You, the individual, can do more for your own health and well being than any doctor, any hospital, any drug, any exotic medical devices.
Joseph Califano Jr.
Former Secretary of the Dept of Health, Education and Welfare.

The word doctor means to teach. I see it as my responsibility to teach people all the options of their personal health care. Naturopathic Physicians have a broad base of knowledge; therefore they tend to see the whole picture of the optimal health of their clients. I thus refer to many other disciplines besides my own: massage therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, counselling, medical doctors, dentists, physiotherapists and body workers such as feldenkrais, cranial sacral therapy, Qi Gong and others.

I understand my role as a physician more as a coach rather than a parent. Whatever the client sees for him or herself as a goal for health, I will modify treatment programs to meet those goals and coach them to that level.

It is my mission to help my patients and clients access their inherent potential for healing on all levels, physical, emotional, and mental in order that they may live the fullest life possible.

The other half of the relationship is the client. The key word is self responsibility. As said in the opening quote, you are your own best doctor. You know your body better than anyone, if you learn to listen to what it is telling you through your physical symptoms. Learn to obtain two or three different opinions before making a decision on your health care. Be well informed. Do your research, and ask a lot of questions.

My model for developing a health plan for my clients involves the following steps:

1. What is the belief system of the client? Do they want to treat the effect (destroy the fire alarm bell) or treat the cause (determine the location of the fire and put it out).
2. What toxins are going into your mouth?
3. What toxins are bombarding your body from your environment at work,home, and in your activities of daily living?
4. What organ weaknesses need to be corrected?
5. What is an optimal nutritional plan depending on ability to digest and absorb food?
6. What type of liver and bowel cleansing program would be best to deal with the toxin overload?
7. What significant medical or family history has been overlooked that determines a specific treatment program( ie faulty root canal that is the focus of infection but has gone undetected, or a history of parasites that supposedly was cured.)
8. What emotional stresses are at play in the client?
9. What method of diagnosis would be best...EAV, vega, ultrasound, blood analysis, xray, surgery, etc.
10. What level of recovery is desired by the client? Not everyone wants to put in the effort to feel 100%, but are satisfied to be rid of the chief complaint.
11. What other services or education that I do not offer complete the treatment program?

I then give my clients a clear summary of their optimal health care plan, for which they are ultimately responsible. With a new sense of hope and involvement they begin their journey to wellness.

It is my belief that when a client is physically, emotionally and spiritually ready to become well they will find the right healer to assist them to achieve it. Many times it takes many healers, over many years, one after the other to help them raise their level of wellness. I believe an improvement of 10% is that much closer to the 100% that they are striving for. DON'T GIVE UP, THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE READY FOR IT AND BE WILLING TO WORK FOR IT. I have the feeling that we all have the capability to be olympic champions of this school of life if we have the determination and the vision!

I will give my 100% effort in being the coach, and combined with the 100% effort of the client, this is a wonderful formula for optimal health!

Drink lots of water
And eat healthy food.
Take time to chew
And lighten up your mood,
By putting on a tune
Or taking a walk,
And thinking of lovely things
And forgetting about the clock.
Get plenty of rest
And write down your dreams,
Give a helping hand,
It is good for spleens!
It can be simple
To keep ourselves well,
To live a full life
And to feel just swell!
We have to learn
To be our own best friend
If our failing health
We wish to mend!