Meet Hannah

Hannah is a Certified Health Coach, accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She received her training to practice health coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, an affiliate of Columbia University.

Before specializing in food and body, Hannah studied Music and Psychology at the University of Michigan, where she earned a BMA and graduated with honors.

Currently, Hannah is studying with Marc David in Boulder, CO. Marc David is a pioneer in Eating Psychology and Mind Body Nutrition, and the founder of The Institute for the Psychology of Eating. In June of 2010, she will complete her certification as a Dynamic Eating Psychology Counselor. She’s also honored to be supporting The Institute on staff as Social Media Coordinator.

Hannah works with clients individually and in groups to create relationships to food and body that work. Learn more about her philosophy and approach here. She also leads workshops, lectures and tele-classes on provocative food and body topics. She has facilitated programs for organizations such as the Cortiva Institute for Massage Therapy, Lululemon Athletica, Dahn Yoga & Healing, the Jamaica Plain Wellness Series, among others.

Hannah’s story:

My name is Hannah, and I’m a HUNGRY girl.

For a long time, I was convinced I had a bottomless pit inside me, where god forgot to put my stomach. As it turned out, no amount of food was going to satisfy my Naked Hunger.

For years, I was on a passionate quest for the “perfect diet”: the magic bullet that would help me lose weight, stop bingeing, and be the “me” I always dreamed I’d be. I failed at literally hundreds of diet plans, and gained and lost hundreds of pounds in the process.

I was completely burnt out and battling a head cold (or worse) almost all the time. “Cooking” was opening a Raamen noodle package or microwaving a frozen chicken breast. I was rarely seen without a cup of coffee in my hand. I thought about food all the time, obsessing over every morsel that went into my mouth. I experienced uncontrollable binges several times a week. When I wasn’t bingeing, I was depriving myself and restricting my food intake to make up for the previous binge.

This was my reality.

And here we have it: an example of a relationship to food and body that does not work.

Something in me knew there was a better way. After years of fighting myself, detesting my body, and chasing my tail with diets and binges, I began the process of stripping down my food and body challenges to the bare-naked core.

• I stopped dieting and threw away the scale. Really!

• I gradually shifted the beliefs and misconceptions that were keeping me stuck.

• I took small, manageable steps to change my diet, and fell in love with whole, real, delicious foods.

• I discovered how to harness my metabolic power by slowing down with food, identifying and reducing the stress in my life, and becoming “awake at the plate.”

• I learned that even though I’m pretty darn smart, my body is a whole lot smarter. I’ve enlisted my body wisdom to help make choices that serve me.

• I learned that other people exist for a reason, and it’s silly to try to do everything alone (and perfectly). I got support.

I now know that my Naked Hunger is my trusty barometer for how I’m doing. It always lets me know when my mind, body, and/or spirit need my attention. In other words, I’m not perfect and I’ve surrendered to the fact that the human experience is a wild ride. Bring it on.

Ready to transform your relationship with food? Contact Hannah today.