Joia Mattheson MS, CNS

I first got interested in health as early as high school as I started to learn to cook and experiment with healthy recipes. I was always strong in STEM and got my B.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Though I enjoyed some aspects of engineering, I was not fulfilled at my first job. I was simultaneously struggling with my own health issues - PMS, fatigue, low mood, anxiety, cystic acne and more. I was spending my free time researching natural healing because I did not feel seen or understood by my providers. I had been put on hormonal birth control from my GYN, Spironolactone and topical antibiotics from my dermatologist, an SSRI for mood, and Wellbutrin to counteract some of the SSRI effects. I felt like I was on a hamster wheel of pharmaceuticals, and still didn't feel better. I did not want to be on 4 medications at age 22. I decided to go off of all medications (don't try this at home without help from your providers) and though my mood and energy improved immediately, I had a long way to go in terms of healing.

When the pandemic hit, I had more time in my schedule and this passion led me to enroll in the Integrative Women's Health Institute to become a certified Health Coach. I was completely engrossed in the material and knew I had found my purpose. I tore through the program in about 6 months and realized I wanted a more in-depth clinical education so I could serve my clients fully. I found the Maryland University of Integrative Health and their Masters of Science in Clinical Nutrition & Integrative Health program, applied and was accepted. In my second trimester, I won a scholarship to attend the American Nutrition Association's yearly conference in Chicago. There, I met a colleague who connected me with an Institute of Functional Medicine trained Naturopathic Doctor who accepted me as a clinical resident. I graduated with my Masters in August 2023, passed the CNS exam in December 2023, and received my Certified Nutrition Specialist credential in August 2024.

I specialize in metabolic health concerns including blood sugar regulation, pre-diabetetes and diabetes, insulin resistance and stubborn weight gain, PCOS, and gestational diabetes; as well as hormonal health including the preconception, pregnancy and postpartum phases of life, and hormonal symptoms such as PMS, PCOS, endometriosis, and irregular or painful cycles. I also studied to be a Fertility Awareness Educator and teach the Fertility Awareness method for those wanting to gain body literacy to prevent or achieve conception naturally.