I love what I do. I am grateful to have grown up in a home where natural health solutions were commonplace. We saw a traditional medical doctor and a naturopathic doctor. Chiropractic care, herbal medicine, homeopathic remedies, homegrown organic foods, and holistic therapies were just a normal part of my life. As a child, my siblings and I would RUN as soon as we saw the dixie cups come out because we knew our Mom was going to concoct some kind of swampy mixture in them. While I didn’t appreciate this introduction to botanical medicine at the time, I can say I have never looked at a dixie cup quite the same again! This exposure at a young age has instilled and inspired a love of natural medicine that I still hold to this day.

 For a long while, I thought most people lived like this too.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology & Kinesiology from UMass Boston in 1999, I spent my adult life immersed in the fields of holistic health and wellness. I lived most of my life in Massachusetts, where I built a holistic healing practice in the quaint seaside town of Newburyport. For over a decade there, I supported people and pets who had faced trauma or abuse, gently helping them reconnect with safe, healing touch. I also created a niche supporting individuals living with cancer, those in hospice, and their caregivers. I handcrafted botanical medicine products and gratitude affirmation stones, in loving memory of Toby, the fur-angel by my side for close to 18 years.

When I turned 40, I skipped the midlife crisis and went straight to naturopathic medical school. I decided to take a leap of faith and dust off this old dream. I received my Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from Sonoran University of Health Sciences in Tempe, AZ (formerly Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine), a fully accredited naturopathic medical school with onsite and community clinics. Currently, there are 5 accredited naturopathic medical schools in the United States and 2 in Canada.

During medical school, I faced recurrent pregnancy loss after years of unexplained infertility. Despite a healthy lifestyle and no obvious medical cause, I experienced losses that deeply affected me. I didn’t stop… pause… or even breathe.. I just put on a brave face and carried on. This is why I created the Cradle and Root roadmap. I can’t go back, but I can look ahead and use my life experiences to guide others.

Over the years, life has taught me a lot, through both education and experience. I've learned that the body holds on to more than we may realize, and that real healing often begins when we finally slow down, listen, and give it what it needs.

Getting the right diagnosis can change everything. For me, discovering I had hemochromatosis and an MTHFR gene mutation helped connect the dots. Thankfully, the lifestyle I had built around naturopathic medicine made it easier to manage both. It's one more reason I believe so strongly in getting to the root cause and supporting the body before illness takes hold. Preventative medicine IS the best cure.

Fun facts:
I am a lifelong animal shelter volunteer & advocate, marathon runner, Blue Zones enthusiast!, research author, and children’s book author. In my spare time, I love being outdoors - exploring, hiking, camping. My curious nature is best satiated by my love of travel and adventure, and also through research. A voracious reader and a verbose writer, I find excitement in both creative artistic expression and in the field of epigenetics. I currently living in Mesa, Arizona with my husband & furry friends, Fenway Frank and Tony Biscuits. Jango our rescue pig lives at Ironwood Pig Sanctuary in Marana, AZ. While I love the desert life, the ocean is my home.
And I still see the same naturopathic doctor from childhood.

Additional training outside of ND degree:

Botanical Medicine: Clinical herbalist, herbal product maker
Certified Clinical Aromatherapy Practitioner (Boston Medical Center)
Craniosacral Therapy
Dana Farber Cancer Institute ~ Zakim Center
Gemstone Energy Medicine
Hospice & Bereavement Therapy
Massage Therapist, Massachusetts license #859771 since 2003
Advanced Studies in Massage for Oncology Support
Advanced Studies in Massage for Fibromyalgia Patients
Master Reflexologist Certification, RCB #518
Nutritional Genomics, American Nutrition Association, #00137
Personal Trainer, American College of Exercise
Reiki I, II, III Master Level Teacher; The Usui System of Natural Healing
Research: Dr. Wayne Wescott, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging @ Tufts and SCNM/Sonoran University

Associations

AHG | American Herbalist Guild
ABMP | Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals Certified Member
GastroANP | Gastroenterology of Naturopathic Physicians
NMI | Naturopathic Medical Institute