When her clients with chronic health conditions expressed difficulty in getting help to improve the quality of their lives, she discovered the importance of communicating with patients in a way that can be understood, while teaching skills that could be applied to their lifestyles. As an athlete diagnosed with thyroid disease, Nitzky struggled to get back to the high level of performance and function she once had. She only got relief when she found a doctor who treated her as a person, not a disease.