Introducing Kelsey Conger, Clinical Herbalist & Nutritionist

We’re so grateful to have Kelsey as an Associate Health Practitioner on our team!

Kelsey brings a wealth of experience in Lyme, complex illness, and reproductive health, not to mention a passion for helping individuals achieve their health goals.

Enjoy the interview below conducted by our Clinic Manager Daisha Sen, where Kelsey shares more about her background, experience, and personal commitment to supporting patients.

Daisha:  Thank you so much for sharing this deeper look into who you are, what’s brought you to this much needed work, and what your passions and specialties are within it. We look forward to our patients and clinic benefiting from your knowledge and care as a practitioner. Can you share a little bit about what brought you to this work and what inspires you? 

Kelsey:  Like so many of my clients, I grew up with frequent chronic illness and no explanations. After high school I realized that going into healthcare and finding answers for myself was a matter of survival. It began with nutrition and learning to fall in love with cooking. This rapidly progressed into a deepening connection with nature and where our food comes from, as well as with my own heritage and the foods my ancestors ate for health. I began sourcing all my foods from local farms and started to create my own body care and home cleaning products. One day, after moving to the Redwoods in Northern California, I saw a little flyer advertising an introductory class to herbal medicine. I thought, “Plants as medicine? Sounds too good to be true.” After just one class, I was hooked. 

In a world where we’re constantly bombarded with news about the climate crisis and poison in our food, air, water, and soil, I needed a message of hope. Waking up to the reality that the Earth freely offers up food, medicine, and all the things we need to thrive, and that many cultures throughout history possess deeply complex knowledge of how to work with these resources, completely shifted my worldview. Instead of feeling terrified and unsure how I would ever recover, I began to believe that not only could I heal, but everything I needed was already available. My own chronic illness and health was tied to the planet’s health. I just needed to figure out how to get better, so I could help others do the same, and then we could help the planet do the same. 

That recognition fueled the next decade of my life, and still drives me today. 

Now on the other side and feeling better than ever (!), I’ve earned an MS in Clinical Herbal Medicine and Post-Masters Certificate in Integrative Nutrition. I’m currently completing a Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition and finishing up two clinical mentorships focused on Lyme and Fertility. I’ve spent the entirety of my graduate studies focused specifically on researching and understanding Lyme disease, co-infections, and co-occurring conditions more deeply. 

As a Lyme-literate practitioner with clinical training in chronic infectious and complex diseases, I’m working with clients 1:1 to address Lyme disease and complex chronic illness. While I bring my professional training and experience, my foremost knowledge comes from living with undiagnosed Lyme, Lupus, and Endometriosis for many years myself.

Daisha:  Are there any particular areas within the realm of complex illness that you enjoy specializing in? 

Kelsey:  Yes, within the realm of complex chronic illness, there are a few areas I specialize in due to both personal and professional experience: 

Gut Health (Celiac, Crohn’s, IBS, IBD, SIBO) 
Dysautonomia (POTS)
Hypermobility Disorders
Neurodivergence (ADHD, OCD, Autism) 
Immune Dysfunction  
Reproductive Health & Fertility (PCOS, endometriosis, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea)
Chronic Infections  

I’m especially interested in underlying root causes that drive chronic illness and susceptibility to persistent infection.

My greatest passion is empowering my clients to lay the foundations for long-term health, vitality, and well-being. I know what it’s like to suffer from Lyme and undiagnosed chronic illness for years, even decades, without support or relief. I don’t want anyone else to go through that! That’s why I’m wholly dedicated to supporting patients and my community for the long-haul. 

Daisha:  Is there anything you’ve learned as a practitioner that’s shaped or reshaped the ways in which you support your clients? 

Kelsey:  Living with chronic conditions can be a full-time job and juggling our healthcare system can be enormously taxing. I learn from my clients every single day, but one of the biggest takeaways for me is the need for a comprehensive and compassionate care team. Patients often feel they have to choose between providers or modalities, but the truth is we deserve access to ALL forms of medicine to improve our health and quality of life.

When patients feel supported by a caring team that includes a primary care provider, nurse, nutritionist, herbalist, acupuncturist, massage therapist, physical therapist, and/or specialists such as a rheumatologist or endocrinologist, they have better outcomes. Every provider looks at cases differently, so having all hands on deck can truly make an enormous difference for patients navigating complex chronic illness. This integrative care model, which makes space for all evidence-based modalities, is how I choose to practice holistic medicine. 

Daisha:  What is one of the most helpful tools or steps you’ve found for supporting people when they’re feeling stuck or experiencing a health setback? 

Kelsey:  Going for daily walks outside in the mornings and evenings is one of the most powerful tools for facilitating change and momentum.

Our bodies evolved to move and to be outside in fresh air and sunshine. Any kind of movement will work that feels accessible for you, as long as it’s outside. This has profoundly impactful benefits on the body, helping to regulate immunity, mood, mental clarity, energy, and sleep. If you can get outside for those two walks everyday, you can accomplish anything! It helps calm the nervous system, reinforces safety within the body, build a connection to local ecosystems and communities, and builds resilience. It’s free and can be accomplished in as a little as 5-10 minutes. If you’re struggling with something, take it to the trail and walk! 

Daisha:  Is there any specific step you would recommend to someone in preparing for their first consultation and supporting their empowerment on their health journey? 

Kelsey:  Gather all your previous lab reports, fill out an intake form, write down all medications/supplements, and gather up personal notes of your own health history to bring to your first appointment (include photos, symptoms, diagnoses, and as much info as possible). I always review this before and after consultations, as they contain such important data that improves the level of care both myself, and other care providers can offer. If it feels like too much to write your own case notes or narrative, use AI to help organize your thoughts into a timeline, medical history, and current symptoms list (just be sure to de-identify all personal info).

The patients who gather this information together absolutely receive better care, because providers have so much more important information to work with! Gathering this information is a huge part of self-advocacy as a patient, especially when complex chronic conditions are involved. So often those of us with these types of issues slip through the cracks, experience invalidation and medical gaslighting, and an otherwise tumultuous diagnostic odyssey. I know how tenacious you have to be to get diagnosed and treated, because I see my clients go through it and I’ve gone through it. I’ve seen clients who documented their cases receive more prompt and accurate diagnosis and treatment, time and time again. Making this a priority will go a long way to helping you recover more quickly and painlessly! 

Daisha:  Could you share some insight into the importance of supporting the digestive process and how it relates to chronic infections and other chronic inflammatory conditions? 

Kelsey:  The gastrointestinal (GI) system is one of the major interfaces with our inner and outer worlds. In chronic infections like Lyme disease, as well as chronic inflammatory conditions, it is one of the first systems of the body to take a hit. This happens for numerous reasons.  Both inflammation and infectious organisms can directly hinder GI function and cause damage to organs like the stomach and intestines. Additionally, when pharmaceuticals are prescribed these can cause further damage by disrupting the microbiome. This can ultimately lead to a snowball effect, with inflammation continuously elevating as food is not properly broken down and immune reactivity increases. 

If a creek becomes filled with moss, sticks, and mud, to the point it can no longer flow, what happens?   The water sits still, becomes muddied and cloudy, and can even take on a foul smell. Things may begin growing in the water that are toxic to wildlife or swimmers. This is very similar to what can happen in our guts! 

Because chronic illness and Lyme are often associated with a high level of toxicity, this increases the burden on the digestive system to eliminate and get rid of all the body’s waste. If we become backed up and aren’t eliminating effectively, the body becomes filled with stagnant toxins and waste which greatly increases our symptom burden. These toxins aren’t always necessarily the result of infectious organisms, they can also be ordinary metabolic byproducts of our immune system, our hormones, inflammatory markers, and other compounds. 

Thankfully, we can do so much to support and cultivate healthy digestion with herbs, nutrition, and lifestyle practices! This is where the Uprooting Lyme approach really shines, as we never are required to engage in practices that compromise the health of our gut, which truly lays the foundation for optimal function and vitality. 

Daisha:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with us? 

Kelsey:  I think I’ve said enough! If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading along. I am honored to be joining the Nourishing Life Health Center and greatly look forward to working with you!