For years I tended to a natural-based life. I created hair products from foods and herbs. My lotions contained minimal ingredients. Or, I mixed herbs and oils.
At 19 I did the big-chop removing every strand of chemically-processed hair. For 20 years I've twisted, braided, locked, and picked out my natural hair.
When problems arose, I prayed, sought therapy, and journaled.
But when my period came, I went straight loco - only pain pills and narcotics for me!
Every three weeks the nurse sent me home early: I couldn't sit up or stand - the pain pulsed through my back, stomach, and thighs. Once home, I laid in the bed for a minimum of 3 hours with a heating pad just so I could muster the strength to walk to the fridge - or go the the bathroom. And that was after popping more than the recommended amount of pills. For 23 years I suffered every three weeks in this same manner.
In August 2017 my OB-GYN re-diagnosed me with fibroids and a right ovarian cyst. I'd lived pain-free for six years following a myomectomy in 2011.
But to advance my career, I neglected myself by...
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ignoring aches and pains
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neglecting my spiritual life
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pushing exercise off to study
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eating crappy food
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neglecting self-care and stress management
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suppressing the desire to eat so I could study
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not asking for help to manage my grandmother's care until the last minute
Stress caused an irregular period pattern again. Just like I'd experienced in medical school when I had a 22-day bleed, my period never stopped this time around.
Knowing all this, I left her office dejected. I'd failed myself. Again. My fear of failure wreaked havoc by pushing me to extreme measures. Now I was paying the price to succeed.
I passed my board exams in August. But my celebratory mood fizzled out when months later the MRI showed a 4-cm increase in the fibroids. They were now the size of a grapefruit.

Neglecting the foundations of health and well-being (you reap what you sow) created the soil for tumors and cysts to grow.
So, I started from the beginning. This time around, I also made mindset changes, lifestyle shifts, and spiritual renovations.
I used to...
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stay home from the pain and weakness
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bleed through my skirts and dresses
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fall asleep with a heating pad on my abdomen
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struggle with exhaustion from the anemia
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exist on Excedrin or Aleve and Tylenol
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faint or have dizzy spells (with the requisite ER visit)
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avoid yoga or barre for fear of falling from the weakness
Now I've recovered from all of those symptoms. I stopped the fibroids from growing and working to shrink them.
The decision to shift my mindset so I nurture my mind, body, and spirit led to my recovery. When I work with clients in the same way they always experience "surprising", "unexpected" results. Truthfully though, that's the only way to approach well-being.

Personal
I love mac & cheese! The gluten-free one I made rivals my grandmother's (No lie! My dad agrees. No, he's not biased).
I also love tiny homes, Chicago steppin', and art journaling.
I have one fake tooth because the original was knocked out by a man running from the police while stealing a huge television. He ran into me. Then he got caught by the cops.
I grew up in a Christian home as a pastor's kid and received the Acts 2:38 biblical experience at the age of seven. My relationship with Jesus Christ fills me with a deep belief that we are already seated in well-being; There is divine will, agency, an opportunity for us to recover our health. So, in therapeutic partnerships, my client and I work toward her well-being, not away from disease.
My Super Powers
Clients and friends tell me that after our interactions and appointments they:
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are more optimistic
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feel seen and heard
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feel safe to be transparent
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feel good about themselves
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are encouraged to keep going
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understand complicated topics
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share more than they expected
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gain clarity from our conversations
This means when we work together you can expect more than a structured, personalized treatment plan. You can feel safe to be yourself and have your needs met both professionally and personally.
Thank you for visiting!
Sign up for the weekly-ish newsletter. Isn't it time to learn lots of practical things? You can start working on fixing your period problems today.
I also offer First Line Therapy telehealth consultations. To improve your health we uncover and address root causes. That's when you experience dramatic and permanent well-being.
Check out the blog. If you read something that resonates or triggers you, let me know. I'm here for conversation too.
Whatever you do, I hope it guides you to examine your life and see what you can do with the power you have.
Education
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Spelman College: B.A., English/Pre-Med - 2000
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Cambridge College: M.Ed, Education - 2006
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Institute of Integrative Nutrition: CHHC, Holistic Health Coach - 2007
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University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine: N.D., Naturopathic Doctoral
Program - 2015
Licensure
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Naturopathic Physician, Washington, D.C., April 2018 - Dec 2020
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Naturopathic Physician, Connecticut, January 2021 - Present