My Story
My inspiration to pursue holistic medicine is my own life story of being a medical mystery. Since I can remember, I was labeled as the “one with the peculiar” symptoms – enigmas, they called it. I knew that fifteen minutes with my caretakers was not enough to understand my complex medical history and wide range of odd symptoms. I sought Ayurvedic and Naturopathic care at the tender age of thirteen, and that is when my life changed, almost literally. No, my medical issues had unfortunately not vanished, nor reduced to a diagnosis of idiopathic something. What did happen, however, is that I learned to cope with my medical issues using mind-body practices, dietary modifications, herbal therapy, and lifestyle changes. The transformation I witnessed in myself became my impetus to go to medical school, so that I can give my others integrative and personalized health care – combining conventional and holistic medicine.
My Journey
I completed my Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree, summa cum laude, at the 4-year in-residence program at the University of Bridgeport, School of Naturopathic Medicine. UBSNM is one of the six accredited Naturopathic Medical schools across North America, and the only program on the East Coast. During my time at UBSNM, I received special training in community medicine, mind-body medicine, women’s health, generative medicine, and homeopathy. Prior to medical school, I graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and worked as a Health & Wellness Coach for two years. I received my Bachelors degree with honors in Dance and Pre-Medicine, with a concentration in Psychology, from Barnard College, Columbia University, in New York.
My Certifications
- Licensed Naturopathic Doctor
- Karuna Reiki Healer
- Reiki Master Healer
- Aura Photography
- Ho’oponopono Practitioner
- Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner
- Meditation Instructor & Trainer
- IIN Certified Health Coach
- YogaBody Breath Coach
Medicine to Miracles
My health-enigma riddled journey didn’t stop after medical school. January 2020 I met with a near-death experience that forever changed my life and how I could practice medicine. Tests after tests and multiple hospitalizations finally diagnosed an extremely rare disease that left me bed-ridden – unable to walk or do anything really – for 6 months. In the process of getting this diagnoses, I finally was able to get answers for the mysterious and sometimes scary symptoms, which were more diagnoses like POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), hypermobile EDS (elhers danlos syndrome), autoimmunity, and neuropathy. There are times my blood pressure would be 60/40mmHg for days at a time while my heart rate is over 200bpm at rest. Pain courses through each and every body part, often times debilitating and handicapping every single day. Other times, my muscles stiffen like rocks and become paralyzed – sometimes it’s just my legs, and other times, it’s my whole body. And these flares can last for a few hours to a few days.
The irony: I had finally become a doctor but life forced me to succumb to a forever patient, hopelessly waiting for the neurodegenerative disease to leave me in a wheel chair. I had dreams of how I wanted to integrate dance and naturopathic medicine and help thousands of people heal. All my aspirations and passions shattered.
In the summer of 2021, my life changed, again. It was like switch went off and one fine day I said to myself, “I’m going to heal myself.” The universe listens to our thoughts – at least I am of that belief. It was as if my one determination brought together various circumstances of healing: My mom introduced to me EFT/tapping, my Reiki guru called me out of the blue and said you should re-start your healing practice, and I surrendered to Louise Hay’s “You Can Heal Your Life.”
And I began to walk. My story does not end there, but rather, begins. I was given another chance at life, and don’t take that for granted. I’m eternally grateful for my mom who has not only been my caretaker through the worst of times imaginable, but has also been my window to a whole new world of healing.
My story is still in the works and I want to bring it to life with all the tools, modalities, books, podcasts, and people I’m truly blessed to connect with to not only heal myself but heal everyone else in the process. And the biggest lesson I’ve learned in the process is that healing is not linear; it’s a lifelong process. But, if we shift our perspectives about health and healing and commit to ourselves, healing can be a nourishing and fulfilling journey. I’m excited to meet you wherever YOU are in your journey. Let’s write new, beautiful stories from medicine to miracles, together.
