Lori Alexander 54: Embracing the Manosphere

[Sarah92]

As a counselor, I hate when people think that eating the right foods/ exercise will just clear up depression and anxiety. As someone who values holistic health, I think good nutrition and exercise can do wonders; however this should be coordinated with a mental health med prescribing PCP or MH professional. I dislike when people make my job more difficult by spreading half truths or down-right lies.

I only hope she's smart enough to make sure they're seeking additional treatment. She may be held liable for any of her claims should a person in her care commit suicide or harm themselves. I can't say this for sure because I'm not familiar with all the legality of making claims for ones profession. However, I know in the counseling world we have to be careful about the professional claims and advice we make in our name. That's why if I ever offer suggestions on here I'm doing so as a "friend" not a professional. 

[ladyicantxplain]

As I have shared here in the past, I minister with a very established and large healing ministry, internationally.  In the manual we use when we are taught the principles of DIVINE healing (not "eating the perfect foods to 'heal' yourself" - that is NOT divine healing as defined by our ministry), it is expressly forbidden that we attempt to practice medicine without a license.  This includes telling people to "just quit taking your meds" or telling people to "just try this food, or that food"  or telling people to take supplements or stop taking supplements, etc.  Also, never, ever would we say "stop taking chemo" or "put in a feeding tube" or any such thing.  We are not doctors.   You get the point.

Regardless of whether or not one is in ministry, we should NEVER be practicing medicine without a license.

Doing such things while in ministry is only more confusing, as people coming for divine healing begin to wonder, "Is this divine healing?"  if we are all about meds, supplements and food.  Divine healing is healing that is impossible for man, but possible for God.

While I think it is fine to offer OPINIONS of foods for healing, supplements, drinks and holistic remedies - they should be offered as OPINIONS alone, and it should be clearly stated.  AND this should NOT be included in the "ministry" pages of the person offering the opinions.  Lori has done ALL of this within her ministry blog and it is distasteful and dangerous, IMHO.  It is only slightly better than her daughter would do this, but at least it is not in association with a ministry page for women or anyone else.

 

[AlwaysDiscerning]

Alyssa's website says 

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My name is Alyssa Hustedt and I am a certified Nutritional Therapy Consultant and a Restorative Wellness Practitioner.

Certified by who? Does anyone know where she went to school or where this certification came from. Is it just some ecourse she did and now she is fancy and certified or is a reputable place?

[SuperNova]

1 hour ago, Koala said:

Like I said, she seems very nice, but I take real issue with unqualified individuals "treating" anxiety and depression.

It's great that she's nice but what she's offering isn't. I wonder if she herself has dealt with the issues she's trying to heal. I can't speak for all the illnesses listed but when you've dealt with chronic pain as long as I have, it can be tempting to think that maybe, just maybe, this person has the silver bullet. It can give you hope to think that if you find the right person with just the right combination, everything will be better. Claiming to heal illnesses that you have no qualifications to treat is preying on people's weaknesses. Sounds like the apple didn't fall far from the tree. 

[Koala]

Exactly, and if they want to embrace that with their own health, then more power to them.  Unfortunately, it's a different ball game when your peddling to desperate individuals, who are willing to try just about anything to get better.

Back in Feb. we did some remodeling.  Bought new furniture and a new mattress.  Almost immediately I started breaking out in welps on both sides of my abdomen.  I would literally scratch until they bled.  Dr. prescribed prednisone and sent me home.  Things got better, but once I finished up the medication, the rash came back (different location).  Again, I went to the doctor, and again they gave me prednisone.  Rash cleared up while on medication, but came back with a vengeance when I finished it.

The next trip was to a new doctor.  She gave me a medication to treat the symptoms, and referred me to an dermatologist.  By that time we hadn't slept through the night in 6 months, and I was absolutely miserable.  My husband said I would scratch in my sleep.  

We considered everything, and came to believe it had to be the mattress.  

Finally, they did a skin patch test and I got my answer.  I had developed an allergy to something found in many hand-soaps and laundry detergents.  We had switched to a free and clear laundry detergent, but never thought our handsoap would be a problem (and my hands weren't even broken out).  To top it off, I wash my hands pretty compulsively, so I was exposing myself to the allergen, every single time I washed. 

This ingredient is found in several things, and because of that we have had to make some major changes.  I REALLY miss all of my perfumes/lotions/ etc.  BUT, I feel sooooooo much better.

All of that to say, only a skin patch test solved the mystery.  Something Alyssa can never give.

I have always heard that when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail.  If I had gone to Alyssa, how much time would I have wasted trying to "balance" myself?  How many foods would I have (pointlessly) added or eliminated?  

And therein lies the problem.  Alyssa is NOT a trained medical professional, and she won't necessarily know a problem when she sees one.  A person could waste valuable time and money, paying her to "investigate" a problem she has no qualifications to diagnose or treat.

I feel really bad about what Lori and Ken put her through, but she has no business handing out medical advice, and she should REALLY stay away from "investigating" depression and anxiety.

[Koala]

From the website:

Aside from the fact that the first part of the sentence doesn't make much sense, the second part kind of implies that if she can't "heal" you, you weren't dedicated enough.  

Which goes back to my point- she likely won't be able to "heal" you, because she is NOT a medical professional.

Link:

Spoiler

https://www.alyssahustedt.com/

 

[delphinium65]

 

24 minutes ago, Koala said:

Exactly, and if they want to embrace that with their own health, then more power to them.  Unfortunately, it's a different ball game when your peddling to desperate individuals, who are willing to try just about anything to get better.

Believe me, I am all in favor of people taking responsibility for their own health, and doing what they can for themselves.  Doctors are limited to what they know after all, and they aren't the ones who have to live in the patient's body.  I think lifestyle habits can make a considerable difference for many (perhaps most?) people.  BUT...I agree, don't tell people in pain that you can fix them, and definitely do NOT tell them to stop medical treatment!  

[polecat]

3 hours ago, molecule said:

While not enormous, my breasts are pretty substantial. I'm wearing a v-neck that rivals Lori's low-cut dress in the wedding picture (only mine looks better). I was just thinking about whether I can wear it to a Christian conference I'm attending this fall. If I do, I hope Lori is there to see it.

Oh hey, you can breast boobily around her, too! Think of how fun and ranty THAT blog entry would be?

[onemama]

3 hours ago, Hisey said:

The whole family (Ken, the kids, sisters, brothers in law) seem really into the concept that eating the exact right (expensive and hard-to-obtain) foods will cure all your problems. Is that a Southern California thing, or just an Alexander family thing?

I'm entirely in favor of eating whole, clean foods, but I don't think that eating kombacha-infused organic beets will cure my "gut" of anything.

This is a big thing in the world of online natural medicine. You have people like Dr Axe or Dr. Eric Berg who put videos on youtube telling you what to eat and what to avoid to cure any and all ailments.  There's lots of talk about "leaky gut", organic this and that, exotic sounding herbs or plants, like ashwaghanda (that one stuck for some reason), fermenting vegetables, culturing milk and water (kombucha and kefir), etc.....  

These are doctors of some sort, but they don't practice conventional medicine. They offer their protocols and sell their supplements at pretty high prices. Some people swear by them.  I don't know... 

Like you, I think that nutrition plays a role in how well I feel, but nutrition alone may not be able to cure whatever is going on in my body. There are people who say you can cure cavities by following a special diet and eating specific vitamins and minerals. It's too late for me now. I have a mouth full of fillings.  Stressing out over what to eat and what not to eat can't be healthy either. You have to live and enjoy life too!

[SongRed7]

This is the organization she received her certification from:

They also provide marketing support such as building a web presence.  They have several different tracks.   Nutritional Therapy Consultant is what Alyssa took.  Mostly online courses. Cost is not cheap: $5,400.   

https://nutritionaltherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/NTCSeptRegistrationPacket2018-19.pdf

 

EDIT: Checked out Better Business Bureau. No complaints against this school. Looked at the registration form. They seem pretty upfront...you get what you pay for..although it's not a nationally recognized certification by any state and/or medical body.   Seems no different than other kind of "for-profit" schools. You can make of it what you will.  Besides the tuition, there does seem to be a lot of "add-ons" and books, etc you need to buy separately. Also saw this note on the Better Business Bureau entry: (this is all public information)

 

I am writing to report a conflict of interest between the Nutritional Therapy Association (NTA) and Biotics Research NW. Mr. Gray G. is the Founder of the Nutrition Therapy Association, a lead instructor and the Director of Public Policy (per the NTA website). He is also the President of Biotics Research NW. NTP students are required to purchase a Lingual-Neuro Test (LNT) Kit from Biotics Research (see attached). This test was created by Mr. G. and is sold through Biotics Research. There is no validity or reliability data available for this test. The test is not recognized by any other health or medical organizations to my knowledge. In addition, students are encouraged to purchase supplements to correct these deficiencies through Biotics Research. I believe Mr. G. is benefitting financially from unsuspecting NTP students, yet he discloses no conflict of interest. It is impossible to evaluate this relationship or the quality of these tests before enrolling in the program.

 

 

[Koala]

If she is able to build a client base, she won't have much trouble making it back.  She's charging $125-$380 *just for the testing*.  Who knows what she charges for the "therapy".  

Here's the other thing I don't get.  If my doctor thinks I need a blood panel, she runs one, and w/ insurance I pay nothing more than a $25 co-pay.  Why would I pay $380, when I could pay $25 AND work with a medical professional?  Makes no sense to me.

[Sarah92]

45 minutes ago, Koala said:

If she is able to build a client base, she won't have much trouble making it back.  She's charging $125-$380 *just for the testing*.  Who knows what she charges for the "therapy".  

Here's the other thing I don't get.  If my doctor thinks I need a blood panel, she runs one, and w/ insurance I pay nothing more than a $25 co-pay.  Why would I pay $380, when I could pay $25 AND work with a medical professional?  Makes no sense to me.

I get the feeling that her target clientele are those who can afford both doctors and visits to her because they're well off. Just an assumption unless she does a sliding scale that goes lower than 125. I'm sure she doesn't take medicade and who knows about insurance. Additionally, if she's seeing people who are wealthy I want to say there's less risk. They can afford to see additional doctors and medical services should something go wrong. 

*sighs* and there lies the problem, the rich have access to such services while the poor often don't despite being able to benefit from it more. 

[SongRed7]

1 hour ago, Sarah92 said:

get the feeling that her target clientele are those who can afford both doctors and visits to her because they're well off. Just an assumption unless she does a sliding scale that goes lower than 125. I'm sure she doesn't take medicade and who knows about insurance. Additionally, if she's seeing people who are wealthy I want to say there's less risk. They can afford to see additional doctors and medical services should something go wrong. 

100%...i read on the certifying organization's website, that because they are not LICENSED professionals they cannot charge insurance. (certifications mean nothing...they design and grade the tests themselves., and there is no oversight...its not an outside third party like a medical board or nursing board or any other licensed professional)... Hence, they can set any price the market will bear.   It is definitely geared to the well-off who can afford out of pocket discretionary spending on this type of counseling.  It's really no different than hiring a personal trainer with some kind of "exercise certification"  to help you over come an injury....Might help, might not help but it's certainly not the same as a licensed physical therapist.

Honestly, I'm all for free enterprise and if she can make a go of this "job" good for her.   But with everything, buyer should beware of what you are signing on for and manage your expectations accordingly.... but it is not a licensed medical practice.  

 

[Koala]

Quote

I need desperate help...

They blame my diabetes (type 1!) and send me off with nausea meds to stop the vomiting episodes... 

I would love a consult with you!

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I have been to counseling for depression and have used essential oils and vitamins to help,

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 I’m struggling to find balance still after battling anorexia. 

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Still messed up from life as a dancer, eating disorders in high school, stress and disordered eating through ballet career years

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I’m hypothyroid but don’t take the meds for it. My weight gain had caused high blood pressure and chronic pain.

This is just a sample of the people who are (publicly) reaching out to her.  She has NO BUSINESS advising a type 1 diabetic w/ episodes of unexplained vomiting, or a person struggling with high blood pressure.  She has no qualifications to treat people dealing w/ eating disorders.  

Sorry...but the more I read, the more reckless this seems. Her lack of knowledge/education could make someone very sick.

 

[SilverBeach]

1 hour ago, Sarah92 said:

I'm sure she doesn't take medicade and who knows about insurance.

Alyssa wouldn't qualify under either.

[SuperNova]

39 minutes ago, Koala said:

the more I read, the more reckless this seems. Her lack of knowledge/education could make someone very sick.

Yes. I spent some time cruising her website and I was disturbed by the language being used. She's careful in how her claims are worded. Here are two quotes from the FAQ section:

Spoiler

 It depends on the degree to which healing work was required upon our initial appointment and with your level of dedication to the process.  Most clients feel amazing by the end of their 3rd month and are ready to go into maintenance mode. 

This sets clients up for fleecing. "Most" clients feel "amazing" after only 3 months. You're not feeling better? Perhaps you're not as dedicated as you should be. Maybe you should pay for another 3 months. 

And this:

Spoiler

I ask for full commitment in advance because I need you to be ALL in.  I can give you the road map toward healing but you also need to be willing to do the work.  Remember... YOU ARE WORTH IT.

Seriously, what? She asks in advance for full commitment. Because people trying to be well usually half-ass their care? Come on. A road map to healing. Ugh. Such new age garbage. I can go to my GP, get the same tests, and google diet plans for my own well being.

I'm so uncomfortable with how much her formula sounds like Lori's. Just replace wellness with Jesus. 

[louisa05]

6 hours ago, Hisey said:

I agree. She is beautiful, and very positive, but I think she has taken a page from her mother's book and believes that the right food can cure everything. That is dangerous thinking.

The whole family (Ken, the kids, sisters, brothers in law) seem really into the concept that eating the exact right (expensive and hard-to-obtain) foods will cure all your problems. Is that a Southern California thing, or just an Alexander family thing?

I'm entirely in favor of eating whole, clean foods, but I don't think that eating kombacha-infused organic beets will cure my "gut" of anything.

Woo knows no denomination and is not confined to any region. 

My idiot woo-obsessed sister-in-law will cure your diabetes, depression, orthopedic issues or heart disease with yoga.

Or there are her "nourish" seminars where you will learn to make a shitty ass recipe with help from her and her mother, neither of whom can cook. Among the absolute shit they have served over the years I have known them are a casserole of cauliflower, chicken and parmesan cheese seasoned with nothing but copious amounts of sage and Himalayan salt (note to non-cooks: don't salt something full of parmesan); cinnamon "chiffon" cake made with no sugar and no sugar substitute (that is just a bitter rock); meat loaf which was merely a pile of hamburger baked with nothing added and no seasoning; pizza which was a frozen pie crust with about a tablespoon of unseasoned tomato sauce, a little bit of unseasoned hamburger and a dollop of cheese. Because you want to pay these people to teach you to cook something. Once you attend this seminar, you'll know how to cook perfect meals to provide perfect health for yourself. 

Or there were the magic teas she was selling which were "mindfully crafted by a Clinical Herbalist" and will "strengthen your relationship with plants" and also cure about anything that ever has been or will be wrong with you. 

Or the sound baths where people who renamed themselves after constellations will hit some gongs while you lay on the floor and it will prevent or cure whatever illness happens to be common to that season (i.e. fall allergies, flu in winter, etc...). 

And all of this in the middle of the country. 

 

 

[SilverBeach]

How about the really intelligent people paying for "raw" water? There is truly a sucker born every minute.

[TeddyBonkers]

Alyssa, we were rooting for you! We were all rooting for you!

*Tyra Banks reference*

[SuperNova]

11 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

Or the sound baths where people who renamed themselves after constellations will hit some gongs while you lay on the floor and it will prevent or cure whatever illness happens to be common to that season (i.e. fall allergies, flu in winter, etc...). 

Honestly, I would probably attend this for the entertainment value alone. I once attended a guided healing meditation circle. The people in the circle seemed so earnest. The aim was to find our second selves, our opposite counterparts, make contact,  and establish a bond so we could call on this second self for healing and strength. The idea being that we all have a couterpart that exsists in another plane of consciousness that coexsists with our reality. If we are ill, then our opposite is the strong one. When it came time to share who we found on our journey, I made up some elaborate b.s. and everyone bought it. Btw, I didn't pay for this. A friend bought me a session because she thought it would change my life. Ha. 

[Chocolatedefrauded]

22 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

Or there were the magic teas she was selling which were "mindfully crafted by a Clinical Herbalist" and will "strengthen your relationship with plants" and also cure about anything that ever has been or will be wrong with you. 

Or the sound baths where people who renamed themselves after constellations will hit some gongs while you lay on the floor and it will prevent or cure whatever illness happens to be common to that season (i.e. fall allergies, flu in winter, etc...). 

And all of this in the middle of the country. 

What about crystals? How can she be legit without crystals?  And does she talk about auras?

The woo stuff around now is so stupid, I collect anecdotes about it and laugh out aloud at the worst stuff. SilverBeach, raw water is my latest favorite!

[Hisey]

3 hours ago, Koala said:

If she is able to build a client base, she won't have much trouble making it back.  She's charging $125-$380 *just for the testing*.  Who knows what she charges for the "therapy".  

Here's the other thing I don't get.  If my doctor thinks I need a blood panel, she runs one, and w/ insurance I pay nothing more than a $25 co-pay.  Why would I pay $380, when I could pay $25 AND work with a medical professional?  Makes no sense to me.

Plus, how is she able to order a blood panel? Don't you have to be a doctor to do so? And she is not qualified to read the results. 

[Mellowing With Age]

3 minutes ago, Hisey said:

Plus, how is she able to order a blood panel? Don't you have to be a doctor to do so? And she is not qualified to read the results. 

Anyone can order blood tests. https://www.healthlabs.com/ There are several different labs that will allow you to do this, including Quest Diagnostics

[Seahorse Wrangler]

Quote

We did some testing and she created a protocol to heal my gut, regulate my blood sugar and help me to sleep.I am now almost 2 months in. The first 3 weeks were trippy as I felt my body switch from glucose burning to fat burning. The body is crazy... once I jumped over that huge adjustment hurdle

Sounds like she's peddling some kind of keto diet.  I know it works for a lot of people but I wouldn't be surprised if some kind of MLM was being marketed to her 'patients'..

Ah! gut health..

 

[Briefly]

8 hours ago, FullOfGravy said:

@Sarah92 I'm going to choose to believe that Vlad's girlfriend exists only in his mind, or that someone in his social circle is unaware that he's got this fantasy relationship with her.

If neither of those is true, and he actually does think of his real girlfriend that way?  Girl.  Run.

 

I think he's making the whole thing up, he probably doesn't have a girlfriend at all.  But he wants to appear to be masculine, godly and strong - which does not work at all with him having the type of girlfriend he describes.  Just my opinion!