Shannon Durell, CHC

Hi! I'm Shannon, a certified Health Coach at Simplify Health. My passion for health and wellness started when I was just 12 years old. I struggled with my weight and spent years trying everything from calorie restriction to fad diets, prescriptions, and even injections—all in an effort to feel better in my own body. Nothing ever gave me lasting results.

After my second pregnancy, I faced postpartum depression, weight struggles, and the pressure of returning to work before I felt ready mentally, physically, or emotionally. I told myself to push through, believing that if I could just “get healthy,” everything else would fall into place. That’s when I started digging into what true health and wellness really meant—beyond what conventional medicine was telling me.

In 2015, I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s, and it was a turning point. When I learned that Alzheimer’s could be preventable and even treatable in certain stages, it completely changed the way I thought about food, lifestyle, and disease prevention. My husband and I decided to clean up our diet and give up alcohol, and I committed to eating whole foods and moving my body daily. Within a year, I lost over 40 pounds and felt better than I ever had before.

But life brought new stresses, and despite my best efforts, my health began to unravel again. I suffered from anxiety, fatigue, IBS, brain fog, and eventually, at just 33 years old, I had a stroke. That experience shook me. I knew deep down that stress and lifestyle were major contributors, but once again, my doctors dismissed my symptoms and handed me prescriptions for depression and anxiety. For the third and final time, I said no and walked away, determined to find real answers.

That transformation inspired me to take the next step. I earned my certification as a Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition so I could return to Simplify Health as part of the team. Today, I work alongside Dr. Jennifer, walking with patients through their own journeys. I’m now a firm believer that we cannot put a price on our health, and I love helping other women discover that same freedom.

I feel honored to walk this path with each client, helping them uncover the root causes of their symptoms and empowering them to take back their health because I know what it feels like to be in their shoes.

When I’m not working with clients, you can usually find me on the beach hunting for shells, watching a sunrise or sunset, or spending time with my husband, our two children, and our six dogs here in Jacksonville.