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Hello, I’m Jennie—mother, wife, outdoor enthusiast, registered nurse, and certified holistic nutritional consultant. My passion for mental health advocacy wasn’t something I planned, but I’m grateful for where it led me—supporting a population that has long been underrecognized, undersupported, and in need of alternative solutions.
A Shift in Perspective
In my early 20s, I began experiencing panic attacks. Like many, I was given anxiety-related diagnoses and cycled through different medications that never truly addressed the root of my anxiety. Instead, my emotions and experiences were placed into diagnostic boxes, leaving me feeling disconnected, limited, and stuck.
I felt a similar disconnect throughout my 20-year nursing career. The more time I spent in the conventional system, the more I saw its gaps. I knew there was more to healthcare than medication and symptom management.
Turning Point
These realizations pushed me toward a root-cause approach, leading me to advanced education in holistic nutrition.
But during the COVID pandemic, my story took an unexpected turn. Returning to the hospital environment—and amid related pressures—I was prescribed medication for work-related stress. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t help, just as it hadn’t years prior. But this time, taking medication led to an adverse reaction, followed by a too-quick taper and further misdiagnoses. The result was a long and difficult healing process, made even harder by the lack of recognition for psychiatric medication withdrawal.
As I recovered, I started researching the history and efficacy of these medications and discovered a significant gap—not only in my nursing education but also in clinical practice and informed consent. Many medical professionals are unaware of the nuances of psychiatric drug withdrawal, with conditions like protracted withdrawal often dismissed or considered rare. Yet, my experience—and the experiences of many others—tells a different story. Psychiatric medication withdrawal remains largely misunderstood, leaving countless people without the support they need.
Advocating for Safe Tapering
My experience isn’t unique. While not everyone struggles with medication withdrawal, many do—especially when they aren’t
given proper information or support. These are difficult conversations to have because stories of medications not working, or even causing harm, challenge long-held beliefs. But change is happening. Slow, patient-led tapering is gaining recognition, backed by experts like Dr. Mark Horowitz and long-standing communities such as Surviving Antidepressants, which has helped individuals taper safely for over a decade.
Bridging the Gap to Holistic Health
Despite the challenges, my journey led me to work that truly aligns with my values. With psychiatric medication use on the rise, it’s more important than ever to take a broader approach to mental health. While Western medicine plays a necessary role in acute care, it often falls short in addressing long-term well-being.
This is where holistic nutrition shines. By focusing on diet, lifestyle, and the mind-body connection, we can address root issues while supporting organs/systems that are out of balance. This approach was instrumental in my own recovery, and now I provide the kind of guidance I wish had been available to me. Whether or not you take medication, my approach meets you where you are—helping you take control of your mental health in a way that feels right for you.
Let’s work together to help you feel like yourself again.
Fun Stuff About Me ...
- traveling was one of the reasons I chose nursing; it gave me the chance to live in Australia and TRAVEL!
- I spend a lot of time camping, hiking, backpacking and x-country skiing.
- on the weekend, you'll find me in the mountains, watching my kids do what they love, or planning our next travel destination.
- traveling IS my bucket list and our family motto is 'never travel to the same place twice'! Life is too short!
- by the ocean is one of my favourite places to be 👈🏻 this pic is from one of my favourite family trips to the Oregon coast.