About
Where To?
To this day, I find it fascinating to apply ecological principles to human health care. I would far rather grow healthy plants by nourishing the soil with compost and using ecological principles rather than by applying poisons to everything just to eradicate weeds and pests, and unrealistically expecting vast monocultures to survive without normal ecological diversity. Without all the creatures who would normally be with us, at this middle age of our planet, we are more lonely and vulnerable. The same is true of cultivating human health. We live in an interconnected web of life and relationships. More than a symptom or two, each person is a whole, complex organism interacting with everything in our home, the Earth, and its home, the Universe.
Among the features of naturopathic medicine I most enjoy are the earthiness of it, the physiological and chemical science of it, the herbal smell of it, the real conversations, the sense that the Earth's health improves the more we work this way. As well, I am committed to working with patients as unique individuals, with dignity, respect, and mutual humanity. That means some laughs, now and then, in addition to attentive listening and professional services. I encourage and need patient participation in order to develop effective treatment plans.
I take time to develop a broad perspective of you and your health; to explain lab results, my thinking and assessments; to elicit the feedback so necessary in co-creating a treatment plan that is truly workable for you as an individual; and to educate in the spirit of preventive medicine and optimal health.
Among the features of naturopathic medicine I most enjoy are the earthiness of it, the physiological and chemical science of it, the herbal smell of it, the real conversations, the sense that the Earth's health improves the more we work this way. As well, I am committed to working with patients as unique individuals, with dignity, respect, and mutual humanity. That means some laughs, now and then, in addition to attentive listening and professional services. I encourage and need patient participation in order to develop effective treatment plans.
I take time to develop a broad perspective of you and your health; to explain lab results, my thinking and assessments; to elicit the feedback so necessary in co-creating a treatment plan that is truly workable for you as an individual; and to educate in the spirit of preventive medicine and optimal health.
Where From?
I grew up near Lake Ontario in New York state, and enjoyed tromping in the woods, hills, and fields behind my home, often with the family dog orbiting within a half-mile radius. During those years I discovered Rodale Press' magazine Organic Gardening and Farming, and started collecting neighbors' grass clippings to mulch a new backyard vegetable garden. In High School we had a class called "Health" to warn us of the hazards of sex and drugs, and impart a little information along the way. The topic about which I chose to write my class paper was "The Role of Mycorrhiza in Soil and Human Health". My teacher at the time was no doubt relieved to read about something other than the standard topics, but it was decades before I heard other people address the subject of soil health and the microorganisms so crucial to it.
In my twenties, I assisted in a study of Harlequin ducks in southeast Alaska for two summers. To visit Alaska struck me as an incredible gift to time-travel backward, to see the North American continent somewhat the way it was before Europeans arrived, in a more pristine state of magnificent wilderness. I deeply hope we preserve this opportunity and wild world for all future generations. At the other end of the spectrum, I spent a year in China, where civilization has existed continuously for thousands of years; clearly the Chinese have known something about sustainability. There I taught English and experienced a fascinating and very different culture.
I received my Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Bastyr College of Natural Health Sciences, in Seattle, WA.
The suggestion of a friend and the great beauty of Skagit Valley pulled me to Anacortes, where I have practiced naturopathic medicine ever since. The Cascades are the mountains I always dreamed of, and I spend my summer weekends hiking among them.
In my twenties, I assisted in a study of Harlequin ducks in southeast Alaska for two summers. To visit Alaska struck me as an incredible gift to time-travel backward, to see the North American continent somewhat the way it was before Europeans arrived, in a more pristine state of magnificent wilderness. I deeply hope we preserve this opportunity and wild world for all future generations. At the other end of the spectrum, I spent a year in China, where civilization has existed continuously for thousands of years; clearly the Chinese have known something about sustainability. There I taught English and experienced a fascinating and very different culture.
I received my Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Bastyr College of Natural Health Sciences, in Seattle, WA.
The suggestion of a friend and the great beauty of Skagit Valley pulled me to Anacortes, where I have practiced naturopathic medicine ever since. The Cascades are the mountains I always dreamed of, and I spend my summer weekends hiking among them.