We believe everyone deserves to feel great,
so we work to give you access to the best health coaches and nutritionists around, no matter where you live. With credentials from certified health coaching and nutrition programs, connections to the functional medicine communities in our neighborhoods, and first-hand experience with many of the conditions we coach on, the Summit Coaches are pros who are here to help you reach your health goals.
Forget one size fits all: we go at your pace to incorporate health into the one-of-a-kind lifestyle you're already living.
Whether you're looking for someone experienced in navigating chronic conditions (thyroid, anxiety, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.), help with polishing up a few areas of your healthy low-stress lifestyle, or someone who can work with you on your doctor's recommendations, we have the coach for you.
You're getting the best of the best.
The Summit Coaches are trained by some of the best doctors and experts in integrative and functional medicine.
Our team includes coaches with training from the only Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) partner program in the world, as well as those with National Board Certification.
What do you get?
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A coach who has met the most stringent, highest standards
for coaching capabilities.
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A knowledgeable coach who can support you with strategies
to address food, stress, sleep, relationships, lifestyle,
and everything in between.
Get to know us!
Stephanie B.
MY STORY
I didn't think I'd be here today.
I was eating a healthy diet, working a great corporate job, ran daily, and felt happy! Over several months, I began experiencing unexplainable symptoms, starting with a year of digestive issues & IBS. Then weight gain... and anxiety. Muscle soreness/weakness. Food sensitivities. Fatigue. Arthritis. Depression. Acne. Poor recovery from easy workouts. I’d sleep 10-12 hours and wake up exhausted. Does this sound like you?
This became my new normal, but I never realized how bad I felt.
Eventually, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism of the autoimmune variety (Hashimoto’s) and adrenal “fatigue,” or adrenal dysfunction.
My doc was in disbelief that I was even able to function to the degree I had been, given the severity of my labs.
Hashimoto’s changed everything.
My treatment plan involved reading a book. I was beside myself.
As I dove in, I found comfort in researching and learning: lifestyle changes could heal chronic illness (hypothyroidism, anxiety, type II diabetes, etc.) that are traditionally permanent lifelong conditions. You can reverse an autoimmune disease?? Yes. And lots of people have done it.
Knowing this, my purpose started becoming clear. I was going to do that too.
I became my own guinea pig in experiments with healthy changes in sleep, stress, exercise, toxins, relationships, and food. It was a long, extremely bumpy road or lifestyle changes and personal growth, but with each change, my autoimmunity began to subside. I began to be able to function and think again. I had more energy. My body was liking the new and nutritious foods I was eating!
I did the “impossible” by reversing an autoimmune disease -- and now I hope to help you work through your health challenges and maybe even avoid a lifelong sentence of prescription meds.
My Background
I have a B.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Ohio State University, and over 13 years of corporate experience with a Fortune 100 company. I walk my dog every evening, live for yoga in the park, beach days, and creating fun jewelry on Etsy with one of my fellow health coaches.
My Philosophy - Make Healthy Easy
We’re all unique people, so our food & healthy lifestyle should be one-of-a-kind too. Let's work together and find what works for you. Changes & plans that rely on your willpower will not succeed; I'm all about 'hacking' your current lifestyle and working with the way you live. When you coach with me, you'll pick up plenty of the time-savers, secret weapons, and shortcuts I've developed to make "doing healthy" effortless and sustainable.
MY TRAINING
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Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, FMCHC - Functional Medicine Coaching Academy
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Registered Yoga Teacher, RYT-200 - Yoga Alliance
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Nutrition Therapy Consultant, NTA
Additional Training, Coursework, & Activities:
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The Neuroendocrine Immunology of Mucosal Immunity - Dr. Datis Kharazzian
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Hepatic Detoxification - Apex Energetics
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Designs for Health 14-Day PaleoCleanse/VegeCleanse Detox Group Leader
MY FOCUS AREAS
Thyroid & Hashimoto's
Adrenal health
Mold illness
Autoimmunity
Stephanie A.
MY STORY
"When are you going to stop wishing for a better past?"
This is the question that stopped me in my tracks at a meditation retreat years ago and made me question my life. I realized I had let my regrets and past struggles define me and I was holding on so tightly to that story. I was denying myself happiness. I understood that other people deserved grace for their past mistakes; we all did our best with what we had at the time, right? Why couldn't I apply this acceptance toward myself?
"On paper", my life looked great: Despite being a single mother with 2 small children, I was able to start a wedding photography business and still stay home with them. Over the course of 17 years, I had photographed nearly 600 weddings while simultaneously designing a line of couture wedding gowns that have been carried all over the globe, featured in magazines and on the TV show "Say Yes to the Dress NY". BUT, all I saw were my mistakes and how I could have done better.
Once I started to see how crazy that was, and as my children approached adulthood, I decided to figure out what I truly wanted my life to be about. I discovered mindfulness and got my eating back on track. I decided to wipe the slate clean. I closed both businesses, moved, started working at a Functional/Integrative Medicine practice, and went back to school. I wanted to start anew, accepting my past failures, but only putting my energy into today; what could I do each day, each minute to be aligned with what I valued? What did I even value, for that matter?
Through yoga, healthy eating, mindfulness, and meaningful connections, slowly but surely a new me began to emerge and happiness was flowing into my life. It was amazing to me how much of an impact these lifestyle changes made on my entire outlook on life.
Sure, I knew my body would get healthier, but my mind too? Of course, I still make mistakes, but I know I am doing the best with what I have at this moment and I accept myself.
What brings me joy today, besides my wonderful children (Can I still call them children even though they're adults?), is learning anything new, creating (anything), and showing my clients how small changes in their thinking, eating, moving, connecting, and accepting can create big impacts in their lives.
What's important to me
My wonderful kids. Watching these two grow into the strong and talented adults that they are has made me a better human.
MY FOCUS AREAS
Mindfulness
Stress reduction
Anxiety
MY TRAINING
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CYT (Certified Yoga Teacher) - Yogaworks
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Certified Health Coach - Functional Medicine Coaching Academy
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FLT (First Line Therapy) Certified - Metagenics Lifestyle Medicine Program
Shelby P.
MY STORY
You don’t have to live with the pain
Since late childhood and my early teen years, I struggled with abdominal pain. I have vivid memories of being doubled over in pain as the school bus pulled away and I walked toward my house. I forced myself to stand up straight all day while at school, wanting desperately to be “normal”, and not wanting anyone to know the pain I felt everyday.
A diagnosis of a duodenal ulcer at age 16 and a prescription for medication provided a bandaid of temporary, partial relief for a couple years. However, I continued to struggle with abdominal pain and digestive issues throughout my adult life.
While always drawn to nutrition and wellness, I tried to make changes in diet, yet never knew exactly what to do. I learned to “live with the pain”, accepting it as a part of life that I couldn’t change.
After over 35 years of digestive disorders, I healed myself through Functional Medicine. I got at the root causes of my pain and learned how I could treat my disorders with diet and lifestyle behavior changes.
I learned how to reduce toxic exposure and adequately detoxify, follow an anti-inflammatory diet which healed my gut, use Mind Body Medicine techniques to transform stress, and in the process I lost over 50 pounds of excess weight as a natural “side effect”. I have been pain-free and living my best life with superfluous energy and well-being for over five years.
Big changes are made through small steps
I am thrilled to help people achieve their optimal health and well-being. To that end, I believe that behavior change comes most easily and is maintained when we start with small actions and organically build upon each success. I enjoy helping my clients to set realistic goals that don’t overwhelm the brain’s built-in resistance to change.
I received my certification as a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach from the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy (FMCA) in December 2016, where I currently work as a Course Facilitator, Practicum Supervisor, and Admissions Team Member. I also completed my certification as a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) through ICHWC (www.ichwc.org) in October 2017.
As a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, I studied Biochemistry and Business Management, later studying for my Master’s in Psychology at Concordia University in Chicago, IL. Prior to becoming a Function Medicine Certified Health Coach, I had a successful 15-year career in corporate human resources and consulting with Fortune 500 companies, while maintaining my lifelong passion for health & wellness.
I enjoy reading, laughing, meditating, playing sports in the cul-de-sac with my children, running with my dogs, and going to the theatre.
MY FOCUS AREAS
Digestive disorders
Women's health conditions
Cancer prevention/treatment
Mental health
Autism
MY TRAINING
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Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach - Functional Medicine Health Coaching Academy
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National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach - International Consortium of Health & Wellness Coach