MY WEALTH IN HEALTH
picture by Kuhn's Photography
You already know something needs to change. Maybe you have been pushing through pain, stress, or exhaustion for so long that it feels normal. Maybe you have followed every health plan your doctor recommended but still feel like something is missing. Or maybe you have simply lost touch with who you are underneath all the roles you play.
I have been in every one of those places. And what I discovered — through my own health crises, career pivots, and years of searching — is that lasting wellness starts with reconnecting to your Authentic Self.
I'm Kelly Nembhard, a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Reiki Master Teacher, Advanced Crystal Master, aromatherapist, and the founder of My Wealth in Health. I help people move from surviving to thriving by integrating conventional health care with holistic practices — all grounded in the belief that you are the expert on your own life.
I have been in every one of those places. And what I discovered — through my own health crises, career pivots, and years of searching — is that lasting wellness starts with reconnecting to your Authentic Self.
I'm Kelly Nembhard, a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Reiki Master Teacher, Advanced Crystal Master, aromatherapist, and the founder of My Wealth in Health. I help people move from surviving to thriving by integrating conventional health care with holistic practices — all grounded in the belief that you are the expert on your own life.
I am the guide, not the guru.
MY CAREER PATH
From the Lab to the Heart of the Work
Growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian or a medical doctor — someone who uses science to help others. That drive led me to become a developmental biologist at Duke University, where I spent over eight years studying birth defects of the heart.
The work was meaningful, but something was off. My values — objective analysis, responsibility, and genuine concern for others — were only partially being met. The concern-for-others piece, the part that made me feel most alive, had no room to breathe in a laboratory setting. Looking back, I can see that my Authentic Self was trying to get my attention. My Created Self, the version of me shaped by academic expectations and career momentum, kept pushing forward anyway.
That tension eventually led me to clinical research, where I worked with pharmaceutical companies and clinical trial sites to ensure the quality of data submitted to the FDA. Reviewing patient cases across multiple therapeutic areas, I began noticing a pattern: a patient's commitment to their own health care was one of the most powerful factors in their outcomes. And most patients did not feel empowered to play an active role in their health plan — either because they did not know their options, did not understand the plan, or felt overwhelmed by what it required.
That awareness changed everything. It pulled me out of the data and into direct service — first as a health and wellness coach trained by Duke Integrative Medicine, then as a certified pain management coach, a Reiki Master Teacher, and an Advanced Crystal Master®. Each credential was not just professional development. It was my Authentic Self finally leading the way.
The work was meaningful, but something was off. My values — objective analysis, responsibility, and genuine concern for others — were only partially being met. The concern-for-others piece, the part that made me feel most alive, had no room to breathe in a laboratory setting. Looking back, I can see that my Authentic Self was trying to get my attention. My Created Self, the version of me shaped by academic expectations and career momentum, kept pushing forward anyway.
That tension eventually led me to clinical research, where I worked with pharmaceutical companies and clinical trial sites to ensure the quality of data submitted to the FDA. Reviewing patient cases across multiple therapeutic areas, I began noticing a pattern: a patient's commitment to their own health care was one of the most powerful factors in their outcomes. And most patients did not feel empowered to play an active role in their health plan — either because they did not know their options, did not understand the plan, or felt overwhelmed by what it required.
That awareness changed everything. It pulled me out of the data and into direct service — first as a health and wellness coach trained by Duke Integrative Medicine, then as a certified pain management coach, a Reiki Master Teacher, and an Advanced Crystal Master®. Each credential was not just professional development. It was my Authentic Self finally leading the way.
MY HEALTH JOURNEY
The Moment I Stopped Following the Script
At thirty years old, I began experiencing persistent pain in both knees that worsened over the next four years. Eventually, walking down a flight of stairs was excruciating.
I did my homework. I researched the highest-ranking orthopedic doctors in my area, compared patient reviews, awards, and publications, and selected a doctor I trusted on paper. He reviewed MRI scans from four years earlier, watched me walk across the room, felt my kneecaps, and recommended knee realignment surgery — a procedure that involved cutting a wedge of bone from my leg.
I was raised to see doctors as being "next to God" and, therefore, never to be questioned. But cutting bone seemed drastic for someone who could still walk. When I asked if we could perform more recent MRI scans before choosing surgery, he responded, "They will be done if you choose surgery."
That dismissal was a red flag. Time for a second opinion.
A colleague recommended a different orthopedic doctor who ordered new MRI scans, X-rays, and a more thorough physical examination. She recommended an arthroscopic procedure that did not require cutting into bone, ligament, cartilage, or tendon — she simply removed connective tissue I did not need. I walked out of the hospital the same day. Three months later, I was running up and down stairs with no pain.
What if I had not questioned the first recommendation? It would have been expensive, required significant recovery time, and ultimately would not have addressed the actual cause of the pain. Unfortunately, most patients would have proceeded with the original surgery, even if they had doubts.
This experience crystallized my purpose: most people do not feel empowered to play a central role in planning their own health care. That is exactly what I help my clients change.
I did my homework. I researched the highest-ranking orthopedic doctors in my area, compared patient reviews, awards, and publications, and selected a doctor I trusted on paper. He reviewed MRI scans from four years earlier, watched me walk across the room, felt my kneecaps, and recommended knee realignment surgery — a procedure that involved cutting a wedge of bone from my leg.
I was raised to see doctors as being "next to God" and, therefore, never to be questioned. But cutting bone seemed drastic for someone who could still walk. When I asked if we could perform more recent MRI scans before choosing surgery, he responded, "They will be done if you choose surgery."
That dismissal was a red flag. Time for a second opinion.
A colleague recommended a different orthopedic doctor who ordered new MRI scans, X-rays, and a more thorough physical examination. She recommended an arthroscopic procedure that did not require cutting into bone, ligament, cartilage, or tendon — she simply removed connective tissue I did not need. I walked out of the hospital the same day. Three months later, I was running up and down stairs with no pain.
What if I had not questioned the first recommendation? It would have been expensive, required significant recovery time, and ultimately would not have addressed the actual cause of the pain. Unfortunately, most patients would have proceeded with the original surgery, even if they had doubts.
This experience crystallized my purpose: most people do not feel empowered to play a central role in planning their own health care. That is exactly what I help my clients change.
MY PHILOSOPHY
The Guide, Not the Guru
Everything I have experienced — the career pivots, the health scares, the years of learning to trust my own instincts over cultural expectations — led me to develop a framework I call Authentic-Self Coaching.
At its core, the framework distinguishes between your Authentic Self (who you truly are) and your Created Self (the version shaped by external expectations, cultural norms, and survival patterns). Through this lens, we explore seven dimensions of whole health: career, physical, mental, emotional, environmental, social, and spiritual. The goal is not perfection in any one area. It is alignment — living in a way that honors who you actually are.
At its core, the framework distinguishes between your Authentic Self (who you truly are) and your Created Self (the version shaped by external expectations, cultural norms, and survival patterns). Through this lens, we explore seven dimensions of whole health: career, physical, mental, emotional, environmental, social, and spiritual. The goal is not perfection in any one area. It is alignment — living in a way that honors who you actually are.
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I wrote about this journey and this framework in my book, Abundantly You: A Toolkit for Authentic Self-Care. It is a collection of short, digestible articles designed to meet you wherever you are — whether you are in crisis and need grounding right now, or you are ready to build a sustainable self-care practice from a place of strength.
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MY APPROACH
An Integrative Approach to Whole Health
My own wellness practice combines conventional health care with complementary modalities including Reiki, essential oils, deep tissue massage, lymphatic drainage massage, mindfulness, acupressure, journaling, Qigong, and sound healing. I do not recommend anything I have not experienced myself.
My goal as your coach is to help you become aware of both the conventional and complementary approaches available to you, make sense of your current health plan, and stay motivated to sustain a lifestyle that actually works for your life. With that knowledge and the support of a certified coach, my hope is that you will feel empowered to work with your health care team to create a well-rounded plan that meets your needs — not someone else's expectations.
My goal as your coach is to help you become aware of both the conventional and complementary approaches available to you, make sense of your current health plan, and stay motivated to sustain a lifestyle that actually works for your life. With that knowledge and the support of a certified coach, my hope is that you will feel empowered to work with your health care team to create a well-rounded plan that meets your needs — not someone else's expectations.
MY CAREER PATH
Kelly Nembhard, NBC-HWC, CPMC, ACM
Owner, My Wealth in Health
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CERTIFICATIONS
Usui/Holy Fire® Karuna Reiki® Master Teacher ICRT Animal Reiki Master Teacher Advanced Crystal Master® National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach Certified Pain Management Coach Aromatherapist Vertical Divider
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TRAINING
Health & Wellness Coaching — Duke Integrative Medicine Pain Management Coaching — Take Courage Coaching Reiki — One Light Center, A Reiki Place, Reiki Lifestyle Crystal Healing — Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy |
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© 2019-2026, My Wealth in Health. All rights reserved.
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website designed by Kelly Nembhard
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