Naturopathic Doctor
A Board-Certified Naturopathic Doctor & Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner
I always knew from an early age that I would be a doctor. My job, journey, and career were to discover what type of doctor I would become. I had no idea I would become a naturopathic doctor.
My parents are scholars with multiple degrees and have instilled in me the desire to learn and think for myself. My mother was a nurse and is now a social worker. Therefore, caretaking became a common practice when helping people. She worked with a variety of patients in an array of settings. While in school, she also brought me with her to learn.
As a young girl, I sat in organic chemistry classes and ran around labs, learning complex structures before my maturity. It created a deep understanding of how the body works on a cellular level and unknowingly prepared me to be a functional medicine practitioner.
My father is in education, and my stepmother was a geneticist. Again, I learned how to question things, think independently, and recognize the science within which the art of healing takes place.
Experiencing natural healthcare practices, such as undergoing acupuncture, rebirthing, reiki attunement, and participating in Native American spiritual work under the age of twelve, prepared me for my calling and path to becoming a naturopathic doctor.
The Beginning of My Career
WHILE CREATING THE ABILITY TO HELP FACILITATE PEOPLE’S HEALING.
As I grew up a rebellious teen, I left my house to start my career in natural healthcare. At 16 year old, I was the youngest student in my class to complete a message therapy program. I immediately left the program and began working in various facilities in natural healthcare which gave me a wide range of experience by working in spas, organic spas, med spas with chiropractors, PT clinics, wellness centers, and massage clinic nationwide. I continued my education by going to school for neuromuscular therapy along with various other manual therapy modalities. My career in massage therapy expanded before becoming a naturopathic doctor.
Then I was offered an opportunity to teach in massage therapy schools as an anatomy & physiology instructor. By honing my skills to teach people the body as well as gaining an even deeper understanding of anatomy and physiology, this experience served me on many levels.
Working full-time and being a single mother proved to be challenging when balancing college education, but I was determined to be a naturopathic doctor. I continued to persevere and not give up on my dreams while also teaching my daughter how to have life and work balance. I continue my education by completing my associate degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix, all while owning and managing multiple businesses.
My Journey
With a focus on deep biochemical and laboratory diagnostic training.
I was at a crossroads in my education as to the direction I would take. I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but I was still unsure of which kind, so I did more research. I studied allopathic doctors such as MDs, and the like. Although I appreciated their philosophies, they did not resonate with me, and I felt G-Ds calling was for me. I further explored being a holistic doctor including chiropractic, osteopathy, and naturopathy. Especially since I worked with many of them throughout the years.
Although I appreciated chiropractic care, I did not see myself as a chiropractor especially since I had already done manual therapy for so many years. Being an Osteopath disheartened me since they had abandoned much of their holistic practices to merge with the allopathic trends. When I further discovered being a naturopathic doctor, it really resonated with me. What made me hesitant was the credibility gap it had in the medical community.
Functional Medicine quenched my thirst through biochemistry and understanding on a detailed level of how the body works. My deepest desire was to bring forth science combined with the art of healing. I saw that this was a perfect blend in healthcare. At the time, there were so few credible naturopathic doctors and so much overall miseducation and fear around the subject.
I continued my education gaining a Bachelors in Natural Healthcare Sciences, yet still wavered on which direction I would take with my doctoral training. I was passionate and loved the practice of naturopathy. However, I was concerned that it would be an uphill battle, politically and socially.
Naturopathic Doctors are not recognized and the ones that are, intend to be considered primary care physicians. Fundamentally, I believe that we are not primary care physicians, nor do I want to be a primary care doctor. I also choose not to prescribe medications or have an interest in performing surgeries. I also believe that we are not adequately trained to diagnose and manage pathologies, nor do I believe that is our place in healthcare. I greatly respect and work integratively with all doctors by respecting and deeply understanding everyone’s place in medicine, healing, and healthcare.
I believe that our jobs are to motivate, inspire and empower our patients to live healthier lives and not to diagnose and manage diseases using collections of symptoms. As I saw more and more of this new breed of naturopathic doctors that came onto the scene who want to replace allopathic doctors, merge with, or have considered them, I began to generate more of an urge to pursue traditional naturopathy.
I also saw that a traditional naturopathic doctor became no more than herb or supplement salespeople who are not running appropriate labs to understand the human condition. They have little to no conversation about diets, if any, as well as limited scientific education. It truly drove me over the edge and enabled me to finally make the decision to become a traditional naturopath with deep biochemical and laboratory diagnostic training. This is why I added the functional medicine component to my training and have a deep understanding of the biochemical component of a person.
Continued Research & Education
By creating a new form of healthcare that not only integrates with your allopathic doctor, but by understanding the “why” of your illness instead of treating just the symptoms. I researched and found a traditional naturopathic school that laid emphasis on laboratory sciences and functional medicine. I completed my Doctorate in Natural Medicine first and then my Doctorate in
Naturopathic Medicine from the University of Natural Medicine, with an emphasis on laboratory diagnostics. I overlapped my education with a Certification in Functional Medicine from Functional Medicine University, which was a total of 12 years of study in natural healthcare sciences.
Falling in love with homeopathy led to the understanding of how many diseases end in the physical body, not beginning. The disease is really dis-ease generated from mental, emotional, psychosocial, as well as spiritual manifestations, which then led to study more in human behavior. I also completed a 500-hour Clinical Hypnotherapy training and even studied handwriting analysis to further understand the subconscious and conscious mind behaviors.
I’m currently continuing an additional subspecialty in Integrative Medicine to create more of a bridge between naturopathic and allopathic medicine while looking forward to continuing to a Ph.D. in Mind-Body Medicine. Most recently, I completed a secondary Bachelor’s in Alternative Medicine from Everglades University and currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Health Education with an emphasis in Complementary and Alternative Medicine to further understand the political environment and public healthcare policies already established within our field.
Ultimately, I am a lifelong learner and on a mission to help others reclaim their health using the healing power of nature by finding the causes of health imbalances instead of just addressing the symptoms. I have committed my life to this practice, and I am building one that will not only stand the test of time, but also facilitate healing in millions of families across the globe. I am passionate about my mission and vision to help families live naturally as your family’s naturopathic doctor.