Hi, I’m Deanna Goodson, a certified and credentialed life coach. I attended Rhodes Wellness College and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN). I am a mom of two kids who are now adults – they’re 25 and 20 respectively. I have been married to my husband, John, for 21 years as of October 20th. I am also a proud doggie mama to Yogurt and speak four languages – Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and of course, English. I guess it’s five if you could Latin.
Deanna Goodson, Mental Health Coach & Nutritional Counselor
How do you help your clients?
Well, I help my clients in a variety of ways. As a health coach, I work with them on getting healthy and fit. I am also a mental health coach and assist clients with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. I have don’t both as a patient and a practitioner, so it gives me unique insights into these modalities. I have bipolar disorder and I used to weigh over 400 pounds. I leverage my personal experiences to aid my clients in improving their lives through habit-based change. What kind of audience do you target your business towards?
I target my business towards people who have struggled with eating disorders or need to lose a significant amount of weight. I also work with individuals who are struggling with mental disorders to give them proactive tips and strategies to improve their day-to-day functioning. What are your current goals for your business?
Currently, I have a contract gig with an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), so I work with clients from a variety of organizations. I also have a private practice where I help folks from all walks of life. I recently began a course in Hormone Health with my alma mater, IIN. I expect to finish in May of 2023 and hope to offer more targeted assistance to women who struggle with hormonal imbalances. I have a lot going on, but I love what I do and would love to do more of it.
What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future?
In the future, I’d love to provide programs in hormone health, nutrition and emotional eating psychology. This is truly my passion. I also am planning to write a book about my personal experiences called “Eat Like a Toddler”. It’s about intuitive eating, something I am extremely passionate about. I often joke with my friends and family that I’d like to be an author and speaker on nutrition-based topics. I have a lot of ideas and am also working with a partner on fleshing out a program which assists women to become advocates for their health. I feel the medical community sometimes dismisses women’s health concerns and wants to tip the scales so to speak in our favor. I also would love to do a TedEx talk at some point. Who inspires you to be the best that you can be?
I find inspiration everywhere. My friends and family inspire me to do more and be better every day. I truly believe that we should always be improving (ABI). It’s kind of my personal philosophy. I am also inspired by my clients because I see them do amazing work and am so proud of the progress they make. I love to prepare folks for the day they don’t need me anymore. As for public figures, I am inspired by strong women like Oprah and Michelle Obama who are not afraid to speak their truth and assist others in the process.
What is your work inspired by?
My work is inspired by my personal journey to health and wellness. It is a work in progress, of course. My highest weight was 444 lbs. With the assistance of a bariatric doctor and my nutritionist as well as solid intuitive eating principles, I was able to take off more than 200 lbs. I’m still working towards my goals, but I think that sets me apart from other people in the field of nutrition. I walk the walk and don’t just talk the talk. I am also inspired by family members who struggled with their health because they didn’t pay attention to the good principles of nutrition and became infirm and even passed away from diseases like cancer and diabetes. It had a huge impact on me and informed my decision to improve my own health. I want to be able to chase after my grandchildren the way I couldn’t with my own.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
In December 2016, I tore my meniscus. I was close to 400 pounds at the time and went to see an orthopedic surgeon. I will not name him because he’s pretty prominent in my hometown of Austin, TX. He basically told me that I had to learn to cope with the pain because I was too fat for surgery. I was devastated but decided to find a new doctor and work on losing the weight that had plagued me since childhood.
To date, I have lost over 200 pounds and avoided surgery because the stress on my knees has been significantly reduced. I have seen other health benefits such as being able to no longer be dependent on my CPAP machine. My sleep apnea disappeared as I shrunk in size. My personal journey and my family encouraged me to study nutrition and assist others in the process. I wanted my story to have meaning and do meaningful work.
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