I’m so excited to share this interview with you today that I did with my new friend, Kristy. She has such an interesting background with experience as a mental health therapist and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and I loved how she shared practical and helpful advice about happiness, intuition and so much more. Enjoy! ♥♥♥
1. What has your journey been to becoming a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and mental health therapist?
I first received my Master’s in counseling, and I had been working with military sexual assault victims for several years when the stress of my job took a massive toll on my health. Doctors offered me diagnoses like PCOS, hypothyroidism, and autoimmune disease, and while they were quick to prescribe medications to manage my symptoms, they weren’t interested in getting at the root cause of these conditions. My intuition told me that I needed to dig deeper and I suspected that nutrition was a big piece of the puzzle. This led me to study nutritional therapy, and from there everything clicked for me. I was able to heal my body, reverse all diagnoses, and most of all I gained a deeper understanding of the powerful connection between physical and emotional health. I now combine these two skillsets to help my clients find optimal wellness and happiness!
2. Do you have any tips on tuning into your intuition?
Absolutely! Our intuition always tells us what we need, but oftentimes we forget to listen, or we rationalize it away. Sometimes intuition manifests as something you just “have a hunch” about; but I have found that intuition more frequently speaks through emotions as opposed to profound epiphanies. For example, anxiety shows up to let us know that something isn’t right in our environment or in our life balance. Conversely, we feel peace and happiness when things are in balance. Sometimes you just have a certain “feeling” about someone or something… start to pay attention to how you feel around specific people and in your daily situations.
If you feel insecure in a relationship or in your workplace, something is off and needs further investigation. You feel that way for a reason. If your romantic relationship is creating more stress than happiness, then something has to change no matter how desirable that person is or how perfect they “could” be. If you are filled with dread every Sunday night in anticipation of going back to your job on Monday, you need to ask yourself if that job is truly serving you, no matter how great the pay is or how good it looks on paper. These emotional cues, if we pay attention to them, can connect us to our intuition and guide us towards that which is good for us, and away from that which does not serve us. Ultimately, listening to your intuition is the blueprint for happiness.
3. What are you looking forward to most in the next month, personally or professionally?
So much! This season of my life has been one of tremendous growth in all possible ways. Professionally, I have just been invited to join a private therapy practice in Carlsbad with an amazing group of people, and I couldn’t be more excited about that. Personally, I am finding that new people continue to come into my life who bring positive energy, inspiring ideas, and new experiences. I greatly look forward to deepening these relationships and opening myself up to more meaningful connection.
4. What is your go-to breakfast?
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and it’s also truly the most important one in many ways! My go-to breakfast is sweet potato ribbons sautéed in coconut oil, two fried eggs, sliced avocado, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. It is SO tasty, well-balanced, and keeps me full without weighing me down!
5. What daily rituals do you have that help you stay positive and happy?
- Nourishing food. Eating right for my body as well as treating myself is a huge key to my happiness. The foods we eat can impact our mood and wellbeing tremendously, so I feel my best when I’m giving my body what it needs and avoiding foods that trigger a negative response.
- Positive self-talk. Anxiety shows up for me from time to time, and I have learned that the content of my thoughts has a huge impact on how severe it is and how long it stays. Rather than letting my thoughts run away with me (“Things are falling apart”, “I can’t do this,” etc), I intentionally keep my thoughts positive (“Everything will be ok”, “I can handle this”). Thoughts have power, so what you say to yourself is really important!
- Human connection. Connecting with the people I love is a daily practice that keeps me grounded and optimistic even during challenging times. I have a wonderful support system and knowing that there are people who truly know me, and who will be there to celebrate the high points and have my back through the low points is more valuable than anything money can buy.
6. What has been your biggest learning experience in life?
There have been MANY, but the common thread in my most profound learning experiences has been finding the courage to let go of things that don’t serve me, and trusting that better things will follow. It is so hard to risk leaving a job, a relationship, or even a belief system without knowing what the next step will be. Sometimes even when things aren’t making us happy, mediocrity can be a comfortable place to stay because things will almost certainly get harder before they get better. However, it is SO worth it to take the risks, and to pursue a truly fulfilling life as opposed to a tolerable one. I suppose I could sum it up as “NEVER SETTLE!”
7. What do you think is the key to a happy, joyful life?
I subscribe to the idea that happiness is more about the journey than the destination. Goals are extremely important, but ultimately, a joyful life comes from the people and experiences you have along the way. Genuine connection with other human beings, to show your soul to someone and have them show you theirs, to love and to be loved… to me, that is the essence of a happy life. We are all in this together, and that is a beautiful thing.
8. What is your favorite mantra?
I tend to adopt different mantras based on what’s going on in my life, but recently my mantra has been “Everything is figureoutable” (by Marie Forleo). It’s true- it is! It’s the limiting belief that we cannot overcome challenges that is the true obstacle.
9. Do you have any courses or retreats coming up you’d like readers to know about?
Yes! My business partner and I have a group for women called “Cravings & Connections” which focuses on un-complicating the nutritional and emotional elements of wellness. We talk about the emotional components of eating, why we have cravings and how to respond to them, exploring our relationship with ourselves and with food, and we also break down some complicated topics like blood sugar balance and digestion in a way that’s fun, actually makes sense, and provides tools for better health. More than just a group, we have created a community where profound growth, connection, and transformation occur. The feedback has been tremendous, and our next group starts Thursday June 29th, followed by another group starting Tuesday July 18th, and we are now taking reservations for both! Space is limited, but we do run these groups on a rotating basis. You can find more information about the group at www.paleotherapists.com, or reserve your spot by emailing paleotherapists@gmail.com.
You can follow along with Kristy’s journey on Instagram @uncommonwellness and visit her blog at https://www.uncommon-wellness.com/.
This interview is part of Happsters Happy Questions, an ongoing series of interviews that take a peek inside the lives of inspiring women around the world.
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