Rehabilitation counselor Vita Oyler spotlights chronic pain recovery and holistic wellness

Vita Oyler, a California rehabilitation counselor and co-founder of Cornucopia Natural Foods, is being featured for her decades-long work helping people living with chronic pain and disability. Her profile highlights a career built on rehabilitation, writing, mentoring and wellness education, with a new podcast and second book in development.

Why it matters: - Vita Oyler’s work focuses on a practical problem affecting daily life: how people with chronic pain and disability can keep moving forward. - Her approach combines rehabilitation counseling, wellness education and realistic goal-setting. - The profile also underscores the growing interest in holistic tools for pain management and quality of life.

What happened: - Influential Women featured Vita Oyler, a California-based rehabilitation counselor, author, mentor and small business co-owner. - Oyler has more than 35 years of experience in rehabilitation counseling. - She has spent her career helping people living with chronic pain and disability find workable ways to improve daily life. - The profile was published on September 30, 2026.

The details: - Oyler earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from San Diego State University. - She also pursued doctoral studies at San Diego State University and the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. - Her credentials include Board Certified Counselor status and a Rehabilitation Certificate with the Department of Labor. - Early in her career, she worked in hospital and clinical settings, including Scripps Clinic. - Her studies and patient evaluations centered on quality-of-life assessments for people living with chronic pain and disability. - Oyler and her husband expanded their work into nutrition, lifestyle modification and natural approaches to inflammation and pain management. - In 1994, they co-founded Cornucopia Natural Foods, a store focused on unprocessed foods, herbal supplements and holistic health education. - Oyler said her own experience with chronic pain shapes how she defines success and progress. - She measures success by how a person feels and lives each day, not by money or material achievements. - She encourages people to set realistic goals and take achievable steps instead of getting overwhelmed by long-term challenges. - Oyler sees rehabilitation counseling as a strong career path for young women interested in helping others across physical, emotional and mental rehabilitation. - She also points to opportunities in specialized settings such as correctional environments. - Oyler offers free services because she wants to keep helping people despite insurance and system changes that can limit access to care. - Her first book focuses on chronic pain management and has been shared across multiple platforms. - She is developing a second book based on her mother’s immigration story from Italy. - Oyler hopes that story could eventually be adapted for screen media. - Her planned podcast, Gentle Steps Forward, will center on pain management and wellness conversations. - The podcast already has speakers and doctors lined up. - Launch plans have been paused because of health-related issues involving Oyler’s eyes. - Her websites include gotpainnowwhat.com and gentlestepsforward.com. - Her Influential Women profile is available here.

Between the lines: - Oyler’s story blends professional expertise with personal experience, which gives her message more credibility for people navigating chronic pain. - The emphasis on free services, realistic goals and holistic care suggests a model built around accessibility, not just treatment. - Her writing and podcast plans extend her reach beyond one-on-one counseling and into broader public education.

What's next: - Oyler plans to continue developing her second book and move forward with the Gentle Steps Forward podcast when her health allows. - Her broader work is likely to remain centered on rehabilitation, wellness and practical support for people living with pain.

The bottom line: - Vita Oyler’s profile presents rehabilitation counseling as both a profession and a personal mission: helping people live meaningfully, even when pain changes the path forward.