bullying about my weight—messages that shaped my sense of self for years. I wasn’t alone in my experience. Many of my family members also navigated conditions like OCD, depression, anxiety, addiction, and body image issues.

To cope in social settings, I turned to alcohol to numb anxiety and silence the inner critic. At the same time, I restricted food to chase society’s "thin ideal," falling deeper into cycles of shame and self-blame. For years, I went misdiagnosed—until I discovered I had PCOS and Hashimoto’s, conditions deeply connected to mental health, weight fluctuations, and energy levels.

Understanding the root of my struggles brought both clarity and relief. It explained the fatigue, the brain fog, the restrictive eating, the bingeing, and the deep emotional pain that came with it.

Without this journey, I wouldn’t be doing this work today. I realized that breaking the silence around food, body, and mental health is essential because healing requires community, not shame.

Now, over two decades into my healing path, I bring both lived experience and clinical knowledge to my work. As a Clinical Nutritionist and Coach based in Hagerstown, Maryland, I support adults navigating mental health challenges such as sobriety, depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and more. Together, we work to relieve symptoms like fatigue, digestive issues, skin conditions, and chronic pain—while gently rebuilding trust in food, the body, and self.

You are not alone. And healing is possible.