MY BIO

Even though it's been 35 years now since I moved, I still think of myself as a midwesterner.  When I was accepted into a highly-competitive master's degree/internship program at Tufts University School of Nutrition, I left my beloved Chicago and headed to Boston. I had every intention of moving back after graduation, but I never left.

After getting married, graduating with a Master of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition, and completing my internship, I launched my career as a consultant for a group of nursing homes.  That didn't last too long.  After pleading with the doctor who wrote the low sodium diet order, I realized that sweet, 94-year-old Edgar was not going to be allowed the eagerly-anticipated soft pretzel he had been waiting for all day.  (If you make it to 94, I think you have earned the right to eat whatever you want.) I knew it wasn't a good fit, and I left. Thus began my journey of working my way down the life cycle....

I accepted a position as a health educator at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts, working for an adult weight management program, where I counseled, supported and celebrated patients whose health profiles improved dramatically when they lost weight. I mean a lot of weight.... at least 50 pounds to qualify for our intensive program. I had the privilege of working with and witnessing patients struggle to lose those pounds, and gain self-esteem that was nothing short of inspiring. I could have worked there forever, except the best thing that ever happened to me changed my life.  I became a mother.  Nothing, nothing could have prepared me for what I felt when my daughter was born. The trajectory of my life changed, and I knew that a 60-hour/week commitment to my clients wasn't sustainable and I again knew.  Absolutely knew. Not a great fit. At least not for that season in my life.

So....I stayed home for a few years, had my first son, and loved the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom. Sometimes the best things in your life surprise you, ambush you, grace you with opportunities you didn't even know existed. That's what happened when I met the director of the Minute Man Early Intervention program in Concord, who was looking for a dietitian to join their team.   And so I went back to work, one day/week, working with children with special needs and their families. I loved it.  I found my passion, my calling, or maybe it found me. My hours increased, I had another son, I pieced together daycare and found that even when it wasn't easy, it was SO worth the complications.

Twenty eight years later, I'm still working with the Minute Man Early Intervention program, along with private practice work with children and families, offering workshops and consultations in a variety of settings.  Over the years, I've worked hard to dispel the notion that, as a dietitian, I am the food police.  I have worked hard to establish a good, trusting relationship with my clients, based on mutual respect and humility.  Over many years, I've learned more from what doesn't work than what does, and have used that knowledge to create realistic, healthy, doable plans to change lives and turn families around.

I'm here with years and years of experience and advise.  Let me know if I can help.