A huge shift in my well-being occurred during my early 20s, when I was diagnosed with severe asthma and allergies after a relatively healthy childhood. I then received a pre-cancerous diagnosis followed shortly by an autoimmune disease, all amidst a series of stressful life events. This launched me on a nearly 20 year search and study of the science of mind - through Eastern philosophy, Buddhist and Western psychology - in an attempt to understand how disassociation from one's thoughts, emotions and spirituality could lead to dis-ease. I also wanted to understand how the body and health become broken - not only how lifestyle choices, environmental factors and genetics affect health, but especially how maladaption to everyday life stress or internalized psychological stress affects the physical body. So I gave up my career as a web designer and educational technology specialist to pursue a degree in naturopathic medicine. My goal was to acquire a deeper understanding of physical disease and natural methods of healing of both body, mind and spirit.
I've struggled personally with autoimmune thyroid and weight issues, gastrointestinal and blood pressure problems, asthma and numerous allergies, and more recently, neuroendocrine cancer, which came with learning how to navigate the cancer care system. I have found a unique understanding, the firsthand experience of walking in a patient's shoes. I understand the struggles that my patients are up against. I know how hard it is to give up foods that you love, to dream of being a perfect size 6, to walk away from stress as a lifestyle, to change orientation from striving for perfection to thriving in the present. I've not only witnessed transformation in health and wellbeing in my patients, I've experienced it for myself.
As a naturopathic physician, I enjoy working with patients from all walks of life who have a variety of chronic ailments. I work with people on hypertension, pre-diabetes, thyroid problems, autoimmune conditions, gastrointestinal disturbances, headaches, insomnia, anxiety and depression, hormonal imbalances, chronic muscle tension and pain. I also work with patients who want to maximize their vitality in order to age gracefully. I enjoy collaborating with patients to help them achieve their fullest health potential, whether their disease is curable or not. I believe healing is just as much a state of mind, as a state of being - a continual journey toward thriving.
As a consummate learner, I enjoy learning from patients, about different cultures and traditions, and from nature. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family, walking in nature, bicycling, yoga and meditation, knitting, reading, gardening, cooking and wine tasting.
