Meet Vanessa
Founder of Morph Medicine. Functional Medicine Practitioner. Board Certified Nurse Practitioner.
Multigenerational Entrepreneur. HEART-CENTERED HEALTHCARE LEADER. PUBLISHED SCHOLARLY AUTHOR. INTENTIONAL LIFESTYLE CURATOR.
Mental Health Enthusiast. Psychedelics Advocate.
Women Empower.
Like you, I’m a natural-born giver and nurturer. It is at the core of who I am, my gift. A gift that shapes everything I do.
There was a season when life pushed me to my limits. It was here, in this season of stretching, that I came to understand the power and necessity of Self-Reverence.
This is why I make it a priority to take care of ME first, keeping my cup full so I have the energy to pour out love, care, and support to the people who mean the most to me.
But I didn’t just wake up here one day...
My Journey to Claiming My Light
I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed and physically-mentally-emotionally exhausted.
After years of nursing school, filled with relentless hard work and sacrifice, I landed my dream job in Southern California working as an Emergency Medicine Nurse Practitioner for critical-access hospitals, as well as the world’s largest jail and our nation’s largest mental health facility.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I made the difficult decision to step away from my emergency medicine dream indefinitely. I transitioned into healthcare management and stepped into the highest role of my career as an executive healthcare leader for the nation’s largest COVID Response Team, serving people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County.
It was at the height of the pandemic that the weight I’d been carrying finally broke me.
All of my unresolved trauma, from childhood and beyond, began to overwhelm me. At first, I pushed through, wearing my “high functioning” mask like armor, draped in the cape of a nurse who could save everyone but herself. But the cracks in my foundation deepened. I could no longer ignore my anxiety and depression when anxiety attacks gripped me without warning, my hormones were out of control, my cholesterol spiked to dangerous levels, and chronic inflammation from the stress hormone cortisol left me feeling like my body had turned into a battlefield. Every day felt like a fight I was losing, not just against the symptoms, but against the endless hustle of doing it all for everyone else, fueled by a grind culture I once believed was proof of my worth and the only way to succeed—where nonstop work was glorified and self-sacrifice was valued over self-preservation.
The diagnosis was Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. At the same time, I was carrying the heavy weight of burnout—suffering on every level: physically, emotionally, and mentally, drained in both my personal and professional life. The medications weren’t working. I was weary to my core. I needed rest. I needed healing. My mind-body-soul needed a lot of LOVE...
By God’s Grace, I found Integrative & Functional Medicine
This opened a door I didn’t know existed, transformed the way I understood healing, and unlocked a new dimension in my own healing. It expanded my world into a new way of healing—deeper than the traditional models of nursing care I was taught—that looked past the symptoms and into the root, honoring all of me: my thoughts, my emotions, my body, and my spirit, offering true liberation from the health challenges and trauma that had kept me stagnant, trapped in cycles I couldn’t break on my own.
For two years, I dedicated myself to deep, intentional work with a holistic psychotherapist and a functional medicine practitioner who helped uncover the roots of my anxiety, depression, hormonal imbalances, and cholesterol issues. My healing unfolded through advanced lab testing, a shift from emotional eating to intentional nourishment, supplements tailored to my genetic needs, and holistic practices that cultivated nourishing thoughts while restoring balance to my nervous system.
It was during this season that I experienced a profound psychedelic journey that broke the chains of my debilitating depression and loosened the grip of the generational, racial, and childhood traumas that had held me hostage for years.
I’m Here to Share How I Turned My Pain Into My Purpose
Humans are meant to evolve. My own health challenges taught me that even in the hardest seasons, there are invitations to grow. Today, I share the medicine and wisdom of my healing journey from a whole-person perspective—through the lens of both my human experience and my work as a healthcare practitioner. I lead my clients through what I call The Butterfly Effect—a metamorphosis into a life of peace, beauty, alignment, and joy.
When evolution is guided by intentional living and holistic, evidence-based integrative and functional medicine, the path to true health and healing unfolds. This is The Butterfly Effect within us all: the power to transform pain into purpose and struggle into healing—becoming who we were always meant to be: happy, healthy, whole, and free.
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
My Foundation
What I'm
loving
All things that nourish my nervous system + soul: traveling, cooking, long bubble baths, being with myself, living with intention, vulnerable storytelling, and the power of intentional prayer.
What I'm
learning
Self-care is the best health care. Leading with love + compassion is one of the greatest forms of care for Self + the Collective. Putting yourself first is not selfish; it’s necessary. There is power in surrendering. Slowing down. Pain is inevitable, Suffering is optional.
What I'm
not about
Cultivating chaos. Giving up. Trying to control life outcomes. Avoiding uncomfortable growth. Fear over faith. Playing small.
what I
believe
Access to patient-centered, quality healthcare is a basic human right. There is growth with finding light in dark times. We deserve to enjoy rest, pleasure, and our human experience.
Changemaker. Teacher. Resilient. Healer. Mirror. Goddess. Rebel. Stong. Unicorn. Good vibes. Harmony. Selfless. Receptive. Kind-Hearted. Grounded. Charismatic. Self-Lover. Spiritual. Gracious Fighter. Pioneer. Survivor. Loving. Caring. Courageous. Infectious Energy. Brave. Evolving. Queen. Fresh. Fun. Radiance. Motivating. Belongs. Deserving. Champion of the World. Integrity. Precious. Supportive. Needed. Open-Hearted. Here for Anything. Trailblazer. Inspiring. Resourceful. Selfless. One of Kind. Caring. Driven. Admirable. Compassion. Multi-faceted. Passionate. Encouraging. Sovereignty. Self-Lover. Tapped-in. Magnetic. Brave. Channel. Fresh. Fashionable. So Much Life. Humanitarian. Glow. Smiler. Wowww.
I'm All About
Health Equity
Intentional Living
Protecting My Peace
The Power of Serenity + Surrender
Elevating Women
ON MY MOODBOARD
expansion
nourishment
beauty
Training & Expertise:
Bachelor of Science in Nutrition
University of Texas at Austin
Master of Science in Nursing
University of Texas Health Science Center
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
Lead Nurse Practitioner & Clinical Director
housing for health's sheltered & unsheltered field-medicine covid response team FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS in los angeles county
Medical Director, Program Development & Implementation
housing for health's field-medicine interim housing outreach program supporting PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS with Physical health needs impacting independence in daily living
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Your Journey Starts Here
You deserve to serve yourself + the collective with love, compassion, and ease.
If you believe you deserve this too, let's connect on a complimentary
15-minute call to explore how I can best support you in this season of transformation.
There is power in putting yourself first.
