Insurance Analyst & Claims Specialist
I was born and raised in Wisconsin in the United States. However, I have lived in New Zealand for 17 years now and consider myself a ‘kiwi’, residing in beautiful Papamoa Beach with my husband, Rod, the Director of RSFA, and our two ‘fur kids’, our dogs Jinxy and Willow.
I graduated from San Diego State University (Magna Cum Laude) with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. I studied all aspects of the human condition, from laboratory analysis of skeletal remains to identify diseases and nutritional deficiencies to medical practices of various cultures. This was followed by a Doctorate in Integrative Medicine (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Natural Medicine, in which I studied conventional medical school courses, along with complementary herbal, nutritional and functional health pathology analysis to address a whole-body systems approach to wellbeing. I interned with a holistic GP medical doctor (Dr Bernard Willis, MD) from the University of Leeds.
Besides my role with RSFA, for over a decade, I have been the creator and director of my virtual functional health practice, an active podcaster for a variety of health matters, presenter, writer, and charity director. Over the years, I have helped thousands of people of all ages and health concerns worldwide, but I’m not your ‘(neuro)typical’ gal.
I was diagnosed in midlife with being on the autism spectrum (neurodivergent) and proudly share this publicly. I now speak out on the gender inequities in diagnosing women that lead to failure to get diagnosed or misdiagnosed. I voice my story from childhood through diagnosis about training my assistance dog, Willow, and functional health support for neurodivergence in my bold new book, ‘U Don’t Seem Autistic’.
I hope that sharing my ongoing journey will break through stereotypes of neurodiversity, help to create more neuro-inclusive mainstream institutions, and inspire other women to seek the support they need.
My neurodivergent brain has been described as having a photographic memory with keen attention to detail. Yet, people say I’m relatable and convey technical information in easy-to-understand terms. This fits like a glove as RSFA’s motto is “Real advice, in really easy to understand terms”.
With my varied background in the health and wellbeing field and surviving my struggles with health, I see insurance of all types as a complementary and vital approach to well-being, as this brings peace of mind to people in the most challenging times, allowing them to focus on their recovery and optimising their ability to get on and enjoy their lives, knowing that they have the security of coverage of their most important assets; their health, their financial safety, and their loved ones.
With RSFA, I look forward to working with you in a one-on-one personal approach to assisting with administering all forms of risk insurance. Our team can help with policies for straight life insurance, through to health (medical), trauma, and income protection, business insurances like key person cover, and we can even advise on policies for your pets (we will give you the advice in this instance though).
We will be there for you through all cycles of your policy, from new and renewed applications to the claims process. I work alongside Rod Schubert, your qualified mortgage and risk insurance adviser, to ensure that your policies are well-researched and that you have the best approach for your needs. And if the time comes to make a claim, we will work alongside you to ensure that all stages of the claims process are worked through as smoothly as possible.
*Please note that I am not a New Zealand registered medical doctor/GP and do not prescribe pharmaceuticals. I always recommend that you maintain your trusted relationship with your medical doctor and medical specialists for diagnoses, treatment and all medical advice.