My Story

Welcome! I believe life is full of trials and that living our best life can be messy, but with the right tools, we can be successful in building habits of wellness that lead to full transformation. I’m a mother, wife, therapist, educator, and coach with a love of nature, music, fitness, and mindfulness. I am determined to live my life with strength and adversity to teach, motivate, and inspire; to educate others about the challenges of living with a chronic illness and to always live with hope for a cure. I’m a believer in miracles and have witnessed time and again that “everything happens for a reason”. I believe it is up to us to determine what that reason is, with time and patience, to then make our mark and difference in this world! The number one thing I strive to be, is an inspirational role model for my two amazing girls.

I have been a board certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS) for over twenty years. I have experience as a clinical therapist across the lifespan and have found my true passion working in pediatric rehabilitation. I have a life-long love of learning and have dedicated countless hours and many years towards continuing education in the areas of elementary education, evidence based practices, brain injury, assistive technology, aquatics, yoga, and mindfulness. I hold a master’s in education (M.Ed.) and teaching license in the state of Pennsylvania for grades K-6. I have studied brain injury, work clinically with brain injured youth, and passed a national certification exam as a certified brain injury specialist (CBIS). I most recently completed my children’s yoga and mindfulness graduate coursework with certification in the five element approach. I am currently working toward my 200-hour registered yoga teacher (RYT) certification.

My experience with yoga has been personal within the past five years and was a moving force that changed my life and my perspective regarding physical, emotional, and mental health. I started to explore yoga and fitness to take back my own life from chronic illness. I was diagnosed after a rare illness with type one diabetes sixteen years ago. I was very ill, my organs were in failure and I was near death. The diagnosis was both a blessing and a curse… I would live…but life as I knew it, would never be the same. Out of fear, I stopped all the things that I loved and that made me who I was. As each year progressed, more diagnosis’ were added to my health record, that most physicians related to having an auto immune deficiency. I struggled with body image, feelings of embarassment, frustration, and depression. Soon severe fatigue started to overwhelm me. I gave up a decade of my true-self to the disease that had over taken my body, my mind, and my quality of life. In my career, I worked with children and families to help them face adversity and struggles with their own health challenges, yet I was severely lacking in helping myself. When I felt I was at rock bottom with my own health, I knew I needed to make a change in order to be there for my family in the future and to be the role model my young children needed. Oddly enough my life changed when I joined an older ladies yoga class with my sister as my support person. It was through this amazing group of older women, that I was able to fully explore yoga and mindfulness without fear. I started to see changes within my whole being which led to further exploration of health, fitness, and nutrition. I immersed myself in research and learning. I am the healthiest I have ever been due to instilling habits of wellness within my own life.

My favorite thing in the entire world is to help and inspire others. When I learned the key to health in my own world of chronic illness, I felt motivated and moved to share my experiences with others; with hope to share through personal accolades that anything is possible! It is the trials of life that teach us what we are made of and lead to our greatest transformations.