I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor. In my final year of studying pre-veterinary medicine at the University of British Colombia, I stumbled upon an ad in the school newspaper for a career in naturopathic medicine. I was struck by the inner knowing that this is what I was meant to do. In 2001, I graduated at the top of my class from The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and operated a successful referral-based practice in Toronto for 14 years before moving back home to Halifax in 2015, which is where my heart and my family are.
I am passionate about finding the root cause of disease. I want to understand how to help my patients heal from a curative perspective and to engage the body in the healing process, so that ultimately they don’t have to always rely on external medicines to be well. This is true healing. I treat people, not their symptoms. I build relationships with my patients. I individualize my treatments. I treat the whole body – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. I am passionate about teaching how our body works so that my patients understand why they feel the way they do and how they can be part of their healing process.
I am passionate about using therapies that facilitate the body to heal itself, and the treatments I use blend science with nature. In naturopathic medical school, we train extensively in Clinical Nutrition, Botanical Medicine, Homeopathic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Counselling and certain forms of bodywork; we also learn about conventional medical treatments, laboratory diagnosis and clinical diagnosis. I have additional training in Bowen Therapy, Somatic Experiencing trauma therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Epigenetics and Gene Mutations, and Biotherapeutic Drainage (which is the removal of toxic accumulations that interfere with cellular balance, functioning and nourishment). I treat all ages and all health issues but I do have a special interest in anxiety and depression, digestive disorders, hormone imbalances, stress-related health issues, chronic fatigue, heavy metal toxicity, autoimmune and degenerative diseases, and challenging cases!
When I‘m not treating patients, I find my balance by spending as much time as possible in nature with my family, exploring the outdoors, gardening, playing beach volleyball and practicing mindfulness.
