We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brook Barney. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brook below.
Brook, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you share an anecdote or story from your schooling/training that you feel illustrates what the overall experience was like?
My educational and professional journey has been anything but linear—and that’s exactly what has shaped my unique approach to coaching today.
I began my career path by studying business and computer networking at a young age, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree and spending over 15 years in the business world. My roles focused on brand, product, and marketing development and management—work that sharpened my strategic thinking, communication, and leadership skills. But over time, I felt a pull toward something more aligned with my lifelong passion: health and wellness.
That calling led me to enroll in an Integrative Nutrition program. The curriculum deeply resonated with what I had come to believe through my own life experience: that true health is multi-dimensional. I studied nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and the interconnected impact of stress, movement, sleep, and relationships on overall well-being. This foundational training was the doorway into my work as a health coach.
During my first year of coaching, I noticed something powerful—clients weren’t just craving food guidance; they were seeking emotional support and a deeper connection to themselves. This insight sparked the next evolution of my education. I dove into the study of mindfulness, completing extensive training in yoga, breathwork, and meditation. These teachings gave me a new understanding of compassion, resilience, and inner stillness—qualities I could now help my clients cultivate for themselves.
As a lifelong learner and teacher, I’ve continued to expand my knowledge. I recently completed a menopause coaching certification to better support women navigating this transformative life stage, and I’m currently studying Functional Nutrition Counseling. This advanced training is helping me deepen my understanding of how diet and lifestyle impact complex systems like the digestive, endocrine, and immune systems—and, importantly, how these systems interact in a bio-individual way.
My intention as a coach is simple but powerful: to show up with non-judgment, create a safe space for healing, and help individuals reconnect with their inner wisdom. Every layer of my training has added a dimension to how I support others—and I consider each chapter of learning an essential piece of the work I do today.
Brook, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My journey into the holistic health space is deeply personal and has evolved over the course of decades. It began when I was just 19 years old and diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, an autoimmune condition that significantly disrupted my daily life. I experienced extreme pain and periods of physical immobility. When conventional medicine didn’t address the root causes or provide the relief and long-term answers I was seeking, I began exploring alternative approaches—nutrition, movement, and mindfulness. These tools became lifelines for me, helping to manage my symptoms and reclaim some quality of life, which sparked a passion that never left.
Professionally, I started my career in the corporate world after earning a Bachelor of Science from Weber State University. For 20 years, I balanced a demanding career while raising two children, one of whom has special needs. It was an incredibly full and often overwhelming season of life where constant stress, unmanaged pain, and emotional burnout became part of the background noise. Eventually, I knew I had to make a change—not just to survive, but to heal. I returned to school to study Integrative and Functional Health—not with the initial intention of making it my career, but because I desperately needed to restore my own wellbeing.
Initially, I returned to school to better support my own health. I wanted to understand how the body really works and how to care for it more sustainably. That decision was transformative. What started as a personal quest soon became a professional calling. I dove into Integrative and Functional Health, not just academically, but experientially—applying what I learned to my own life. I adopted a nourishing, whole-foods-based diet, learned to regulate my nervous system, and fully embraced a mindful, balanced lifestyle. These changes became the foundation of my healing and resilience.
Over time, I earned certifications in integrative nutrition and health, menopausal coaching, and yoga (RYT200), and I now specialize in guiding others through similar transformations. Today, I work as a holistic health and functional nutrition coach, providing personalized guidance and accountability rooted in bio-individuality, because no two bodies or lives are exactly alike.
I offer a mix of 1:1 coaching, group classes, and community wellness experiences—because healing doesn’t often happen in isolation. In my private practice and at Wasatch Functional Medicine Clinic, I help people integrate provider-led protocols into their everyday lives. I offer structure, accountability, and personalized support to ensure they can follow through with the changes they want to make. Most of my clients are women ages 35–65 who are navigating hormonal changes, autoimmune conditions, chronic stress, or the aftermath of burnout. They’ve often tried the conventional route and are looking for something more comprehensive, something that honors the mind-body connection.
What sets my work apart is the combination of personal experience, professional training, and deep empathy. I don’t offer one-size-fits-all plans. My approach is rooted in bio-individuality, which means everything—from food to lifestyle to mindset—is tailored to the unique person in front of me. I also focus heavily on nervous system regulation and emotional wellness, because I’ve learned firsthand that physical healing can’t happen without emotional grounding and mental clarity.
What I’m most proud of is how my own healing has given me the capacity to help others heal. I know how it feels to be overwhelmed, unheard, or disconnected from your own body—and I know what it takes to come back to yourself. My mission is to create safe, non-judgmental spaces where people feel empowered, seen, and supported as they reclaim their health.
For anyone considering working with me, I want you to know this: you don’t have to do it alone. Whether you’re navigating a health crisis, transitioning through a life phase like menopause, or simply trying to feel more like yourself again, I’m here to guide you with compassion, evidence-based tools, and a deep respect for your unique journey.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
One of the most valuable tools I’ve cultivated is maintaining a beginner’s mindset. This approach has allowed me to remain open, curious, and receptive—to each client, teacher, podcast, book, and even my own evolving inner wisdom. In a field that constantly grows and shifts, it’s easy to become attached to one method or philosophy. But I’ve found that true success in this work requires flexibility and humility.
Approaching each person’s story with fresh eyes helps me avoid a one-size-fits-all mentality. It frees me from rigid protocols and allows space for deep listening, presence, and creative problem-solving. Holding space without a fixed agenda enables me to connect with clients on a more meaningful level and support them in ways that are both dynamic and deeply personal. In essence, it’s not just about what I know—it’s about how I show up. That mindset of openness, curiosity, and non-judgment has made all the difference in creating trust and transformation in my coaching practice.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A powerful lesson I’ve had to unlearn in recent years is the idea that healing has to follow one path. Specifically, I had to rethink my relationship with the word “AND.”
Having personally experienced deep healing through nutrition, movement, and mindfulness, I developed a strong belief in the power of natural modalities. But I began to notice a resistance within myself when it came to allowing those approaches to coexist with more conventional methods—like medication or clinical interventions. I used to feel that it had to be one or the other.
The lesson was learning that true healing can embrace both. It can look like implementing nourishing food, mindful movement, and stress regulation, AND utilizing medication or other medical support when needed. It can mean holding gratitude for where you are AND striving for more. It doesn’t have to be either/or.
Embracing the concept of AND has brought a deeper sense of peace and flexibility into my own life—and into the way I support others. Working in a clinical setting at Wasatch Functional Medicine and studying yoga really reinforced this shift for me. I witnessed firsthand how powerful it is when patients integrate natural practices and conventional medical science on their wellness journey. It expanded my perspective and helped me meet each individual where they are, without judgment or rigidity.
This lesson continues to shape how I show up as an individual and coach—more open, more inclusive, and more focused on the whole person and their unique path to healing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.naturedbalance.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturedbalance
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturedbalance
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brook-barney
