CASE STUDIES
A showcase of a few of my clients journeys before, during and after working with me 1:1
When Mackenzie approached me, she was grappling with persistent digestive issues, reaching a breaking point in her struggle that had spanned several years. She presented with symptoms such as bloating, exacerbated digestive discomfort during her menstrual cycle, loss of appetite, food-related fears, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, depression, anxiety, being underweight, and difficulties in achieving a healthy weight. She faced challenges attending school and work, had challenges with her mental health and was surrounded by a lack of understanding from those around her. She would end up in the ER and doctors office time and time again. Despite her frustration with doctors providing insufficient answers and apparent indifference, she clung to hope. When Mackenzie saw my page she knew she had to work with me.
Our collaborative journey began with a comprehensive assessment of Mackenzie's dietary choices, lifestyle, habits, and routines. We utilized tools to bring awareness to her current situation and way of being. Understanding one's current position in their health journey is crucial for recognizing a path forward. Identifying what wasn't working, I tailored explanations to address her specific circumstances, educating her about her body, emphasizing the significance of foundational pillars, which is everything I teach in my Rooted in IBS Foundations program, and empowering her to make informed choices. At each step, she gained trust in her own ability to navigate her health journey.
Together, we constructed a sustainable plan, focusing on building routines, fostering a renewed appreciation for food. I educated her on different aspects of setting up her life to support her healing, tools to support her in getting there, and provided unwavering support, accountability, and guidance through our coaching calls and daily through our direct messaging. Instead of quick fixes or temporary solutions, our approach aimed to systematically support her body for lasting change. Sustainability, addressing root causes, and personal empowerment were the cornerstones of our work together.
Mackenzie decided to re-sign with me twice to ensure her healing was optimized and she had the support she felt she needed to get her to the next steps in her healing. Once our time together came to a close, Mackenzie experienced a transformative shift in her health and trust in herself. Not only did she find relief from symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, irregular bowel movements and fatigue, but she also gained confidence and self-trust to care for her body and symptoms if they were to arise in the future. Achieving a healthy weight, eliminated her bouts of nausea and vomiting, adopted a healthier relationship with food, felt excited about eating again, and adopting supportive habits to continue this growth. Because of the work that we did together, Mackenzie experienced such a significant reduced anxiety so much so that she ended up making the decision alongside her doctor to get off of anxiety medication after years and years of being on it. Her healing leaked into other areas of her life; she learned to advocate for herself in medical settings and set boundaries in her personal life. With all of this healing, there were some symptoms that I felt she needed deeper testing and support with relating to her cycle; I supported her in finding an aligned doctor who helped her in getting her proper diagnosis and in her next steps of her healing. Mackenzie was able to go back to work without consistently calling out sick and she was so inspired by our time working together that she went on to become a certified health coach herself. Starting with low confidence, Mackenzie's commitment to herself and her healing brought about a remarkable return of her self-assurance and truly transformed her life.
In her testimonial, Mackenzie expressed, ”Coming across Kora was like the universe telling me it was time to heal.” And that is exactly what we did. Mackenzie continues to thrive with the tools we implemented.
Case Study 01: Mackenzie
When Sophia came to me for help, she was struggling with digestive symptoms she believed were unnecessary and uncommon. Issues like irregular bowel movements, bloating, frequent stomach upset, acid reflux, and new food sensitivities made her feel heavy in her body. Despite her desire to heal, Sophia spent time on Dr. Google and found the information overwhelming and unclear which led her to search for more personalized support.
Throughout our time together, Sophia and I teamed up to tailor her experience, ensuring personalized education, accountability, and structured guidance. Our approach involved delving into gut health, introducing tools, routines, and awareness through daily habits, diet, and lifestyle changes. We utilized many tools, some being temporary food logs to heighten awareness of her habits, enabling us to identify areas that she needed to focus on and improve. We discussed what a balanced diet looks like and figured out what that meant for her, I educated her on how to read food labels and other aspects of making grocery store choices bringing more awareness to what she was putting in her body so that she could make educated choices about her nourishment and consumption.
Recognizing that gut healing extends beyond diet, we explored mindset, nervous system regulation, blood sugar balance, circadian rhythms, and more. We delved into Sophia's relationship with food, emphasizing tuning in to her body while maintaining knowledge and structure in healthful eating and being. Other topics that we covered and unfolded together included systemic body functions (hormones, blood sugar, circadian rhythms), the vagus nerve, gut-brain connection, anxiety, nervous system regulation, and overall body balance through healing practices, routines, and tools.
Within just three months, Sophia experienced significant improvements in symptoms, confidence, and her ability to actively encourage her gut health and healing. Armed with tools and knowledge, she identified food triggers and worked to heal them by embracing healing practices that we put into practice. She felt lighter, more energetic, stronger, and overall less bloated. Remarkably, three years post-program, Sophia continues to use the tools we implemented, demonstrating their lasting impact on her health and wellness. She was very grateful for the personalized support and accountability, the realistic and sustainable methods that aligned seamlessly with her busy life and unique body needs.
Sophia's impactful experience working with me has fueled her eagerness to learn more which has inspired her to sign back on as a continuing client to continue the growth and healing. She describes the journey as ”incredibly transformational.”
Case Study 02: Sophia
"Coming across Kora was like the universe was telling me that it was time to heal. From Kora's inspirational posts and advice on gut health, I had to know more about why it was super important"
"By working with Kora, I was able to become more aware of how these beliefs were affecting my body’s response to eating foods I had deemed “unhealthy” or “bad” for me. I was able to start to challenge some of those internalized thoughts and work toward a more holistic view of food. Before working with Kora, I was stuck in a cycle of feeling guilt and shame around my eating habits and digestive problems. While overcoming this is a long learning process, I’ve been able to cultivate a better ability to react more kindly toward my choices and my body’s reactions."
“I have noticed that my gut health is immensely better—less bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. I feel lighter and have incorproated so many new tools to support myself every day."
"Kora is great at guiding through the ups and downs of the process. Because she has experienced these issues herself, she is relatable and understands the daily challenges that come with digestive issues and unlearning messages of diet culture."
supporting root causes
