A functional medicine nutrition practice rooted in the belief that your body is designed to heal and thrive.
About
osa integrative health
Philosophy
Our bodies are nothing short of miraculous, and it is through them that we experience the world. When our bodies’ functioning is disrupted by various imbalances, conditions, or disease states, our experience of the world is also profoundly changed. At Osa we believe that becoming attuned to what the body is saying is a cornerstone of health. When we listen well to the truth our bodies speak, we open up opportunities for healing and growth. Often what we initially perceive as bothersome symptoms or signs of brokenness are actually signals that our bodies are doing the complex work of trying to find balance and adapt as best as possible to keep us alive. When we turn toward ourselves with compassion, curiosity, and openness, we give ourselves opportunities to reframe our experience of health challenges, to work with our bodies rather than against them, and to change the trajectory of our health.
The lifestyle and functional medicine approach I take is inherently participatory because your health is yours! I am here to support you in your journey with the most current evidence-based recommendations and personalized nutrition and lifestyle approaches, and I respect that ultimately you decide what is right for your body. Lifestyle and nutritional changes are not easy, but I believe my clients can do hard things when they understand why they are doing them and have the support they need to be successful. I can help you sift through all the conflicting health information and get you on a path to lasting health. If you are motivated to create change and are committed to reclaiming ownership of your health, I am here to build you up, answer your burning questions, create a plan that fits your unique needs, and walk beside you.
Welcome! I’m Becky, and I’m so glad you stopped by
I received my training at University of Western States in Portland, Oregon, where I completed a master’s degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, and I currently see clients in the greater Portland metropolitan area and virtually. Before I found functional medicine, I was passionate about all things food, having been raised in my family’s restaurant and having worked in the culinary world. When my husband and I ran into our own health challenges and experienced firsthand the inadequacy of the conventional medicine approach to chronic disease, I discovered functional medicine through the intrepid work of Dr. Terry Wahls. It was then that my curiosity around food evolved into a passion for our relationship with food and with our bodies. I have found that the experience of being unwell invites us into new relationship with ourselves and is ultimately a pathway for growth and renewal. I believe relationships are central to our human experience, and how we relate to ourselves has a huge impact on our relationships with everyone and everything else in our lives. In my work, I utilize evidence-backed, food-first approaches that work with–rather than against–the body’s amazing biochemical pathways and innate healing abilities to restore function. I help my clients to stop “chasing shiny objects” and to instead discover what works for them based on their unique health history, genetics, and personal goals.
I work primarily with adults 40 and better, and I have special interests in cognitive health, hormonal balance, cardiometabolic health, and mental-emotional well-being. Maybe you are experiencing brain fog, fatigue, body composition changes, anxiety, or have a specific medical diagnosis such as an autoimmune condition, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes. Perhaps you are recovering from cancer treatment or a heart attack and are interested in secondary prevention. If any of this describes you and you are motivated to use nutrition and lifestyle to feel your best, we might be a good fit to work together. Please consider booking a free discovery call to learn more about how I can integrate into your care team and how I would approach your unique health needs. If I do not feel like I can help you, I will do my best to refer you to someone who can.
A little more about me…
I am a mother of two and a spouse to my partner of 18 years. I love being outside, whether it’s running, cycling, camping, hiking, swimming in open water, playing at the beach…. I am an unapologetic chocolate lover! I also care deeply about environmental sustainability and creating a hopeful future for our children and all the world’s creatures.
I believe that our health journeys are voyages back to ourselves, and embarking on that voyage is sacred work. My vision for Osa is that each person I meet garners new hope and awareness of possibilities for healing and growth that may previously have been hidden.
I’d love to learn more about you and what brought you here.
Healing can only happen when the body feels safe, so creating a space in which you feel secure and welcomed from the first time we meet is my top priority. It is important to me that you understand that you are not broken, and I am not your fixer. Rather, your body is doing its very best to find balance and keep you alive, and I recognize you as the expert on yourself. I use my knowledge and training in current nutrition and functional medicine to partner with you and your own knowledge about your body to find creative solutions that nurture optimal function and balance within your body so you can attain your health goals.
Root cause medicine
Functional medicine aims to treat the root causes of imbalance and disease by treating the whole unique person, in contrast to an allopathic approach which typically addresses symptoms in a “whack-a-mole” manner that often comes with deleterious side effects and can create new imbalances. The first step in my holistic approach is hearing your story. I want to hear where you’ve been, what your hopes are, and what your body has been telling you along the way. Perhaps you are seeking answers to questions that have not been adequately addressed by other care providers, or you have a hunch (you are not wrong!) that there are other approaches you could be taking to your health but are not sure where to begin. We’ll dig down to the roots together and work from the ground up.
Accessibility
In today’s world, living with vitality and a sense of well-being is more difficult than it should be. I seek to make functional medicine accessible to anyone seeking this approach by keeping costs manageable in a few different ways. I offer a fixed number of reduced price appointments on a monthly basis, which you will see on my bookings page. Please use these if the price of the appointment creates a financial burden for you. (If you are not sure, please refer to this explanation of financial sacrifice vs. burden and use of sliding scales from Alexis Cunningfolk).
Lab work can be instrumental in creating a personalized care plan and may be recommended but is also entirely voluntary, and together we will explore your options and their costs. Some clients come seeking functional testing and others do not. I can work with your primary care provider(s) to help you access any insurance-covered labs. I also help you access competitive prices on recommended supplements through an online dispensary. If you are not able to pursue lab work and/or purchase supplements at this time, we can still work together and make progress using food and lifestyle interventions.
Why the bear?
Osa (“bear”) is my spirit animal and a guiding presence in my life and my work. She is a symbol of the strong, protective care I strive to provide and also the fierce and wild spirit within you that always has your best interest at heart. I hope that the bear provides a sense of comfort and protection to all who encounter her here on the website and elsewhere in communications from Osa Integrative Health.
