Allow your healing journey to begin.
I am a naturopathic doctor in Kelowna, BC. I have practiced for 10 years and have studied the body, the mind, and the soul.
It is evident, as medicine progresses, that we need an integrative, holistic, and deep, root cause approach to health. We need acute care, and we need medicine that starts at the root and corrects imbalances from this root. We need a medical paradigm where we listen to symptoms, then investigate and address deep root imbalances. We need to move past isolated mind, body medical models, towards integrated mind-body and even soul models - where spirituality is brought into healing, body is believed to be an ally, not a machine to be controlled, and mind and mental health are at the forefront of treatment protocols.
In my years of practice, I have seen many incredible healing stories. The complete resolution of symptoms and the optimizing of health, wellness, vitality and resilience requires a holistic treatment approach. This I knew before I became a doctor from my own journey.
My relationship with my body has laid the foundation for my life’s work. Body has felt like adversary, teacher, prison and prisoner of sorts, long-suffering witness, and—eventually—fiercest ally. What used to house incredible pain for me, is now a profound source of wisdom, connection, and healing. If you had told me when I was younger that I would one day be free from the physical and mental health imbalances, I would not have believed you! My life in a lot of ways was a build up of the most painful and difficult aspects of each of these, all leading me to learn and keep learning, then study and study some more.
I was born highly sensitive and from a young age I felt uncomfortable in my own skin. This sense of discomfort and unease grew with me, and by the time I reached adolescence I believed the only way to relieve this unbearable discomfort was to shrink. To take my too-much and make it less. One by one, my passions were hijacked by restrictive exercise routines, and my love for elite soccer became yet another way to disguise and justify my goal of becoming smaller. Eventually, I found myself in the full throes of an eating disorder: binging, purging, restricting, and desperately willing my body to be different. I spent years in jails of my own making, disconnecting from my self, and squeezing myself until I lost sight of my mission and my desire to live. My rock bottom moment was becoming too sick to do certain things I loved. Rock bottom is a cold, damp, terrifying pit, but it’s also the birthplace of divine possibility. Only after hitting the base layer of the abyss, did I begin to claw my way back up.
I then began a 20 year quest of sorts, to study and find out as much as I could about healing.
I completed 8 years of post graduate traditional studies, first in psychology and nutrition at McGill University, and then naturopathic medicine at the Boucher Institute. I paralleled studies in meditation, and intuition, cellular healing and intention-based modalities. I wanted to know about all levels of healing. I spent time doing 30 day long meditation retreats, sitting and going within. All of it was challenging on so many levels, and all of it was driven by the thirst to become a true healer and holistic, integrative, naturopathic doctor.
My body was taking me on a journey. I was slowly waking up to all of the ways I had been sleeping and all of the work that needed to be done. The more I learned, the more I knew that a true mind-body-soul approach needs to be brought to the forefront. At the same time, within myself, I was learning how to transform the energy of 'trying' & 'shrinking' into expansion, and use my struggle as a catapult to reach the highest places. I viewed the studies in psychology, nutrition, botanical medicine and the mind-body connection, gut healing, hormone balance etc in the same light - that the regular modalities are a kind of cement base, for healing, AND that also we need to move towards paradigms that are inclusive of OUR OWN KNOWINGNESS VIA OUR BODY. My whole being knew I had been collecting everything I learned from cadaver labs and food research, counselling courses, botanical studies etc - the brain, the gut, the mind, body, soul, TO BE ABLE TO ILLUMINATE TRANSFORMATION AND HEALING FOR OTHERS.
Today I spend time in clinical practice, leading retreats, teaching meditation, coaching eating disorder recovery programs, coaching Crossfit, being a mom to two. I meditate, workout, run a business and wholeheartedly believe it is possible for each of us to live balanced lives and truly love our bodies, our whole selves, each other, and the world. I know what it’s like to be in the trenches with health and other imbalances. I also know what it feels like to emerge and find health, balance, freedom.
Sessions with me involve working with a range of tools and modalities.
I hold certifications or have additional experience in
• Acupuncture - ND Board Certification.
• BC Prescribing Authority Cert.
• Injection Therapies and Neural Therapy
• Intra-Venous Vitamin Infusions
• Mind Body Medicine & Coaching - Emotion Centred Coaching - Centre of MBS Medicine
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher Track - University of Mass. Medical School
• Lactation Consulting - 'Breastfeeding Specialist Certificate' 2018
• Sexual Assault Group Facilitation - McGill University
• Eating Disorder Group Facilitation - McGill University
I have a few special passions within medicine, including the treatment of disordered eating, depression, anxiety, hormone balance, brain chemistry, digestive healing, the brain-gut connection, and postpartum support.
My practice is predominantly focused on:
• Mental Health, Brain Chemistry Balancing
• Eating Disorder Recovery
• Brain Health and Anxiety Support for Kids
• Concussion Recovery
• Hormone Balance - Bio-Identical Hormone Prescribing and Supportive Therapies
• Gut-Brain Connection, Digestive Healing
• Fertility, Prenatal and Optimal Pregnancy Programs
Testing available in my practice:
• Food Sensitivity Testing
• Hormone Testing - comprehensive urine metabolite testing
• Thyroid - complete thyroid panel
• Brain Chemistry - neurotransmitter panel
• Adrenal Testing - fatigue and energy
• Genetic Testing - complete data
• Parasite and Digestive testing - in house and external laboratory
• Nutrient Testing - in house and external laboratory
I accept a limited number of new patients. If you are having trouble booking or have any questions, please contact me via email. Replies can take up to 7 days. You also can call in and speak to my staff: 236-420-3382.
My Availability and Online Booking can be Found Here