Minerals and HTMA: A Foundational Guide to Physical and Emotional Health

Session Information

Regional Event: national
Start Date: 08/14/2026 1:00 pm
End Date: 08/14/2026 2:40 pm
Location: Windermere Ballroom WX

Speakers in this session...

  • Sophie Shepherd

    Sophie Shepherd FDN-P

    Sophie Shepherd is the founder of SHE Talks Health and the creator of the SHE Talks Health Podcast. Sophie is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who helps women transform their thyroid health using a combination of root cause functional lab testing, mineral balancing, and nervous system and mindset tools. With eight years in practice and over 500 women served, Sophie has become known for her work at the intersection of physical and emotional wellness – particularly her clinical application of Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis. She serves as a clinical HTMA mentor for practitioners through Vykon Customs and was the former health coach for Dr. Jessica Peatross, and is a moderator for Sheila Kenneally’s “The Practitioner’s Blueprint: Functional Blood Chemistry.” Her mission is to revolutionize the way women claim their health and slay old stories of being in sick bodies

    Sessions...

    Minerals and HTMA: A Foundational Guide to Physical and Emotional Health
    Regional Event: national
    Start Date: 08/14/2026 1:00 pm
    End Date: 08/14/2026 2:40 pm
    Location: Windermere Ballroom WX
    Session details

    Course Description

    Minerals are the spark plugs of the human body – and yet they are almost universally overlooked in clinical practice. In this two-hour continuing education course, functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner, Sophie Shepherd, takes practitioners on a deep dive into the foundational role minerals play in metabolism, nervous system regulation, hormonal balance, thyroid function, and overall cellular health. Drawing on years of clinical experience and functional lab data, she walks through the power of Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) as a practical, non-invasive tool for uncovering patterns that conventional bloodwork routinely misses. The course goes beyond the physical, exploring the often-overlooked emotional and psychological dimensions of mineral imbalance – including how patterns like calcium shell, copper dysregulation, and sodium-potassium depletion can manifest as emotional numbness, anxiety, trauma patterns, and nervous system dysregulation. Practitioners will leave with a working understanding of mineral relationships, the clinical application of HTMA, and a new lens for connecting physical symptoms to the deeper biochemical and emotional landscape of their patients.

    Learning Objectives

    1. Explain the clinical value of Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) as a functional assessment tool – including what it measures, what it reveals about long-term patterns in the body, and why it offers a different and complementary picture to conventional bloodwork.
    2. Identify key mineral ratios and patterns on an HTMA report and explain their relationship to thyroid function, adrenal output, metabolic rate, and nervous system regulation.
    3. Recognize the emotional and psychological correlates of specific mineral imbalances – including calcium shell, copper dysregulation, and sodium-potassium depletion – and articulate how mineral rebalancing can support nervous system regulation alongside somatic and emotional healing work.

    Sponsor: Vykon

     

Course Description

Minerals are the spark plugs of the human body – and yet they are almost universally overlooked in clinical practice. In this two-hour continuing education course, functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner, Sophie Shepherd, takes practitioners on a deep dive into the foundational role minerals play in metabolism, nervous system regulation, hormonal balance, thyroid function, and overall cellular health. Drawing on years of clinical experience and functional lab data, she walks through the power of Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) as a practical, non-invasive tool for uncovering patterns that conventional bloodwork routinely misses. The course goes beyond the physical, exploring the often-overlooked emotional and psychological dimensions of mineral imbalance – including how patterns like calcium shell, copper dysregulation, and sodium-potassium depletion can manifest as emotional numbness, anxiety, trauma patterns, and nervous system dysregulation. Practitioners will leave with a working understanding of mineral relationships, the clinical application of HTMA, and a new lens for connecting physical symptoms to the deeper biochemical and emotional landscape of their patients.

Learning Objectives

  1. Explain the clinical value of Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) as a functional assessment tool – including what it measures, what it reveals about long-term patterns in the body, and why it offers a different and complementary picture to conventional bloodwork.
  2. Identify key mineral ratios and patterns on an HTMA report and explain their relationship to thyroid function, adrenal output, metabolic rate, and nervous system regulation.
  3. Recognize the emotional and psychological correlates of specific mineral imbalances – including calcium shell, copper dysregulation, and sodium-potassium depletion – and articulate how mineral rebalancing can support nervous system regulation alongside somatic and emotional healing work.

Sponsor: Vykon