My business, and my education for that matter, both started with my own need for bodily healing. As with most people who find alternative medicine, I was dealing with a health concern that needed more support than I was finding through conventional medicine. I first discovered homeopathy and was blown away with my results. I had become my own real life case study. I buckled down, hit the library, and that’s where I discovered naturopathic medicine.

Naturopathic medicine was the perfect fit to combine my interests and passions. I knew I wanted to be in healthcare and that I wanted a science based alternative to conventional medicine. I also knew I wanted to work directly with my community. Once I discovered my path, I went back to school, studied hard, and started thinking about where I would like to practice medicine. I had already lived in the Roaring Fork Valley before medical school and, like many of my current patients and friends, I fell in love with the kind, open hearted, nature loving community that has established itself here. I also noticed there was a great need for women’s healthcare in a community that has almost a third more men than women.

After graduating I moved to Carbondale and started Back to Balance. Building my business hasn’t been a journey with an end in sight. I enjoy constantly expanding, learning, growing and streamlining treatments. It was this constant drive that allowed me to start my business and it is this drive that allows me to continue spreading wellness, and not just to the people directly in my community who can see me in person. A big step I took early on in my practice, which I continue to update, is my Detox and Cleanse program. As I mentioned earlier there is a big need for women’s healthcare, not just in the Roaring Fork Valley but everywhere. I wanted to create a program that empowered women to give their bodies a reset while experiencing a hands on guided treatment to help heal their guts and find hormonal balance, often which are so interconnected that healing one means healing both.

We are all born with an innate connection to our bodies, through time and lifestyle this connection dims because we can’t always work around our bodies needs; kids, life and work inevitably end up coming first in many instances. If I can help people reconnect with their intuition and mind-body connection, I am providing healthcare in the present moment and potentially for the rest of their lives independently of me. The healthier we are as humans the healthier our planet will be. On a bigger scale I believe care and compassion are contagious. If I can teach people how to take care of their minds and bodies as individuals there will be a domino effect in our world.

Getting my ND, LAc and creating Back to Balance have come with many hills to climb. At the end of the day I found being able to return to a grounded, present state, has been a skill I had to truly take the time to hone. So, if you are like me, a woman on a mission, whether that be to be a great parent, succeed in your career, be a supportive partner, whatever you are driven to do, here are 3 of my favorite things to keep me balanced and happy.

1. Daily exercise. While it does require discipline, getting exercise and fresh air on a daily basis has become my go-to to keep my body and mind happy and healthy.

2. Visualization. I have found that a practice of visualization meditation keeps me focused and on track, helping me reach my goals.

3. Getting Outside. Like almost all Coloradans, I love the outdoors. Nature has a wonderful way of reminding us to stop and smell the roses, breathe some fresh air, and find a little bit of peace in an otherwise chaotic time.