Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Sunderland.
Hi Heather, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey into this work is deeply personal. For most of my young adult life I struggled with a complex mix of symptoms that no one could explain: fatigue, brain fog, chronic pain, neuropathy, irritable bladder, food sensitivities, and many more. By the time I was 35, the symptoms became so debilitating that I had to close my private practice as a dietitian and diabetes educator due to chronic fatigue and acute pain.
Over the next 20+ years, I saw countless doctors and pursued every lead, but there were no answers. It wasn’t until 22 years later that I was finally diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. While my health improved somewhat after addressing Lyme, I was still struggling to stand or walk for long periods. Desperate for answers, I enrolled in health coaching school, hoping to uncover what was wrong.
Shortly after graduating, things took a turn—my Lyme symptoms resurfaced, and I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease and reactivated Epstein-Barr virus. My colleague, Bobbi McGrath, suggested I look into mold toxicity and Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). She was right. That diagnosis changed everything.
As I began learning about mold illness and CIRS, I realized just how much had been missed in my own healing journey. The initial approach my practitioners used didn’t move the needle for me. Thankfully, I came across the regenerative approach to nutrition and detoxification, which was a complete game-changer. I discovered the critical role of food in supporting detoxification, drainage pathways, and even starving pathogens, all without overwhelming the body. I also learned the importance of nervous system regulation and addressing the environment, especially for those unknowingly living in water-damaged buildings that were hindering their progress.
Through this experience, I became passionate about helping others avoid the same long, confusing road I walked. Today, I support clients and practitioners in navigating mold toxicity, Lyme disease, CIRS, and other chronic complex conditions using a more gentle, sustainable, and comprehensive approach, one that truly honors the complexity of the body and the individuality of each healing journey.
Turning my pain into purpose has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m grateful to walk alongside others as they reclaim their health.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to becoming an entrepreneur has definitely had its challenges. I began building my health coaching business while I was still sick and just starting to heal, which made the journey even more demanding. Putting myself out there on social media was especially difficult, it felt vulnerable and outside of my comfort zone. But at the same time, helping others gave me a renewed sense of purpose. Supporting clients on their healing journeys allowed me to shift my focus away from my own struggles and turn something deeply personal into something meaningful and impactful.
As you know, we’re big fans of Health Coaching By Heather/ Navigating Mold & CIRS. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business is centered around helping individuals reclaim their health after years of struggling with complex, often misunderstood conditions like mold toxicity, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), Lyme disease, and chronic fatigue.
As a functional health coach, I specialize in supporting people who are highly sensitive, reactive to treatments, and have often been dismissed or overlooked by traditional medical systems. Many of my clients have seen countless practitioners without real answers, and they come to me feeling discouraged and overwhelmed.
What sets my work apart is my deeply personalized and gentle approach I take to healing. I don’t believe in aggressive protocols or one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, I guide clients through sustainable strategies that support their detox pathways, calm their nervous systems, address their environments, and rebuild their health from the inside out.
I’m especially passionate about educating both clients and practitioners on how to recognize and address mold and environmental toxicity—topics that are often missed or misunderstood in mainstream and even integrative health circles.
In addition to one-on-one coaching, I offer a signature course for practitioners called Navigating Mold & CIRS, designed to help them better support clients with these complex conditions. I’m proud that my brand stands for education, empowerment, and compassionate care. It’s not just about protocols, it’s about helping people feel seen, heard, and guided in a way that honors the complexity of their healing journey.
At its core, my brand is about hope. I want readers to know that even when the path is long and complicated, healing is possible and there are answers. My work exists to help people find them.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Individuals can reach out to me at:
Website: https://healthcoachingbyheather.com/
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 602-688-2819
Pricing:
- Initial 90-minute Health coaching $225
- Shortened Initial or follow up- 60 minutes $150
- 30-minute follow-up $75
- Navigating Mold & CIRS 15-Module Online Course
- Group Coaching coming soon!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://healthcoachingbyheather.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathersunderland842/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.s.sunderland
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-sunderland-3a35212b1/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpPj7g5AgoJTeNpq8ZnhIxg/videos
Image Credits
Image Credits: Danielle Flowers
