A naturopathic appointment with me is a highly collaborative, data-driven, and unhurried experience. I do not believe in one-size-fits-all medicine or rushed consultations. My clinical philosophy centers on the phrase "Test, Don't Guess," which means our appointments are designed to gather objective data, track your real-world progress, and design practical solutions that fit your life.

Here is exactly what you can expect during our appointments and throughout your care:

1. An In-Depth Clinical History & Whole-Person Review

Our initial appointments are focused on establishing a comprehensive baseline of your health. We will sit down for a thorough review of your health history, discussing how your physical symptoms (like gut issues, hormonal changes, or fatigue) interact with your mental-emotional well-being (like stress, anxiety, or burnout). Because of my background in psychology, we will look at the whole picture—including sleep patterns, genetics, lifestyle, and your current capacity—to understand the root causes of your symptoms.

2. "Test, Don't Guess" (Advanced Testing & Validated Measures)

To fix a problem, we must first measure it accurately. During and after our initial consultations, we determine which diagnostic and tracking tools will be most high-yield for your specific case:

• In-Depth Diagnostic Testing: When indicated, I will recommend advanced functional testing (such as the GI-MAP stool assay, DUTCH comprehensive hormone testing, or specialized blood panels for thyroid and nutrient deficiencies) to look beneath the surface.

• Validated Progress Ratings: Mental and physical healing shouldn't be subjective. We use clinically validated questionnaires and rating scales (such as the GAD-7 for anxiety, PHQ-9 for mood, and ASRS for executive function) at your follow-up appointments to track your symptom progression over time. This data allows us to celebrate your improvements and make precise adjustments to your treatment protocol.

3. Creating Patient-Centered Solutions Tailored to You

The most scientifically perfect treatment plan is useless if it doesn't fit your daily reality. During our appointments, we co-create a strategy that honors your personal beliefs, wants, and needs. If a routine is too overwhelming for your current energy levels, we scale it back. We collaborate on every single decision, ensuring you feel confident, heard, and completely in control of your health journey.

4. Designing Your Multi-Layered Practical Toolkit

By the end of your appointment, your personalized treatment plan will be broken down into manageable, actionable steps. Depending on your goals and preferences, your practical toolkit may include:

• Targeted Supplementation: Utilizing pure, evidence-based nutraceuticals and botanicals to bridge biochemical gaps.

• Dietary Optimizations: Moving away from restrictive fad diets and focusing on sustainable, therapeutic nutrition that fuels your brain and heals your gut.

• Lifestyle Habits & Routines: Crafting realistic daily habits that protect your energy, improve sleep hygiene, and lower stress.

• Exercise & Movement: Designing physical activity goals that fit your current physiological capacity—whether that means rebuilding energy after severe burnout or managing ADHD restlessness.

• Collaborative Goal Setting: Breaking your big health milestones down into micro-steps, providing you with clear accountability and an actionable roadmap to success.

Yes. As a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in Manitoba, I provide comprehensive, evidence-based care for individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, and burnout. By combining a background in psychology with natural medicine, my approach focuses on identifying the root biochemical, hormonal, and psychological drivers of mental health concerns.

Our work together bridges the gap between clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, and evidence-based mental health support to restore nervous system resilience.

1. Evidence-Based Nutraceuticals & Botanicals

Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, I utilize a core selection of peer-reviewed, clinically studied natural health products to support neurotransmitter balance and regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (your body's stress response system). Depending on your unique presentation, a treatment plan may include:

• Saffron (Crocus sativus): This potent botanical has rich clinical evidence—including recent meta-analyses—demonstrating its efficacy in reducing symptoms of mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. It works by naturally supporting serotonin and dopamine availability while offering powerful neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): A premier adaptogenic herb clinically proven to regulate cortisol levels. It helps calm the overactive nervous system, combats the deep physical exhaustion of burnout, and improves overall stress resilience.

• Magnesium (e.g., Magnesium Glycinate): Highly bioavailable magnesium acts as a natural brake for your nervous system by binding to NMDA receptors, reducing the biological effects of stress, promoting muscle relaxation, and improving sleep quality.

• Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata): A traditional anxiolytic botanical that acts on GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) pathways in the brain. It is highly effective for reducing acute, circular thoughts and generalized anxiety without causing dependency.

• L-Theanine: An amino acid commonly extracted from green tea that promotes alpha brain wave activity. It fosters a state of "calm focus," taking the sharp edge off acute anxiety and stress without causing drowsiness.

2. Objective Progress Tracking (Validated Scales)

Mental health shouldn't be guesswork. Leveraging my psychology background, I monitor your recovery using gold-standard, clinically validated assessment tools. This ensures we have objective data to track your progress and pivot your treatment plan when necessary:

• GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) to monitor anxiety severity.

• PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) to screen and track depressive symptoms.

3. Comprehensive Psychological Assessment & Referrals

While I focus heavily on the biomedical and integrative physiological aspects of your mental health, true healing requires a multi-faceted approach. Because of my training in psychology, I can help you differentiate between burnout and clinical mood disorders, and help guide your psychological care.

While I do not provide long-term psychotherapy myself, I help patients navigate their therapy options and seamlessly refer out to trusted mental health professionals specializing in:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): To reframe maladaptive thought patterns.

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): For trauma- or stressor-related anxiety.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Excellent for values-based living and navigating burnout.

• Behavioral Therapy (BT) & Psychodynamic Therapy: For deeper behavioral patterns and root-cause emotional exploration.

Yes. As a licensed Naturopathic Doctor with a background in psychology, I provide comprehensive, evidence-based support for individuals managing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). My approach focuses on optimizing brain health, regulating executive dysfunction, and managing co-occurring symptoms like anxiety and overwhelm.

By combining targeted neuro-nutraceuticals and botanicals with practical behavioral strategies, we work together to improve focus, working memory, and emotional regulation.

1. Targeted Botanicals & Specialized Nutraceuticals

Pharmaceutical interventions are not the only option for managing ADHD symptoms. I utilize specific, evidence-based natural health products that support neurotransmitter pathways (dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA) to improve cognitive performance:

• Saffron (Crocus sativus)

• Magnesium L-Threonate

• Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

2. Evidence-Based Behavioral Coaching & Strategies

A pill—natural or conventional—does not teach skills. Leveraging my psychology background, I work with patients to implement practical, executive-function-friendly behavioural techniques designed to work with your neurodivergent brain, rather than against it:

• Micro-Tasks & Chunking Information

• Overcoming Time Blindness

• Environmental Organization

3. Objective Progress Tracking via Validated Questionnaires

ADHD presentation is highly dynamic and frequently co-occurs with mood changes. To ensure your treatment plan is working objectively, we monitor your baseline and ongoing progress using gold-standard, clinically validated assessment scales:

• ASRS (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) to track core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

• GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) to monitor any underlying or co-occurring anxiety.

• PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) to assess and track associated depressive symptoms or burnout-induced low mood.

If you have already received a formal ADHD diagnosis, or suspect that executive dysfunction is holding you back, we can tailor a biomedical and behavioural protocol to support your unique neurobiology.

Yes. Chronic digestive symptoms like bloating, gas, loose stools, and constipation are clear indicators of gastrointestinal dysfunction. As a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, I look beyond short-term symptom suppression to identify the root causes of digestive distress—whether it stems from microbial imbalances or infections, food intolerances, inflammation, or altered gut motility.

By combining a thorough clinical history with advanced functional testing and traditional healing principles, we can build a targeted roadmap to restore your gut health.

1. Root-Cause Assessment & Advanced Testing Options

Every successful digestive protocol begins with a comprehensive, head-to-toe health history. Understanding your symptom patterns, stress levels, diet, and medical history allows us to select the most high-yield diagnostic tools, rather than relying on guesswork. Two of the primary functional tests I utilize include:

• GI-MAP (Gastrointestinal Microbial Assay Plus): This is a cutting-edge, DNA-based stool test utilizing qPCR technology. It provides a highly detailed map of your gut microbiome, looking specifically for pathogenic bacteria, parasites, fungi (like Candida), H. pylori, and beneficial bacteria levels. It also measures key biomarkers for intestinal inflammation (calprotectin), immune function (secretory IgA), leaky-gut (zonulin) and digestion efficiency (elastase).

• Food Sensitivity Testing (IgG/IgA Antibody Testing): While an allergy (IgE) causes immediate reactions, food sensitivities (IgG/IgA) can cause delayed inflammatory responses up to 72 hours after consumption. This blood test helps identify specific dietary triggers that may be irritating your gut lining and causing chronic bloating, gas, or loose stools.

What is the difference between these tests?

While Food Sensitivity Testing identifies external dietary triggers that cause temporary immune irritation, the GI-MAP evaluates the internal ecosystem of your gut (infections, microbiome balance, and tissue inflammation).

2. A Collaborative Approach to Clinical Care

Functional medicine should always work hand-in-hand with conventional medicine. If your clinical history or functional test results reveal "red flag" symptoms or markers of severe inflammation, I work collaboratively with conventional medical doctors (MDs).

When clinically indicated and with your consent, I will communicate with your primary care provider or specialist to recommend and request further diagnostic medical investigations, such as a colonoscopy or endoscopy, ensuring no stone is left unturned regarding your structural gut health.

3. Target Therapies & Gut-Healing Protocols

Once we have gathered data from your history and testing, we implement a multi-layered treatment plan including targeted dietary changes, natural nutraceuticals, and traditional wisdom:

• Evidence-Based Gut-Healing Supplements:

  • L-Glutamine: An amino acid that acts as the primary fuel source for the cells lining your small intestine, heavily supporting the repair of a compromised, "leaky" gut barrier.

  • Aloe Vera: Recognized for its potent demulcent (soothing) properties, aloe helps cool inflammation, coat the mucosal lining, and ease the discomfort of acid reflux or irritated bowel walls.

  • Probiotics: Carefully selected, strain-specific beneficial bacteria used to crowd out opportunistic microbes, improve stool consistency, and support optimal immune function.

• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Dietary Principles: In addition to modern supplements, I often incorporate TCM principles of "warming the digestive fire." For individuals dealing with bloating, gas, and loose stools, cold and raw foods (like salads or iced drinks) can overtax a weakened digestive system. I recommend focusing on easily digestible, nutrient-dense, cooked foods to allow the gastrointestinal tract to heal with minimal mechanical stress.

Yes. As a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, I help women navigate the complex transitions of perimenopause and menopause. Hormonal fluctuations can cause a wide array of systemic symptoms—including brain fog, insomnia, fatigue, and unexplained weight gain—that deeply impact your metabolism, thyroid function, and quality of life.

By conducting a thorough clinical history and utilizing advanced hormone testing, we can uncover the root cause of your symptoms and build a safe, evidence-based plan to restore your vitality.

1. Navigating Your Symptoms & Investigating the Root Cause

Because hormone receptors exist all over the body, a drop or fluctuation in estrogen, progesterone, and DHEA can manifest in dozens of different ways. During our initial consultation, we take a detailed history to map out your specific symptom cluster.

While we implement immediate strategies to help manage your symptoms and give you relief, we simultaneously investigate further using targeted testing options:

• The DUTCH Test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones): This advanced test offers an uncommonly detailed look at your health by measuring not just your baseline hormone levels, but how your body metabolizes estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA. It also tracks your 24-hour cortisol curve to assess how stress and adrenal function are contributing to your fatigue and insomnia.

• Saliva Hormone Testing: An excellent, non-invasive tool for measuring the bioavailable (free) fractions of your hormones and tracking cortisol rhythms throughout the day.

• Comprehensive Blood Testing: Essential for checking baseline hormone levels and investigating other critical, underlying look-alike causes for your fatigue, brain fog, and weight gain. We frequently look at ferritin (iron storage), a full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, thyroid antibodies), and key B-vitamins (B-12).

2. Evidence-Based Botanicals & Nutraceuticals

Depending on your lab results and where you are in your hormonal transition, we use targeted natural health products to optimize your hormone pathways, support your metabolism, and calm your nervous system:

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): A premier adaptogen that helps regulate the HPA-axis (adrenal system), reducing stress-induced cortisol spikes that disrupt sleep and worsen menopausal hot flashes and anxiety.

• Flaxseed (Dietary Lignans): Rich in plant-based phytoestrogens, flaxseeds gently bind to estrogen receptors, helping to modulate and stabilize fluctuating estrogen levels while supporting healthy estrogen metabolism and cardiovascular health.

• Maca (Lepidium meyenii): Highly regarded for its ability to support the endocrine system without directly changing blood hormone levels. Maca is clinically utilized to help improve energy, combat brain fog, reduce hot flashes, and support a healthy libido (sex drive).

3. An Integrative Approach to Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHT)

When navigating perimenopause and menopause, Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHT) can be a highly effective option for symptom resolution and long-term health optimization.

A Note on Manitoba Regulations & Scope of Practice:

Important Scope Update: While I hold prescribing rights for bioidentical hormones in Ontario, Naturopathic Doctors in Manitoba cannot currently prescribe hormone therapy. However, I am well-versed in the different forms, compounding options, and clinical applications of BHT. In my Manitoba practice, I work collaboratively with your medical doctor (MD) or nurse practitioner (NP) to optimize your care. I am fully comfortable and qualified to:

• Discuss, educate, and advise you on your BHT options if you are considering starting therapy.

• Analyze your comprehensive hormone labs (like the DUTCH test) to help determine your ideal hormone balance.

• Provide evidence-based supplement and botanical add-ons to safely support and enhance your current conventional BHT regimen.

Yes. Naturopathic medicine is at its most powerful when it is truly integrative. I firmly believe that your healthcare should not exist in a silo. I frequently and actively collaborate with a wide network of healthcare professionals in Manitoba to ensure you receive well-rounded, seamless care.

Depending on your health goals, our treatment plans are designed to complement the work you are doing with your:

• Medical Doctors (MDs) & Nurse Practitioners (NPs)

• Psychologists & Mental Health Counselors

• Acupuncturists & Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners

• Massage Therapists, Physiotherapists, & Chiropractors

1. Safety First: The Myth of "Natural Means Safe"

A foundational pillar of my rigorous, four-year medical training at an accredited naturopathic college was pharmacology and drug-herb-nutrient interactions. There is a common misconception that because a remedy is "natural," it is entirely harmless, free of side effects, and can be taken without supervision.

This is simply not true. Natural health products are active biochemical compounds. Because they are powerful enough to exert therapeutic changes in your body, they are also powerful enough to interact with your current prescriptions.

2. Augmenting Treatments & Reducing Side Effects

Instead of asking you to choose between conventional medicine and natural therapies, I specialize in combining them safely. When we look at your current medication regimen, my goals are to:

• Augment Your Care: Using natural options alongside conventional medications to enhance their overall therapeutic benefits.

• Reduce Side Effects: Utilizing specific nutraceuticals to mitigate the unwanted side effects or nutrient depletions caused by necessary pharmaceutical drugs.

3. Rigorous Clinical Monitoring for Peace of Mind

To ensure your absolute safety, I will never just hand you a bottle of supplements without a comprehensive safety plan. We will always clearly discuss potential side effects, precise dosing schedules, and explicit timelines on exactly when to pause or stop a therapy.

Furthermore, we utilize conventional blood work to objectively monitor how your natural protocol is interacting with your physiology and your medications. Examples of this clinical monitoring include:

• Metabolic Support: When introducing natural insulin-sensitizers or glucose-lowering agents like Berberine or Inositol, we closely monitor your HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels to prevent hypoglycemia and ensure your blood sugar is responding safely.

• Thyroid Support: When utilizing targeted minerals and botanicals to support your metabolism—such as Selenium, Zinc, or Lemon Balm—we regularly monitor your TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), Free T3, and Free T4 to protect against over- or under-stimulation of the thyroid gland.

By treating natural health products with the same clinical respect as pharmaceuticals, we can safely unlock the best of both medical worlds.

Naturopathic medicine is not currently covered by provincial Manitoba Health plans. However, the vast majority of extended health insurance provider plans in Manitoba offer partial or full coverage for visits with a licensed Naturopathic Doctor. We recommend checking with your specific insurance provider (such as Blue Cross, Canada Life, or Sun Life) to verify your annual coverage details. Additionally, naturopathic medical expenses can often be claimed as eligible medical expenses on your federal income tax return.

Yes. To make evidence-based healthcare accessible to everyone across the province, I offer secure, PHIA-compliant virtual naturopathic consultations to residents anywhere in Manitoba. Whether you live in Winnipeg, Steinbach, Thompson, Portage la Prairie, or rural Manitoba, you can access comprehensive gut, hormone, and mental health support from the comfort of your home.

A Hybrid Approach: Virtual Care with In-Person Care in Brandon, MB

While my practice does not have a permanent, everyday brick-and-mortar location, I operate on a hybrid care model to give my patients the best of both worlds. I regularly coordinate dedicated travel dates to Brandon, Manitoba, where I have clinical space available to meet with patients in person.

This hybrid structure allows us to:

• Conduct initial or follow-up consultations virtually for maximum convenience and zero travel time.

• Schedule targeted in-person appointments in Brandon during my travel blocks if a physical assessment is required or if you simply prefer a face-to-face visit.

A Fully Digitized & Direct-to-Home Supply Network

To ensure your virtual treatment is just as seamless and effective as a traditional in-person visit, we utilize an entirely digitized supply and diagnostic network:

• Direct-to-Home Supplement Delivery (Fullscript): I partner with Fullscript, an online professional-grade natural health product dispensary. Following our appointment, your customized treatment plan and precise supplement recommendations are sent straight to your email. You can order your high-potency nutraceuticals and botanicals directly through the secure platform, and they will be delivered safely to your doorstep, no matter where you are located in Manitoba.

• At-Home Functional Testing Kits: You do not need to live near a major medical center to access advanced diagnostics. Comprehensive functional testing kits—such as the GI-MAP stool assay, food sensitivity panels, or the DUTCH comprehensive hormone test—are shipped directly to your home. Each kit comes with clear, step-by-step instructions. Once you collect your sample, a prepaid shipping label is included to send it straight back to the lab, and the results are delivered directly to me for analysis.

• Local Community Coordination: If conventional blood work (like thyroid panels, blood sugar markers, or ferritin) is clinically required, we coordinate those requisitions seamlessly within your local community laboratory or in tandem with your primary care team.

Virtual care means you never have to sacrifice the depth or quality of your healthcare based on your geographic location, while my Brandon travel dates ensure that local, in-person support is always within reach.

This is a common point of confusion. In Manitoba, a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) is a regulated healthcare professional who has completed a 4-year undergraduate degree followed by a 4-year, full-time accredited doctoral-level medical program. NDs are trained in clinical diagnosis, pharmacology, physical exam techniques, and evidence-based natural therapies (like nutraceuticals, botanicals, and clinical nutrition). A Homeopath practices homeopathy exclusively—a single modality based on the principle of 'like cures like' using highly diluted substances. Homeopathy is just one small tool that some naturopaths may use, but our broader scope allows us to practice comprehensive, integrative functional medicine.

Currently, under Manitoba regulations, Naturopathic Doctors do not hold prescribing rights for conventional pharmaceutical medications or controlled substances (unlike NDs in provinces like British Columbia or Ontario). However, my deep training in pharmacology allows me to safely evaluate your current medications to ensure your natural protocol has no dangerous interactions. I specialize in utilizing high-potency, professional-grade nutraceuticals and botanicals to augment your health, and I am always happy to correspond with your prescribing MD or Nurse Practitioner if adjustments to your conventional medications need to be discussed.