Restorative Health Practitioner Devon Cassidy has always had a passion for helping others pursue health and wellness. She started her career as a Registered Nurse, serving 5 years with the Marines and Navy before working for a period of time in the ER. As a nurse, Devon loved working with patients and learned a lot. However, she didn’t feel she was able to make the impact she wanted on the lives of those she served…which eventually led her to discover the world of functional nutrition.
After completing her Masters in Nutrition from Bastyr University in 2020, Devon enrolled in the Institute of Restorative Health’s Level 1 class – Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing. “It was exactly the curriculum I was looking for – it was all the missing pieces I needed to feel ready to start seeing clients,” says Devon. “We learned about digestion in our Masters classes, but not in the way IRH teaches it. The concepts I learned in Level 1 – the importance of digestive enzymes, how the pancreas works and its role in digestion, the purpose of bile, what different intestinal markers mean – all of this was so important in helping me understand exactly what my clients need and why. I finally had the confidence I needed to help people and make a real impact.”
Coming out of the Level 1 class, Devon spent a lot of time on gut healing – both her own and those of her clients – with great success. She recalls one client in particular who was suffering from chronic microscopic colitis. At only 30 years old, the client hadn’t had a normal bowel movement in 8 years and was on a fast track to have her colon removed. Devon took a nutrition-first approach in working with this client, running a GI-MAP and MRT test and developing a custom protocol. The result? Within months the client was having regular normal bowel movements, was enjoying more energy, and was finally absorbing her nutrients and able to put weight back on.
But, it was IRH’s Level 2 class – Mastering the Art & Science of Hormone Optimization that changed the game for Devon personally. “I had been on and off birth control for years. After stopping in 2017, I went three years without a menstrual cycle. It wasn’t until I completed Level 2 that I was able to identify and heal my own hormonal imbalances. Within three months of completing Level 2, I was back to a normal menstrual cycle.”
One of Devon’s favorite tools she’s learned from IRH has been the wellness triad – the combination of food and supplements, lifestyle, and inner landscape that ultimately impact your client’s physical, mental, and emotional health. “Food and supplements can only get you so far in the process – it’s so important to take into account other factors that could be impacting your clients,” says Devon.
In fact, Devon says using the IRH wellness triad has been core to her clients’ success as it helps them stay motivated and accountable. Below are some of Devon’s favorite strategies – all of which you can used in your own work with clients to encourage compliance and get better results:
Recognize that every client is different: Understanding this and accepting it as a practitioner is the very first step. While it can feel challenging to create custom protocols when you are just starting out, it’s important to commit to an individualized approach for each client. Devon credits IRH with making this doable and giving her the tools she needed to create highly targeted, personalized protocols.
Be flexible: Healing is not linear, which can be hard for both practitioners and clients to remember. Sometimes that means you need to change your lens and take a different approach to help your clients heal – including looking into the lifestyle and inner landscape elements of the wellness triad that could be keeping a client stuck. Devon notes that the wellness triad concept has been key in helping her identify what’s blocking certain clients from healing. And, she’s better equipped to coach her clients through these blocks with success.
Make sure your clients feel seen, heard, and understood: Most clients have seen many other health practitioners – with little or no success – before finding you. As a result, Devon stresses the importance of listening to your clients and making them feel supported. “The wellness triad has been so helpful for getting to know my clients and help them feel understood on a deeper level, which supports a better working relationship and better outcomes,” says Devon. “Some clients need more time, some clients need more frequent check-ins, some clients need more coaching and others just need a cheerleader.”
Keep it simple and celebrate every success: Devon works with her clients to break down new habits and protocols into tiny, bite-sized goals. She then makes a point to follow-up with her clients and celebrate every success – even those that may seem small. And, when clients fall off track, Devon asks them “What can I do to help you get back on track?”. With a deeper understanding of her clients and how factors other than food or supplements might be affecting their healing journey, Devon is able to show up as more than just a provider – she can show up as a true partner for them. In fact, Devon makes it a point to have weekly check-ins with all of her clients where she offers encouragement and answers any questions. “This is so important given the healing takes time and sometimes things get worse before they get better,” says Devon, “I want to be there to help them through it.”
Help your clients stay focused on the bigger picture: In response to the wellness triad concept Devon learned through IRH, she now has all of her clients write down 2-3 reasons the work they are doing together is important to them. She reminds her clients frequently throughout their work together of their “why”, especially when they are deep in a protocol and may be struggling with compliance, consistency, or uncomfortable symptoms. She also coaches her clients to incorporate a gratitude practice and daily journaling as part of their protocol, which she cites has been critical to many clients’ successes.
Looking back on the last two years, Devon is so grateful she made the decision to pursue her career in functional nutrition and invest in becoming a Restorative Health Practitioner. “I remember being so confused and uncertain when I first started out in Nutrition, but the IRH program gave me the confidence and the skills I needed to finally create positive, lasting change in the lives of my clients,” says Devon. “If anyone is on the fence, I tell them to do it – the program is so valuable and insightful.”
Interested in making an impact like Devon? Be sure to apply for our Level 1 class – Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing. In less than 12 weeks, you’ll gain the skills and confidence you need to get your clients life-changing results.
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FAQ
The following frequently asked questions expand on the key clinical and coaching concepts discussed in this practitioner spotlight and provide additional context for applying them in practice.
What helps functional nutrition practitioners achieve better long-term client outcomes?
Better client outcomes come from combining individualized clinical care with consistent coaching and accountability. As highlighted in Devon Cassidy’s experience, personalized protocols, ongoing support, and addressing lifestyle and mindset alongside nutrition help clients stay engaged throughout the healing process.
Why is individualized care important in functional nutrition?
Individualized care allows practitioners to tailor recommendations to each client’s unique needs and circumstances. Rather than relying on standardized protocols, customized approaches can improve client engagement, compliance, and clinical progress.
What is the Wellness Triad in restorative health practice?
The Wellness Triad is a framework that considers food and supplements, lifestyle, and inner landscape together when supporting client health. According to Devon Cassidy, addressing all three areas provides a more complete understanding of factors that may influence healing and long-term success.
How can practitioners improve client compliance with nutrition protocols?
Client compliance improves when recommendations are simple, personalized, and supported with regular accountability.
Effective strategies described in the article include:
- Breaking goals into manageable steps
- Celebrating small wins
- Providing consistent follow-up
- Helping clients reconnect with their personal motivation
Why are regular client check-ins important during healing?
Regular check-ins help clients stay motivated, ask questions, and navigate challenges throughout their care plan. Devon emphasizes weekly follow-ups as an opportunity to provide encouragement, reinforce progress, and help clients stay engaged when healing becomes difficult.
How can practitioners support clients when progress is slower than expected?
Healing is not always linear, so practitioners may need to adjust their approach over time. The article recommends remaining flexible, exploring lifestyle and inner landscape factors, and partnering with clients to identify barriers that may be affecting progress.
What role does gastrointestinal assessment play in personalized nutrition care?
Gastrointestinal assessment can help practitioners develop more individualized nutrition protocols. In the case example shared, GI-MAP and MRT testing were used to inform a customized plan for a client with chronic digestive symptoms.
Why is understanding digestive physiology important for functional nutrition practitioners?
Understanding digestive physiology helps practitioners better interpret digestive function and individual client needs. Devon credits learning about digestive enzymes, pancreatic function, bile, and intestinal markers with increasing her clinical confidence when working with clients.
How can hormone education improve practitioner confidence?
Expanding knowledge of hormone health can strengthen a practitioner’s ability to recognize and address hormonal imbalances within their scope of practice. Devon describes her hormone education as a turning point that improved both her clinical confidence and her understanding of her own health.
How can practitioners help clients stay motivated during long protocols?
Helping clients reconnect with their personal reasons for pursuing better health can strengthen motivation throughout treatment. Devon encourages clients to identify two or three meaningful reasons for making changes and revisit those motivations whenever compliance becomes challenging.
Why is the practitioner-client relationship important for successful outcomes?
A strong therapeutic relationship encourages trust, communication, and long-term engagement. Making clients feel heard, understood, and supported helps build a partnership that can improve adherence and overall satisfaction with care.
What coaching strategies can help clients build lasting health habits?
Small, achievable behavior changes supported by encouragement and accountability can promote sustainable habits.
The article highlights several practical approaches, including:
- Setting bite-sized goals
- Celebrating every success
- Asking clients how to help them get back on track after setbacks
- Encouraging gratitude practices and daily journaling
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Devon Cassidy is a Restorative Health Practitioner who sees clients in a number of capacities, including as a practitioner within the RHP-owned The Healthy Gut Club and as a resident functional nutrition expert for the holistic health clinic, Acushen, in Houston, TX. You can find Devon on Instagram at @dev_on_nutrition.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margaret Floyd Barry, FNTP MRHP is owner and Executive Director of the Institute of Restorative Health. She’s a functional nutritionist, author, speaker, educator, and real food advocate. Through years of experience working with the most complex client cases, including reversing her own autoimmune condition, Margaret uses a powerful system for restoring health by addressing the root cause of illness.
Today, Margaret teaches fellow practitioners the same proven system she uses to get her clients life-changing results through the Institute of Restorative Health – a two-year comprehensive functional nutrition certification program for qualified health professionals. Margaret also runs Restorative Corporate Wellness, a team of Restorative Health Practitioners facilitating health transformations with corporate clients. She is the author of Eat Naked and its follow-up cookbook The Naked Foods Cookbook. She’s also the host of the Clinician’s Corner podcast, where she interviews some of the world’s top experts in the fields of functional health and nutrition.
