I offer people a comprehensive assessment of how their lifestyle may contribute to current and or future health problems. I develop a protocol that empowers them toward disease prevention and reversal. My goal is to guide people in the direction where they can optimize their level of health.

EDUCATION | Associate's degree in film production, Two additional certifications in personal training, Clinical nutritionist, Certification as a reconnective healing practitioner

HOW TO GET STARTED | You would want to seek out a mentor in this area - that's ideal. There are a lot of great schools now that are offering the kind of knowledge I have. Many are now offering programs in alternative medicine or naturopathic medicine if that is your goal, or you may prefer to communicate whatever your passion may be through media or the arts. In that case I would recommend seeking training in film, journalism and or the arts that can help you develop your voice and the avenue you wish to deliver it. You can start with a simple nutrition certification and get involved in a healing community forum such as the inner circle group that you can join on Dr. Joseph Mercola's website at www.mercola.com. In terms of reconnective healing, seeking out a reconnective healing practitioner certification course is essential. People can visit www.thereconnection.com for resources in that area.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Empathy, patience, discipline, understanding, a craving for this type of knowledge in mind/body medicine

how I got started | Ultimately I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at 14 years old, this is an autoimmune condition causing pain and swelling in most all the joints. I was on a lot of mainstream medications for over 10 years which never treated the cause of the disease but provided significant side effects by the time I was in my mid-twenties. I became disabled which put on hold my career in film production. Mainstream medicine did not have any additional answers for me except higher doses of painkillers. So began my search into alternative medicine which led to many years of various nutritional approaches, detoxification and alternative therapies, much of which was documented on film. From there I gradually made the transition to more of a healing career and acquired more and more knowledge about my own condition. Having success, I gradually recovered and began free health support groups that would inspire others to try some of the healing modalities and protocols that worked for me. Eventually I realized what was effective and what was not and now that is being summarized in a documentary film and a book that I'm working on.

why this job?| The extreme need for accurate information that relates to the cause of disease and not just symptom management. People can be run in circles in either area of mainstream or alternative medicine and so, from my own experience of healing myself of an autoimmune disease and having led the health support groups for years, I've been able to determine what seems to be effective for most people and what isn't. Many people can receive some benefit from 1-2 therapies such as acupuncture or a nutritional assessment. But unless a fully comprehensive approach is taken that identifies all the major potential causes of disease - until all those are addressed as possibilities and the patient is made aware of all those - it's very easy to miss something that's key. You can spend a lot of time and money going to expensive doctors and never really getting anywhere. Health can be made very simple and that is my goal - to simplify and filter the arsenal of health knowledge that is out there and available to people. I want to give people what they need and eliminate what they don't.

why I love this job!| I love the challenge of inspiring people to make changes that will have drastic effects on their life. It is the challenge I enjoy the most and the one that is the most rewarding. I love seeing people transform even on a subtle level where they begin to feel truly empowered. Lastly, I love communicating this essential knowledge through art, writing and film.

my typical day| Morning meditation and then some writing. I then start communicating with clients through email and answering questions as I offer continuous support to anyone I've seen. I then do nutrition consults that are done by appointment. This includes a full assessment of their lifestyle. Most often clients also do a reconnective healing with me. This is an energy healing modality that offers relief from chronic pain, stress and numerous other ailments. In my extra time I work on filming the documentary on alternative medicine or working on the companion book to that.

what they are | One of the biggest challenges has been carving a niche of a career. There's such a demand for it yet it's difficult to find a place to work from because so many people put their trust in an MD certification as necessary. Yet with the state of our healthcare system it's very obvious that that's not working. Another challenge is simply convincing people that they are in control of their health. It really comes down to the choices they make and the attitude they carry about whether they can be healthy or not. It's like the saying goes: "If you believe you can or if you believe you can't, either way you're right."

all about growth | If you want to become an alternative practitioner you can go through different stages. You can start in nutrition or energy healing while working out of a medical spa and then you can step up with additional education into anti-aging medicine, holistic practice, or osteopathic certification. There is an extreme demand. It's just a matter of whether you acquire the educational level necessary. There are many MDs that are going back to school and crossing over now to this type of more naturopathic approach to medicine.

my website|