We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melissa Armstrong a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

There were many defining moments in my story and I think I was always destined to be a healer based on everything I went through in childhood and adolescence. Probably, the single biggest moment of my life that determined the course of my life was the death of my brother when I was 18. He was tragically and traumatically killed in a horrible accident right in front of me. He was in the hospital for around 36 hours while we waited to donate his organs. In the days and weeks after his accident, somehow through the grief, I was able to realize that I wanted to be a nurse to help people. I realized that I wanted to help people heal.

From there, the defining moment that made me realize that I wanted to help people in a different way than I was in traditional medicine was when I had a very disheartening conversation with a physician I was working with one day about 5 years ago. During that shift, I had a new onset diabetic patient come in for insulin education. During my time with him, he mentioned that he did not know why he needed a consult with a dietician. In exasperation, I communicated with my chief physician and told him we needed more time with patients like this and his response was “we don’t have time for that.” This made me angry and I realized the traditional model just doesn’t align with me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Melissa Armstrong, and I’m a Trauma-Informed Functional Health Coach with a passion for helping Christian moms heal from chronic stress and trauma. My journey into this field began with my own personal experiences—I faced significant trauma in my life, included childhood abuse, a school shooting at age 15, and witnessing the death of my brother at age 18. After trying many conventional methods, I found healing through incorporating natural approaches. This transformative experience sparked my calling to help other women navigate their own healing journeys.

Through my online health consulting practice, Holistic Health LLC, I offer a variety of services, including functional health coaching, personalized wellness protocols, and group coaching programs. I focus on helping my clients reconnect with their bodies and regulate their nervous systems, using tools like somatic healing, vagus nerve stimulation, and mindset work. I also provide education on nutrition, detoxification, and specialty lab testing, creating a comprehensive approach to healing.

What sets me apart is my holistic focus, which integrates the mind, body, and spirit. I believe that true healing can only occur when we address all aspects of our well-being. My programs are designed not only to help clients heal physically but also to empower them emotionally and spiritually. I developed my MENDS framework to focus on mindset & spirituality, exercise, nutrition, detox, and somatic healing and I use this framework to guidewomen toward complete, balanced wellness.

I’m most proud of the transformations I’ve witnessed in my clients. Watching women regain control over their health and lives after years of struggling is incredibly rewarding. I want potential clients to know that healing is always possible, and with the right tools and mindset, they can experience profound change in every area of their lives. My work is all about guiding women back to their power, helping them live healthier, happier, and more aligned lives.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn is that healing wasn’t possible for me. For years, I was told by doctors that I would have the symptoms forever, which left me feeling disempowered and solely reliant on medication to manage them. Despite my deep desire for health and inner peace, I wasn’t seeing the progress I so desperately needed and wanted through that approach alone.

The turning point came when I realized that true healing is about so much more than just managing symptoms or focusing on the physical body. It involves addressing the emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects as well. I had to unlearn the belief that healing is linear or that it’s just about “fixing” the body. Through my own journey, which included natural methods like somatic work, nervous system regulation, and reconnecting with my faith, I experienced a profound transformation. It opened my eyes to the deep connection between mind, body, and spirit, and how neglecting any one of these components limits the healing process.

This realization not only transformed my own healing but also shaped how I coach others. Now, I teach my clients that healing is not just about following protocols or achieving physical results—it’s about nurturing the whole person, addressing trauma from within, and embracing a holistic approach. This shift in perspective allowed me to fully heal, and it’s the foundation of the work I do with others today.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The part of my story that truly illustrates my resilience is my journey of overcoming the trauma and abuse I experienced throughout my life. For years, I carried the weight of that pain, and it felt like a constant battle just to make it through the day. There were times when I thought I would never break free from the cycles of stress and emotional turmoil that defined so much of my past.

At my lowest point, I was told that I would always have the symptoms—that trauma and its effects would stay with me forever. But deep down, I knew I couldn’t accept that as my fate. Instead of letting the trauma control my life, I decided to fight for my healing. It wasn’t easy; there were days when it felt like two steps forward and ten steps back. But I refused to give up.

I began exploring natural methods for healing, focusing on the mind-body connection. I worked with somatic practices, nervous system regulation, and most importantly, reconnected with my faith. Slowly, I started peeling back the layers of pain and trauma that had been holding me down for so long.

What stands out the most from that journey is how it taught me to reclaim my power. The abuse and trauma no longer defined who I was or what my future would be. I realized that I could rewrite my story, and that strength is something I carry with me every day. It’s what fuels my passion for helping others on their healing journeys.

That resilience—overcoming the darkest parts of my past and turning them into a source of strength—is at the core of everything I do now. It’s what allows me to guide other women through their own healing journeys, helping them see that no matter how deep their pain runs, there is hope, and they too can rise above it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://holistichealthbymelissa.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holistichealthbymelissa/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holistichealthbymelissa/

Image Credits

Blue Sage photography