Page 11 - June 2026 Insider

INSIDER • June 2026

Scholar Alumni – Where Are They Now?... Page 11
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internship and residency training in internal medicine at University of Texas-Southwestern in Dallas
in 1999. She returned to the West Coast for her fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care
medicine at the University of Washington from 2000-2003.
Her clinical experience includes working as a primary-care physician in an underserved community
and as an internal medicine hospitalist in Tacoma. She joined Southlake Clinic in 2003 and Valley
Medical Center in 2017. In her spare time, Dr. Nuñez enjoys spending time with her family,
camping, traveling and reading a good book.

Nicole Mareno, PhD, RN (2007-2009, USD) is a registered nurse and
Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor in Atlanta, Georgia. She opened her
private practice, Nurture Consulting, in 2018. In her private practice, Nicole
treats adults healing from eating disorders, working at the intersection of
mental health and nutrition. She uses a variety of therapeutic modalities
including cognitive behavioral approaches, somatic approaches, and values-
driven interventions.

Nicole helps her clients learn to nourish and care for themselves fully, feel
positive about their food decisions, and respect their bodies by
balancing nutrition and pleasure in eating. She approaches food and eating in a whole-person
manner, considering all aspects of health and well-being (e.g., biology, environment, dimensions
of health, social support, culture, financial needs, etc.) to be important, related, and relevant to
nutritional self-care.
Nicole was born and raised in San Diego and moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 2009, after receiving
her PhD in Nursing at USD’s Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science. She has worked in a wide
range of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and communities.
She is a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. As helping professionals,
psychiatric nurses fulfill many roles on the healthcare team and are qualified to implement
counseling techniques such as motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Nicole is also a member of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals and a
member of the local Atlanta chapter. She is training to be a Chi-for-Two embodiment coach, a
trauma healing method.
Nicole is an avid runner, enjoys golfing and skiing, and has recently started taking adult ballet
classes. She has an English Setter named Beau, who sometimes makes guest appearances during
virtual sessions with clients.