Athena Riesenberg
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
Starting in my late teens, I battled brain fog, low energy, mood swings, and weight gain. It felt like I was constantly fighting my own body while trying to navigate a college life made up of late nights, sugar and caffeine, and endless stress. I didn't realize how much my daily habits affected my health back then.
I was in an endless state of fight or flight. My symptoms eventually became so overwhelming that I had to drop out of school. It wasn't until I found a Functional Medicine doctor who actually listened that things started to improve. Working with him, I began to understand the root causes of my symptoms.
Making gradual changes to my lifestyle and habits wasn't a quick fix, but it made a world of difference. With time I was able to reverse insulin resistance, balance my blood sugar, heal my gut, support my thyroid, identify food sensitivities, and lose weight. It wasn't just about the physical changes. My confidence came back and my mood stabilized. The following semester I felt well enough to return to school and I finished out my degree.
My health journey has taught me how much power we have over our own well-being, but I also know that life happens. Careers, relationships, families—they all demand our attention. It's easy to put your own needs last until those little things like weight gain and irritability become a daily struggle you can’t ignore.
If any of this resonates with you, please know you're not alone, and you don't have to figure this out by yourself. I believe you have the ability to create a life where you feel clear-headed and empowered by your own choices.
I'm here to help you navigate this path. We'll start by understanding your personal vision of health and then create realistic, achievable practices that fit into your life.
I am a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, affiliated with the Institute for Functional Medicine. My coach training included positive psychology, mind-body medicine, and the concepts of functional medicine, a wellness-based, person-centered approach that seeks to identify and address the root cause of disease and promote optimal wellness.
embodying the wise warrior
The name Wise Warrior Health Coaching came to me on a hike through the woods. Being outside in nature is where I get my best thinking done.
I found myself reflecting on the meaning and origins of my own name, Athena. The Greek goddess of wisdom and justified warfare. Not the reckless kind of warfare, but rather thoughtful and kind. Strategic. Intuitive. Strength with grace.
As I walked, I thought about the women I support and the silent battles we fight each day just to keep going. The tug-of-war between who we are and who we’re expected to be. And the internal war within us is the one we fight the hardest.
The goddess Athena was more than a fighter. She didn’t charge forward blindly. She led with intention and clarity. She used and trusted her innate strengths—her mind, her heart, and her intuition.
That is my approach to coaching. Not fixing. Not forcing. But gently uncovering the wisdom that’s already there. Because every woman I work with carries a strength within her. She already has what she needs. We just need to find the tools, the rhythm, and the belief to embrace her strength again.
Wise Warrior isn’t just a name. It’s a reminder. You don’t have to become someone else. You already are her.
TESTIMONIALs
Leslie: When I started working with Athena, I was working out and walking consistently, but my diet could be improved and my stress was high. My mindset was very focused on tangible outcomes, right and wrong, and the fact that somehow I needed to “fix” something. I appreciated that Athena was relatable and a fantastic listener. She allowed me the space to think and grow. She had a way to guide me down paths I was ready for and to ask questions that made me see paths I had never seen before.
