From Burnout to Balance: My Journey into Functional Medicine

My name is Amy Read, and I’m a Nurse Practitioner with a specialty in Adult and Geriatric Acute Care. With over 25 years of experience in healthcare, my journey has been anything but linear, but every step, every challenge, and every success has brought me closer to the work I now feel called to do: helping others heal deeply through the lens of functional medicine.

My career began in the late 1990s after earning my Associate’s Degree in Nursing from Owens Community College. Driven to continue learning, I later earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing, followed by a Master’s degree from Walden University, where I became certified as an Adult and Geriatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.

I originally began my nursing career in Toledo, Ohio, at St. Vincent Children’s Hospital. In 2002, I relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where I continued working in pediatrics and expanded my experience into the Newborn Nursery and Labor & Delivery units. Over time, I found myself seeking new challenges and developed an interest in emergency medicine, eventually transitioning to the Emergency Room. In 2010, I moved to Michigan and began working at Bronson Methodist Hospital as an Emergency Room Trauma Specialist. Thanks to my strong background in pediatrics, I was selected to help establish a Pediatric Transport Team, a role I served in for several years before transferring to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to join the Neonatal Transport Team.

As I grew professionally, I expanded into palliative care with Aspire Health and conducted in-home health risk assessments for Medicare patients through Signify Health. I later transitioned to telehealth, providing mental health support and care plan development with Cerebral Health.

But despite my clinical success, I was personally struggling. I dealt with chronic pain, fatigue, brain fog, IBS, depression, ADHD, and anxiety. Though conventional medicine offered tests and temporary relief, it didn’t offer lasting answers. When I was told “nothing can be done,” I refused to accept that as my reality. That’s when I discovered functional medicine.

This experience changed my life. I dove deep into the study of root-cause healing and eventually became certified in Functional Medicine and Brain Health. I combined this knowledge with my clinical background to form a new approach to care, one that treats the whole person, not just the symptoms.

In 2020, I founded Sunshine Functional Healing, where I now serve as a Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner and Health Coach. I help clients uncover the root causes of their chronic conditions and guide them through personalized, actionable plans to restore balance, health, and energy. My approach is deeply personal because I’ve walked this road myself. I understand the frustration, the fear, and the courage it takes to try something new.

Today, I balance my practice with my most treasured role: being a mother to six amazing children. Outside of work, you’ll often find me at the beach, where the sunshine renews me, and the sound of waves reminds me that healing like the tide is a rhythm we can learn to trust.

Whether it's supporting clients through complex conditions or simply reminding them that they’re not alone, my mission is to empower others to take control of their health and feel whole again.