Jillan Parkhurst

I support women seeking tools to reconnect with their body and grow nervous system resilience to reclaim agency and choice amidst a seemingly powerless time.

As someone who has lived with chronic illness for over a decade, I understand what it’s like to feel alone, immobilized by fear, and at a loss for where to go next.

Hello! 

If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re navigating a crossroads—whether by choice or circumstance. Illness, life transitions, and the unexpected can feel confusing, isolating, and overwhelming. I want you to know: you don’t have to do this alone.

I’m Jillian—a certified Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapist, Chronic Illness Doula, Culinary Nutritionist, Health Coach, and Educator living with Multiple Myeloma. My experiences with chronic illness, medical trauma, and CPTSD deeply inform my work. I understand the emotional weight of navigating the healthcare system, the fear of uncertainty, and the longing to feel at home in your body again.

In my practice, I support clients in tuning into their bodies, exploring emotions, and completing stress response cycles so they can make aligned, present-day choices rooted in self-compassion and nervous system awareness.

Outside of work, I love learning and sharing, getting creative in the kitchen, and building community. You can often find me with my nose in a book, hiking with my dog Parker, playing in my garden, or near water—my favorite place to recharge.

Wherever you are on your journey, I’m honored you’re here.

In Community,
Jillian

MY
HEALTH STORY

My journey into this work began with a personal health crisis in 2012, when my body completely shut down. I had lived in overdrive—high stress, no rest, always pushing through. Then came the crash: full-body pain, rashes, pneumonia, mono. It forced me to listen.

What followed were years of chronic illness with no clear answers. I spent up to 2 weeks every month in bed, cycling through debilitating flares. Eventually, I was diagnosed with a range of rare and complex conditions: MGUS, HUVS, angioedema, dysautonomia, cutis laxa, and Light Chain Deposition Disease, which later progressed into Multiple Myeloma.

After chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and a stem cell transplant in 2021, I now live with no evidence of active disease (NEAD). But survivorship is layered, especially with incurable cancer; it’s full of healing, fatigue, anxiety, and deep nervous system repair.

I became a Trauma-Informed Somatic Practitioner and Chronic Illness Doula so that I can offer what I wish I’d had: compassionate, body-based support from someone who truly understands. I hold space for others navigating illness, trauma, and uncertainty—because I’ve lived it too.

You are not broken. Your body is not the enemy. Together, we can rediscover safety, presence, and resilience—one moment at a time.

So Many Promises, So Much Shame

Before I had formal diagnoses, I encountered disbelief everywhere—from doctors, holistic practitioners, strangers, and even people I knew. I was told it was all in my head. And over time, I began to wonder if maybe they were right.

The symptoms persisted, but the answers didn’t come.

Fortunately, at the time, I had access to try countless paths—Western medicine, functional medicine, holistic approaches, and more. I advocated for myself, researched endlessly, and followed every promising lead.

Each time something didn’t work, I blamed myself.

Online, I saw stories of people healing chronic illness with gluten elimination, green juice, cleanses, divorces, or expensive supplements. If they could do it, why couldn’t I? I poured my time, energy, and money into trying everything. And when nothing worked, I felt like a failure.

Over a decade into illness, I still bump into those shame-filled thoughts. The difference now is, I recognize them faster. I know they’re not the truth.

My mission is to help others unravel those same (internal and external) messages—to support people in living in their today body with compassion and surrender. Healing isn’t a quick fix or a one-size-fits-all approach, and it’s not done alone.

THE WORK

When you work with me, you won’t find dogma—you’ll find support. Whether you’re exploring hydrotherapy or chemotherapy, your choices are your own. I’m here to walk alongside you, not tell you what to do.

My role is to help you make decisions that align with your values, needs, and beliefs, not fear-based tactics or outdated “good girl” conditioning.

Together, we create space for the logistics and the emotional pieces. This work is about rebuilding trust with your body, not seeing her as broken, but learning to be in compassionate dialogue with her.

I want you to feel seen, believed, and supported—not silenced or dismissed. I’ll offer nervous system education to help you connect to your felt sense and recognize when and how to intervene with care.

You’ll find a steady presence in me through all the layers: tears, rage, laughter, fatigue, and hope. I will never ask you to bypass your truth.

This is the heart of my work: honoring your many parts, walking with you through illness, trauma, and transition, and supporting you in imagining a life that holds both joy and loss.

You don’t have to do this alone.
~ Jillian

CERTIFICATIONS

Somatic

  • The Embody Lab

    • Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy

    • Somatic Stress Release

    • Somatic Trauma Therapy Mentorship

  • The Core Rising

    • Somatic Teacher Training

Functional Medicine

  • Josh Gitalis

    • Digestion & GI Health

    • Applied Nutrition in Clinical Practice

Nutrition & Health Coaching

  • Academy of Culinary Nutrition

    • Culinary Nutrition Expert

    • Culinary Nutrition Instructor

  • Institute for Integrative Nutrition

    • Integrative Nutrition Health Coach