As a child and young adult I knew nothing of naturopathic medicine. Coming from a scientific family (physics professor for a father, and anthropologist for a mother) my academic direction was towards research and my chosen field was neuroscience. But after completing my Bachelor of Science in neuroscience, it became apparent that a career in this field of science was very likely to centre around animal research in a laboratory, which wasn’t extremely appealing to me. 

At the same time, I was having some menstrual, digestive and skin symptoms that were inadequately being addressed by my health care team. They were offering bandaid solutions and not even nearing a decent explanation of the root cause. I could suffer the symptoms, but I wanted to understand the underlying mechanism so that I could resolve the cause and reverse the course of disease. One side of my family is rampant with inflammatory bowel disease, and I was motivated to NOT follow in those footsteps.

I essentially stumbled upon naturopathic medicine when trying to determine my next step in life. I was looking for a postgraduate program that covered my interests (and truthfully, the courses that I did really well in during my undergrad) like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, etc. Medical school wasn’t a good fit for me because I knew the publicly funded health care system in Canada is strained, and just wouldn’t allow me to dig down as deeply as my inquisitive mind needed to go with each patient.

I needed to find a career where I could be a health researcher, and case-by-case investigate until the true solution was found. I came across a program in Toronto, which required an undergraduate degree (which made me feel it was legitimate), and which was an additional 4 years, including clinical rotation. It had all of my cherished topics (anatomy etc), but also had courses in herbal medicine, nutrition and physical health. It was a perfect confluence of my scientific side, but also my faith in our bodies’ evolved capability to heal. I knew that our current medical knowledge paled in comparison to the complexity and brilliance of the human body, and therefore a program that focused on identifying and eliminating the external obstacle so that the body can return to equilibrium and heal itself was very much the blend of what I needed to hear. I was accepted into the naturopathic doctor program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, and worked very hard to do well and learn as much as possible.

The tricky thing about naturopathic college is that when you graduate you enter the business world. There isn’t the security blanket of a medical degree and endless employment opportunities. You need to create your job, and actively educate potential patients about what the heck naturopathic medicine actually is. It’s a slog. But I was fortunate enough to do well, and started a successful multidisciplinary clinic in Sudbury, Ontario (Nickel Ridge Natural Health, now Nickel Ridge Physiotherapy). And it seems, once you start one business, it’s hard not to start more. I then went on to be involved with a few other blossoming businesses (Brownroots Baby, ARC Climbing Yoga Fitness and the Yoak), and now run two clinics (Sante Health Beechwood as co-owner, and Sequence Wellness a virtual clinic). 

I am the mother of two very cool kids. I’m a yogi, a runner, a blossoming outdoor enthusiast, a handywoman and truthfully a recovering stress addict perpetually working towards calm.

I am a registered member of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario, the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors, and the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors.

I am not afraid to do the hard work to achieve my goals. I have been fortunate enough to have had 2 natural unmedicated births, I’ve been a treeplanter, I have done extensive education and solo travel. I can reframe things to make the impossible seem doable, and I want to help you do the same.