Mission

Empower the American woman with research-backed mental, emotional, spiritual and physical self-care skills so she can break free of generational patterns and model a self-determined, future-ready life.

Meet the founder

Years

PRACTICING
HOLISTIC WELLNESS

Certifications

CHILD DEVELOPMENT +
HEALTH & LIFE COACHING

Years

COACHING
& TEACHING

My Favorite Quotes:"You're the greatest project you'll ever work on. Reset. Restart. As many times as you need to. Just don't quit." –Unknown“We can’t achieve a desired outcome at any given moment. We can only achieve it over time, if we execute the right specific behaviors.” –BJ Fogg, Ph.D.Music:Oscuro (melodic chillstep)Food:Filet mignon and sashimiYoung Adult Fiction:Stranger in a Strange Land
by Robert A. HeinleinAuthors & Influencers:(incomplete list)Brené Brown, Ph.D.
Dr. Mark Hyman
Dr. Gabor Maté
Dr. Georgia Ede
Dr.
Teal Swan
Matthew Hussey
Ken Robinson, Ph.D.
Don Miguel Ruíz
Abraham-Hicks
Alain de Botton, MPhil
Siddhartha Gautama (Buddah)
Michael Arloski, Ph.D., PCC

Zena Bardonnay, FMCHC

(Pronounced “Zee-na Bar-d-nay”... like chardonnay.) Hi! I'm not normal. Nice to meet you. 😉

In a nutshell, I'm a reparenting coach. I help American women break free of generational patterns and cultivate holistic self-care skills.

Why? Because I know exactly what it’s like to be successful on the outside and a total mess inside my head and behind closed doors. 😮‍💨 My unique perspective comes from recovering from severe codependency—self-abandonment—and a scary mental breakdown. I realized three things in recovery: (1) I'm a passionate, powerful, loving woman, (2) my past triggered my symptoms but it doesn't stop me from learning new skills today, and (3) my Higher Power loves me and wants me to thrive.

My passion is holistic health; my credential is Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC). I'm based in South Jordan, Utah, and I'm currently working toward national board certification for health coaches.

My Coaching Philosophy
Simple: I help you do what you want to do and succeed at doing it.

I use a blend of evidence-based coaching techniques including Cognitive-Behavioral Coaching (CBC), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and positive psychology principles like character strengths and the PERMA-V model for human flourishing.

I teach—and live—the root-cause principles that my functional medicine training taught me, including mind-body medicine, longevity, the psychology and biology of eating, and IFM-approved, therapeutic food plans like the elimination diet. I have extensive experience teaching and living a 12-step program of recovery from codependency as well.

My professional domain as a coach is behavior change—I do not treat illnesses or give psychiatric or medical advice. You (and your licensed care providers) are always in the driver's seat.

That said, from GLP-1 to psychedelics, this is a safe space for all definitions of self-care. If you have the knowledge to use a tool safely or you're willing to seek advice from a supportive clinician or expert, then I'm here to help you implement your adult choices in ways that work for your busy lifestyle, and help you stay on track with your goals.

The story behind my mission

When you run out of band-aids, you realize that healing is about getting down to root causes.

Transcript (3-min read)

The Outer Picture
We both probably know what it’s like to feel trapped inside a life that looks good to everyone else.

Below is my family portrait from 1991. On the surface, you see a picture of middle-class stability and smiling adults. But the contempt in my expression is a clue that all was not well.

From the outside, my life looked good: I grew up in a house my parents owned, in a safe neighborhood with good schools. All my survival needs were more than met.

Hidden Chaos
Behind closed doors, my ‘inner home’ was anything but secure.

The camera couldn’t capture our family’s dysfunction or the emotional rollercoaster that was shaping my foundation for adulthood.

Root Causes
In our home, my father’s boundaries—his likes, dislikes, wants, needs, and values—came first before everything else, including my essential human needs for consistent love, approval and security.

By age 12, I had no clue who I was—no hobbies, sports, or church community, and I struggled academically. I felt an overwhelming need for self-determination.

Relationship Patterns
Looking back, age 16 was when my need for love, approval and security began feeling compulsive, like an addiction.

Unconsciously, my entire focus became how to meet my emotional needs outside my home, starting with friends.

Without guidance or structure, I started using tobacco, cannabis, psychedelic drugs and junk food far too young. A new biological need, sex, also became part of the mix. I was only spared from more by the grace of God.

I carried many people-pleasing ‘chameleon’ patterns with me into marriage. I was 26, but in many ways I still thought and felt like a 16-year-old girl—my emotional needs ruled my existence. For the next 17 years, I acted more like a daughter than a wife and adult woman.

A Painful Reset
Hitting my rock bottom—severe depression and anxiety—forced me to stop relying on lifestyle band-aids like travel, beauty, career, drugs, and food, but especially my pattern of using my emotions as weapons to control my significant other.

Did I slow down, start making conscious choices about who I wanted to be, and consistently practice new skills? Ha, nope. I still believed my discontent was his fault, so I exploded my Airstream lifestyle, and my marriage, like a fucking IED.

Rebuilding My Foundation
I deeply regret how my marriage ended, and I’ve apologized to my ex for my part. Honestly though, I’m grateful for my rock bottom. The simultaneous destruction of my inner and outer worlds gave me the Gift of Desperation, forcing me to turn inward and ‘remodel' my inner home.

My persistence paid off. The skills I developed since then—like a supportive inner voice, an exercise routine and nutritious meal plan I love, and navigating my boundaries—have had a shitload of positive side effects. My biomarkers are excellent, I have a loving, authentic relationship with my ideal man and his daughter, and much more.

The biggest miracle has been mental and emotional freedom from my father. Now that I have new resources for meeting my needs for love, approval, security and survival, I can respond to him with respect instead of resentment.

Words cannot describe how huge that is for me…but I can say it’s even more satisfying than quitting smoking!

Purpose in Service
Whatever happened to us back then can’t stop us from building a personalized foundation for lifelong holistic wellness now — because for most of us as Americans, ‘healthy’ is by choice, not by chance.

That belief is the core of my passion. The most effective research-backed skills, strategies and tools I learned form the heart of The Five Key Relationships Program here at Holistic Wellness School.

Today, my purpose is guiding America's most influential citizens—women—through their own holistic wellness transformations.

If you’re ready to rewrite your future, too, I’m here to walk beside you every step of the way.

“Self-love is the greatest middle finger of all time.” –Unknown

Yours in health,