I am very excited to be joining Docere Wellness Clinic! I’d like to introduce myself by sharing my Naturopathic journey. It began when I was 9 years old, around November I started having stomach aches, mild headaches, fatigue, decreased appetite and no desire to do anything. After 4 months of missing school, visiting my family physician, blood tests and specialists- with every test result coming up negative, I was all of the sudden better. My drastic recovery was puzzling, but everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief – especially my parents and family physician. The following Nov/Dec my symptoms returned, back I went to my family doctor but still nothing showed up, despite my Doctors thorough and best efforts. Frustration and worry all flooded right back in.
I grew up on a grain farm north east of Calgary, both of my parents were raised on farms in the area- we had never heard of alternative medicine. My parents desperately tried to find a solution and began seeking alternative advice, a family friend suggested seeing an herbalist. In mid January I went to see this herbalist, within 5 minutes of looking at me and hearing my story he had a definitive diagnosis- Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. If you are not familiar with SAD it is also known as the winter blues, individuals experience depressive symptoms, but only at certain times of the year when they are not exposed to adequate sunlight. My prescription was a herbal tincture and directions on how to build a light box. Lucky me, my father is very handy and began building me my very own light box, it was 5 feet long and 2 feet wide and did not have UV protection so I began to look like I was hitting the tanning bed. I would sit under my lightbox every morning for 30 minutes and within a week or two was back to myself again! The disorder is now well known and you are able to purchase even pocket size lightboxes/ SAD lamps very easily. Every winter since I use my newer 10”x10” UV protective lightbox, and I have yet to experience those symptoms again.
Wellness Center Calgary
Jumping ahead a few years, still healthy and happy, I found myself in Lennoxville Quebec studying Neuroscience at Bishop’s University. The complexity of the brain and the mind-body connection fascinated me. I loved my program, but as I neared my convocation I had no idea what I was going to do with my degree. A degree in Neuroscience usually required you to continue on to do your Masters or PhD, I was considering this but it didn’t quite appeal to me. I began researching what my next move should be and I was all over the map; Audiologist, Speech Pathologist, Neuroscientist; Psychologist, Physiotherapist they all interested me. After a brief visit with my cousin in Toronto, whom was studying to be a Chiropractor, I started looking into alternative medicine, naturopathic medicine kept coming up. It was as if the profession had picked me; treating and educating people about their health through various natural modalities- like the ones that cured me. It was the closest thing to an epiphany I’ve ever had. So I applied to the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto- I wont elaborate on that because that was a completely different journey. But here I am now, so excited to doing what I am most passionate about, helping, educating and healing people.
We offer many holistic modalities such as Naturopathic Medicine, Massage Therapy, Chiropractic and more! If you are interested in our healing treatment, contact us today!