I received my training to practice Health Counseling at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which is the only nutrition school integrating all the different dietary theories—combining the knowledge of traditional philosophies with modern concepts like the USDA food pyramid, the glycemic index, the Zone and raw foods.  I also have a Bachelor of Science and Masters degree from Cornell University.

In my free time I enjoy teaching yoga, training for Ironman triathlons and playing with my dog in the park :o)

Testimonials

A previous client's story: Two years ago, I was working hard to shake the blues associated with seasonal depression, but was still feeling overwhelmed, with an amorphous sense of frustration. It was difficult to sort out what I needed to address to make things improve*should I leave my job? Find a romantic partner? Get in better shape? I felt numb. Out of touch with my body’s needs and unable to trust myself, I contacted Melinda to see how she might be able to help.
From our first meeting, I knew Melinda was someone that could help me, but I had only a dim concept of how transformative this process would ultimately be. Melinda gave me warm, gentle and unfailing support as I untangled the threads of my life, providing a sounding board, some laughs, thought-provoking exercises, and opportunities for reflection that helped me identify my priorities and goals. She suggested immediate steps I could take to make them a reality, and asked questions that made me carefully consider what I wanted my life to look like.
Within months, I had reestablished trust in my own abilities, and felt myself becoming open to myriad possibilities. A year later, I was thriving in my work, had harnessed and redirected my finances, was in better physical shape than ever been before, was writing a book, and was involved in a beautiful and supportive romantic relationship that far surpassed anything I had previously been able to imagine for myself. I’m so grateful for the work we did together. I went to Melinda searching for some sense of clarity, and ended up finding so much more*including a love of dance and the love of a lifetime!

An e-mail from a previous client: I continue to be grateful and thankful to you for pointing me in the direction of better health practices for my life.  When we first started working together, I was in the beginning throes of the "crisis".  It was a stressful time for me, and I have found myself saying (I even realized it at the time) that the focusing activities and centering exerciese that you helped me with were HUGE in my ability to withstand that stress.  Sure, I needed to lose weight.  I needed to incorporate exercise and relaxation activities into my life, but this was a unique time in my life, and I'm not sure I could have withstood without your help. Now that the crisis has passed and folks have moved on, there is a "new normal" in our family which is more mature and more realistic, at least for me.  Part of this is the continued practice of many of the nutrition and self-love practices I learned and polished working with you.  It's so important, particularly as I get into my "senior years", and I will treasure these lessons and endeavor to practice them for the rest of my life.  Thanks again, so much!