We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caroline Huarte. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caroline below.
Caroline, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Over the course of your career, have you seen or experienced your field completely flip-flop or change course on something?
I spent over 20 years working in the behavioral health space, primarily providing behavioral intervention to children on the Autism Spectrum and their families. I was working as the VP of Clinical Services, overseeing the Southern Branch of an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) company, when I was laid off due to company downsizing. I had an infant daughter at home at the time, so decided to take that time to be with her while also enrolling in a Functional Nutrition training program I had wanted to do for a few years. What I learned about the power of food as medicine was so mind-blowing that I needed to shout this information from the mountaintops. So, I shifted from my focus on ABA to starting my own clinical practice integrating Nutritional Therapy with Psychotherapy and behavior change work. My goal is to help children and adults dealing with physical illness and/or psychiatric diagnoses to prevent reliance on pharmaceutical drugs, restore health, and promote vitality, through nourishing the mind and body with real foods.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have always had a passion for mental health, and specifically for individuals on the Autism Spectrum. I worked in this space for many years. But, I have long held a love for holistic wellness and nutrition. I decided to finally pull the trigger and start my own clinical practice integrating functional nutrition and mental health/behavior modification services. As humans, we are mind, body and spirit. I believe in treating the client holistically. What we eat serves as the primary fuel for our everyday functions and importance needs to be placed on that. Furthermore there is a he connection between the health of the gut and that of the brain (an almost every other system in the body for that matter). We are bombarded today with messaging and marketing about what we should eat, but I work on getting clients back to a healthy whole food diet. Additionally, we are so removed from our own innate knowing of what serves our bodies, so I help clients learn to tune inward and assess what their body needs. Whether it be for Autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, autoimmune conditions, migraines, GI disturbances, or eczema, etc, food is medicine and your body and mind can find homeostasis through focusing on digestion, blood sugar management, and general nutrient status.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I started my business just a few days before the COVID-19 lockdown. I was then stuck at home full time with a very busy toddler, so it was a challenge to put much of my focus into my business. Slowly but surely though, I put my time and energy into client work, social media marketing, public presentations, and networking events. Over time that dedication paid off. While my practice is still small, that ongoing commitment and resilience has helped my business to thrive.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
I firmly believe that referral is the best form of marketing. My goal has always been to do superb work with clients, helping them to feel their best, physically and mentally. When this happens, they want to share how great they feel with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nourishandflourishpsych.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nourishandflourishpsych/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NourishAndFlourishPsych
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-white-huarte-ph-d-bcba-d-fntp-cimhp-7064a9a/
