We were lucky to catch up with Vanessa Fitzgerald recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Vanessa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
Believe it or not, vulnerability doesn’t come naturally to me. I was raised in a household where I was taught to keep things private. I also use to care deeply about what other people thought of me. I wanted to be liked by everyone, which we know is an impossible feat. This kept me paralyzed with fear when it came to engaging in any form of social platform. I was also taking Adderall at the time, a drug that was prescribed to me in high school for an ADD diagnosis when the reality is that I just wasn’t very good in school. When I turned 30, I had realized that I had been addicted to this drug for 13 years. I also knew that adderall did nothing good for the body other than artificially spiking the reward centers in the brain, which is a nicer way of saying it gets you high. This so called productivity wonder drug had gotten me nowhere. I was just out of yet another relationship, I had no steady career in site, and my friendships weren’t fulfilling me anymore. I knew something had to change. I had done, what felt like at the time, so much work on myself yet I was still taking something that said “amphetamine” on the bottle daily. I had this realization that I would never be able to live my truth, experience the fullest extent of joy, nor be truly loving and vulnerable with another human if I was high all the time. Thus began my detox. I decided to film myself in the form of a live journal, but didn’t share it. It was my way of keeping myself accountable. I then saw Brene Browns talk on vulnerability and knew that I was doing a disservice not only to myself, but to the collective by hiding. If I was dealing with this addiction and limitation, then there had to be others out there who were dealing with the same. Four days into my detox I began to post. With maybe 1,000 followers, I had 800 DM’s in response to the first video. Doors started opening, people were asking for my help and/or to work for me. Having gone to school for Nutrition Response Testing, I decided to open up an office over night and the rest is history. All of this is to say that the key to life is vulnerability and perfectionism is the enemy of joy. How do you start? Just start by being authentic.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I came to do what I do today from my own health journey. Growing up I had a weak immune system, was overprescribed, and thus became autoimmune. I always knew there had to be a better way. Through my own search for healing, I stumbled across a practitioner in New York who specialized in something called Nutrition Response Testing (NRT). Having tried so many healing modalities to no avail, NRT reversed 80% of my symptoms within two weeks. I was hooked. At this time I was 26 living in NY, bouncing around from one odd job in the health industry to the next. I worked to get into the school that created Nutrition Response Testing and started apprenticing for a woman in Queens. Cut to a few years later, I now have a private practice in Brentwood. I’ve seen over 500 patients in the last 6 or 7 years. I see about 55-75 people a week of all different ages, races, and issues. I deal with anything chronic and that ranges from anxiety and depression to autoimmune disorders. You name it, I help the body heal itself from it. I own an alternative pharmacy where we carry practitioner grade supplements, homeopathic, stem cell supplements and more to aid in detoxing and cellular regeneration. I like to think that I more often than not solve the unsolvable. My greatest reward is when my clients find empowerment through their healing process. They often thank me for “changing their life,” but it’s them that did it. I am just a guide. It takes one disciplined and determined soul to do the physical, spiritual, and emotional work that goes into true healing. Right now I am working on two online courses for Adderall Detox and PCOS Management, which will launch in the beginning of 2024.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Self awareness and doing the work. I am my best patient. If I choose not to walk the talk, then I am completely ineffective in my job. Choosing a career as a healer is not to be taken lightly. I have women message me all the time about wanting to go into my field, but here’s the thing; this is a calling, not a choosing. I say that because it’s challenging work and requires one to do some serious internal work. Your best of days will make you question everything. You will be the first person who is celebrated and the first person who is blamed. I once had a mentor tell me that “practitioners are typically the sickest patients.” My body and my mind go through it and I honestly believe it’s so that I can effectively and authentically help another who is suffering. I will have some weird health challenge rise in my body and then just as I’ve solved it, that exact case times ten will walk through my door (or appear in my virtual sessions). We are all connected and we heal as a collective, so if you are deciding to be a leader in that space, you better be sure that this is the space for you. Not only do I constantly and consistently work on my physical and internal health, but I constantly and consistently work on my spiritual and emotional health. I have an entire team of healers that keep me healthy and thriving as every healer needs a healer. I feel things deeply, but can also withstand the most traumatic of events. I am a rock for many, which means that I have to allow myself to break at times. After all a diamond is made perfect under pressure.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Results and authenticity. I share my struggles and my triumphs as I experience them. This makes me relatable and establishes trust. People are looking for courage; courage to be themselves, share their story, and take a risk. If more people were authentic about the highs and lows that go on in their life, the world would be a more healed place. As for my results, I have always been determined to see people get well and live their best most authentic life. I’m not afraid to admit when I am wrong and if something isn’t working I pivot, study, or explore. I do not know it all and I learn from my patients every day. I stay curious, I stay humble, but I also stand my ground. I am confident in what I do and those suffering will sometimes try to break that confidence by playing the blame game. I don’t take it personally as it is just a cry for help to feel heard. It’s extremely frustrating to not feel well and those who are unwell will test the waters because they need reassurance that I care; that I have their best health interest in mind. My heart is in my work and that’s what I believe brings the referrals.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.veeshoney.com
- Instagram: @veeshoney