Biography and Introduction
to the Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

My career as a Naturopath really began as a historian. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from San Diego State University in 1991. The course that most excited me as an undergraduate was a history of medicine course offered by Howard Kushner, PhD. The class challenged the way we, as modern Americans, viewed concepts of health and disease. It was through this introductory course, and my subsequent studies, that I first learned about the rich tradition of natural medicine in Europe and the United States. I decided to focus my post-graduate study of history in the field of history of medicine.

Allo, from the Latin, means against. The allopathic approach to medicine is currently the dominant medical system in this country. Allopathic physicians use substances, medicines, which work against the disease picture. If we have hypertension (high blood pressure) we take an antihypertensive medication. If we have high cholesterol we take a drug to stop the liver from manufacturing cholesterol. If we have a headache we take a drug to eliminate the pain. These medicines are necessary in a variety of circumstances but they do not get to the root of the imbalance.

That is what naturopathic medicine aims to do. We work at correcting physiological imbalances and not simply to remove the symptom. Of course, palliative care is also an aspect of what we do. It is important to alleviate suffering as much as possible during the healing process. Naturopathic physicians recognize the body's incredible healing capacities: thousands of self-regulating mechanisms that keep our bodies working properly. Disease is simply the failure of those functions and overwhelm of the system. What the body was able to destroy it should be able to rebuild.

After I began my Master's degree in the History of Medicine, I experienced a health crisis firsthand. An emergency gynecological surgery left me with only one ovary and I spent over a week in the hospital recovering. On the day I was discharged I had the very clear notion to pursue a career in naturopathic medicine. After two years of medical pre-requisites I was off to Portland, Oregon.

I graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, one of the four naturopathic medical schools in the country, in 1998. Please go to www.ncnm.edu for more information about the program and curriculum. I started my practice in Connecticut in January of 2000.

Treating patients with naturopathic medicine requires a great deal of commitment. Please understand that I work very hard to ensure that each patient receives the best care possible. In return, I expect that each patient will also work hard at challenging themselves and potentially changing their habits. Healing is a process that requires the involvement of each individual. Part of the beauty of natural medicine is that it aims to give authority back to the person who is suffering and can, in the best of circumstances, heal on a profound level. The methods that I employ are described in further detail in the services offered section of this site.