We are thrilled to introduce the two newest members of the EDRD Pro team, Monica McCollin, MS, LDN, RYT and Angela Goens, MS, RDN, LD! Monica and Angela will serve as our Community Event Co-Chairs, helping plan our new Amplify & Unite Wellness events that will raise funds for charitable donations and will be open to non-members (coming 2021 – stay tuned!).
Monica McCollin, MS, LDN, RYT
A self-described eccentric, Monica is a creative wellness professional who has been empowering clients to overcome emotional challenges and make peace with their bodies since 2006. Working as a wellness practitioner, group trainer, and expert corporate and non-profit consultant, she is passionate about sharing her knowledge of medicinal herbs, nutrition, and yoga to design holistic wellness plans for her clients. Her down-to-earth approach to wellness is drawn from over a decade of experience encouraging individuals and communities to make positive lifestyle choices that create more balance and joy in their lives.
Monica is passionate about advocating for food justice among underrepresented communities. Her work with organizations such as Philabundance, the largest food bank in the Delaware Valley, in her hometown of Philadelphia and Greensgrow, a local urban farm, has made her intimately acquainted with the many faces of hunger and the consequences of food insecurity, specifically among people of color.
A retired social butterfly, these days Monica loves to use her powerful people skills to build community and share her gifts and skills with her clients and students. In her private and group practices, she holds space for clients to work through issues of negative self-image and invites them to consider positive ways of achieving goals that support their authentic selves.
Monica now lives in Barcelona, Spain, where she works from her virtual home-based private practice The Momo Method, LLC. In addition to providing customized and compassionate holistic wellness services, she continues to partner with non-profits and businesses, and hosts daily community yoga classes at local studios in Spanish (which she is very proud of). She serves as an adjunct professor at the Maryland University of Integrative Health for a course she co-developed in 2017 for the Masters of Science in Herbal Product Design and Manufacturing program.
She is an enthusiast of music, stand-up comedy, literature, fashion, film, and all things outdoors – minus the insects. In her free time, she likes to practice her Spanish, play in the kitchen, and gush over their rescue dog Oki. In no specific order.
Angela Goens, MS, RDN, LD
Angela has dedicated her entire career to working in the eating disorders and mental health fields. Pursuing advanced training in counseling felt like pertinent work to be done to better understand how trauma can affect the body and brain for individuals who struggle with an eating disorder. Working in various levels of eating disorder treatment has given great exposure to the entire continuum of care. Experience includes, program development, facilitating support groups, motivational interviewing, individual counseling, mentoring, meal support, conducting training, and education, as well as providing supervision. Some other areas of interest, training and experience include diabetes, chemical dependency, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), weight inclusive/body positive/HAES approaches, and Intuitive Eating.
All humans can be affected by disordered behaviors with food as a way to cope and navigate life stressors. It is an aspiration for Angela in the nutrition field, to challenge the stigma of eating disorders for non-stereotypical Black and Brown bodied individuals. Angela desires to be a part of creating awareness and taking an active role in offering education, support and treatment for people of color, whose experiences have been dismissed or overlooked.
The Midwest presents beauty in the constant change of weather. Even in the winter, you can find Angela outside with family biking, camping and attending concerts. In the wise words of Sue McClean, “Live music is good for your soul!”