Coach, Music Therapist, Psychotherapist, Clinician-Scientist/Researcher, Lived-Experience, Advocate, Empowerer of Transformation.

Annalissa Vicencio, MA, LCAT, MT-BC, NBC-HWC is a National Board Certified-Health and Wellness Coach and Recovery Coach. She is an alumnus of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, and has a Recovery Coach certification from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. As the Founder and Owner of Whole Health Power, Annalissa empowers busy professionals to leverage their relationship with food and body toward life transformation.

Annalissa is also a Music Therapist and Psychotherapist with the credentials of Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC), and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) in NY State. In her addition to her private practice with Whole Health Power, Annalissa works at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. She is a Bronx native and works full-time at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) on the main (Moses) campus, and formerly in the Adult Inpatient Psychiatry unit of the Wakefield Campus. Annalissa’s Music Therapy work at CHAM during the COVID-19 pandemic was featured on News12. Along with Speech and Language Pathologist, Ann Clifford, Annalissa has spearheaded the integration of community programming including “Montefiore Melodies,” an open community choir for those with a history of neurologic-related communication and speech disorders. Annalissa also introduced hospital outreach programming from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and 12-step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

Annalissa holds certificates in Neurologic Music Therapy, the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery in Music (GIM) Level 1, the Music Together Teacher Training in Early Childhood Music and Movement, and Austin Vocal Psychotherapy (Diane Austin). Since 2016, Annalissa has engaged in post-graduate training with the Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute in Psychodrama, Sociometry, Group Psychotherapy and Action Methods in order to become a Certified Practitioner (CP). Annalissa is also training under Heidi Landis as a Drama Therapy Alternative Training Program student. Annalissa integrates her myriad experiences in aforementioned areas into her coaching and clinical work.

Annalissa has an ability to break-down the neuro-physiological underpinnings of conditions for clients in a meaningful way due to her strong background in science and neuroscience research. Annalissa believes that understanding science and biology is essential, and yet, it is still not the entire picture of wellness. Annalissa received her BA in Neuroscience from Manhattanville College, and her MA in Music Therapy from New York University. Her love for music and working in neurologic, psychiatric, eating disorder, and addiction rehabilitation, she endeavors to integrate her passions for the creative arts therapies, research, neuroscience, nutrition, health coaching, and integrative and collaborative treatment to promote wellbeing from the individual level to society at large. To this end, Annalissa is a doctoral student in the Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program at New York University, Steinhardt.

Annalissa is an active member and trainee within the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and received the 2021 ACLM HEAL Scholarship – Health Equity Achieved Through Lifestyle Medicine award. She has also started the first ACLM Lifestyle Medicine Member Interest Group (LMIG) at NYU under the guidance of Gia Merlo, MD and ACLM Fellow. The six pillars of lifestyle medicine (regarding healthy eating, movement, sleep, socialization, stress and risky substance management), align well with Annalissa’s holistic orientation.

What usually attracts clients to Annalissa is her LIVED experience. Through lifestyle mind body spirit changes, she took ownership of her health to reverse type-2 diabetes amidst comorbid illness. This experience inspired her to support the empowerment of others in their health journeys including: recovery from insulin resistance, diabetes, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), metabolic syndrome, digestive issues, mood and mental illnesses, trauma, addiction, MICA/dual-diagnosis, and eating disorders.

Annalissa is devoted to dismantling all forms of systemic oppression in healthcare to address disparities and health inequities. Annalissa also acknowledges her privilege regarding her prior access to care, resources, and education. Many are often shamed for illness when in fact, it is a reflection of unjust social determinants, health inequities, and injustices. Annalissa is dedicated to checking this privilege by  working to increase healthcare and wellness for all.

Annalissa also supports the health at every size (HAES) movement. She also supports women of color to navigate systemic oppression, socioeconomic, and societal forces that fuel body shaming and pathologizing in a healthcare system that does not promote thriving or growth, but rather deters holistic wellness by managing disease, focusing on pathology and symptoms instead of addressing what’s at the root. Annalissa draws from positive psychology to bring a transpersonal, humanistic, salutogenic, and resource-oriented approach to empower her clients to take their power back and take ownership of their health.

In light of theologian Frederick Buechner’s sentiments on vocation, Annalissa sees her work at the intersection of where her “deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet”. It is her calling in life to empower others toward holistic health and transformation.

Annalissa connects with clients remotely and in-person – recently serving Manhattan, the Bronx, and Westchester County. She lives in Manhattan with her wonderful husband Isaac Raz, a chestnut Yamaha upright (formerly, a not-so-Young-Chang studio upright), a Rhodes, a moog, myriad guitars & keyboards, a drum set, a Vitamix, instant pot, breville juicer, and zojirushi neuro fuzzy rice cooker, among other instrumental players ;). Annalissa and her husband personally choose a whole-food-plant-based (WFPB) and vegan lifestyle for the promotion of human health, planetary sustainability, as well as environmental, social, and animal rights and justice.