About Us

Background image shows Bethany Busch and Auria Zahed standing outdoors along a Pacific coastline—highlighting trauma-informed coaching and therapy for women and gender-expansive folks seeking virtual care.

Bethany (body) & Auria (mind)

Care that begins in lived experience and expands into lasting transformation.

We didn’t start Head 2 Toe Strength to sell a program. We started it because we’ve lived in the pain of the industry’s systems. The silence. The shutdown. The body shame. The loneliness. The invisible weight women carry when care doesn’t feel like it’s made for them.

Head 2 Toe Strength began with park workouts during the 2020 lockdown; movement became medicine and friendship turned into a lifeline. What was once a client-trainer connection between Bethany and Auria slowly became something deeper: a shared belief that healing starts with safety—and that women deserve care that meets them emotionally, physically, and relationally.

That belief became our model.

We built Head 2 Toe Strength to be the place we couldn’t find. Where a woman in chronic pain feels just as seen as the one recovering from grief. Where perfectionism is named, shame is unraveled, and strength is redefined. Where wellness is no longer performance—it’s reclamation.

We believe:

  • Movement should feel like home, not punishment

  • Therapy should feel like partnership, not diagnosis

  • Nutrition should nourish body and dignity

  • And care should include every woman—especially those who've never felt included before

We are body-positive. We are trauma-informed. We are culturally responsive. We are women who’ve had to fight for our own well-being and now hold space for yours.

This isn’t personal training. This isn’t advice therapy. This is care built from the inside out—where coaching and therapy stand side by side, rooted in consent, collaboration, and compassion.

From the first intake to the last stretch, we center your story—not the industry’s version of it.

Welcome to Head 2 Toe Strength. Welcome to wellness with a pulse. Welcome to your place to heal, strengthen, and be fully yourself.

 

BETHANY BUSCH, MS, ACSM-EP, CSCS, PN1, BRM, EXOS

EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST, STRENGTH & CONDITIONING SPECIALIST, NUTRITION COACH, INJURY PREVENTION SPECIALIST

Empowering women to rebuild strength, confidence, and trust in their bodies—without shame, pressure, or insurance restrictions.

If movement has ever felt overwhelming—or even terrifying—you’re not alone. Maybe exercise has never felt safe. Maybe past experiences left you feeling dismissed, judged, or broken. Maybe you were told your body was the problem. It’s not.

At Head 2 Toe Strength, I show up as a coach, an ally, and a confidant—whatever support you need that day. Whether you’re a teen navigating changing energy and emotions, living with autoimmunity, rebuilding after injury, managing hormone imbalances, or training to compete, this is your space. Your pace. Your path.

I know firsthand how fitness and healthcare can fail women—especially those whose bodies, stories, or backgrounds don’t match the mold. That’s why my coaching model is designed to meet you exactly where you are, then walk with you as you explore what strength, healing, and sustainable care can truly feel like.

I support:

  • Teens and adults building strength through every life phase

  • Clients navigating autoimmune conditions, hormone shifts, and chronic illness

  • High performers and competitive athletes optimizing recovery, performance, and resilience

  • Women reclaiming movement after medical trauma, body shame, or burnout

  • Anyone seeking inclusive wellness without judgment, pressure, or perfectionism

Here, coaching isn’t transactional—it’s transformational. My mission is to remove barriers, challenge toxic norms, and help women build wellness that honors their lived experience.

CREDENTIALS & EXPERTISE

  • Bachelor of Exercise Science, Health Fitness Instruction – Specializing in biomechanics, movement analysis, and individualized program design 

  • Master of Sport & Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology – Blending sports science and medical principles to maximize training, recovery, and long-term health 

  • Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) – Advanced athletic performance training for strength, power, endurance, and mobility 

  • Certified Exercise Physiologist (CEP) – ACSM – Expertise in injury prevention, chronic conditions, and high-performance training

  • EXOS Fitness & Performance Specialist Certified Expert in performance systems that integrate strength, energy system development, movement efficiency, and recovery for athletes and high performers

  • Barbell Rehab Method Certified – Bridging the gap between rehab and strength training for pain-free movement 

  • Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified – Science-backed nutrition strategies to fuel recovery, performance, and holistic wellness 

  • World Groove Method Facilitator – Creative, functional movement that builds mobility, confidence, and total-body strength

 
 

AURIA ZAHED, MS

LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I partnered with Head 2 Toe Strength due to the importance of the mind-body connection, especially for women. At Head 2 Toe Strength, I know that my clients will be provided a space to focus holistically on their mental and physical health, and I’m committed to providing a judgement-free haven for women. In therapy, my clients will be able to focus on themselves, build their strengths, heal from the past, and set goals for the future. I have experience working with women who are struggling with stress, anxiety, and depression, and I specialize in helping eliminate negative self-talk, perfectionism, and people-pleasing.

I have a BA in Psychology and received my MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage & Family Therapy in 2013. I started my career seeing clients at the LGBTQ Center OC. I ran groups and worked with individuals, couples, and families. Due to my experience there, I ensure to center my sessions around how the past has shaped my clients' thoughts and beliefs, including culturally & societally, and I focus on mental well-being and emotional awareness. As a therapist, who is a woman of color, I know the importance of incorporating culturally competent counseling into my sessions. Balancing multiple cultures is a unique experience that I’m grateful to personally understand. My clients get to unpack struggles that are specific to them, and we review personal values and experiences without comparison or expectation. 

At Head 2 Toe Strength, my clients and I set goals based on how they would like to feel, think, and react in the future. I partner with my clients to get to the root of the issue and then focus on what can be changed, controlled, or simply accepted. We will set small, step-by-step goals that will eventually lead to significant changes, and I ensure my clients learn to take steps toward successfully managing the things that initially seemed like a struggle. We will also take time to combat unrealistic societal standards and expectations of women, and my overall goal for my clients is a strong sense of self, high self-esteem, and overall happiness.

Have a question? Curious about how we work? Want to connect before booking? We’re glad you’re here. This isn’t a sales funnel—it’s a space for connection. Send us a note and we’ll get back to you with care, not a script.

Head 2 Toe Strength offers integrative care through two distinct yet collaborative paths: movement-based coaching with Bethany Busch, MS, ACSM-EP, CSCS, PN1, BRM, EXOS, and licensed therapy with LMFT Auria Zahed. Coaching is educational and non-clinical. Mental health services are provided separately under Auria's licensure.

Care begins where you are—and honors where you're going.