Dr. Ivy loves getting to know others, hearing their stories, and sharing her own. Here isa bit of her story and journey to naturopathic medicine in her own words:
I was introduced to natural medicine at a young age. Growing up in rural Carbondale, Colorado, I spent most of my days playing outside, helping my mom in the garden, and making friends with the many bugs and wildlife. A Homeopathic remedy kit took the place of a traditional medicine cabinet and herbal teas and supplements were often utilized first in times of illness. The emphasis on organic whole foods, time spent in nature, and natural medicines laid a foundation which I would carry with me through adulthood.
At age 11, my family moved to Eugene, Oregon, where my love for the outdoors continued to grow as I explored the woods behind our house. My love for learning began to grow as well, and I excelled in school. Despite thriving socially and academically, throughout high school I struggled to find my sense of purpose and understand my place in the world. I knew that I wanted to help people and make an impact in my community but wasn’t sure how or what that looked like. I remember feeling envious of those who seemed to know exactly what they wanted or have it “all figured out.”
After graduating from high school, I attended the University of Oregon, where I began exploring many different things. I took courses in business and economics, landscape architecture, American literature, psychology, and even urban farming. As I worked my way through these classes, I felt no closer to finding my purpose. I became increasingly burnt out and uninspired and decided to take a break from school to do some soul-searching. During my few months away from school, I returned home to Colorado and stayed with my brother. I spent the majority of my time outside, walking or hiking for hours each day. I listened to the sounds of nature, got lost in my own thoughts, and pondered the power of the mind-body connection. During that time, I grew increasingly curious about the human body and felt a strong desire to understand exactly what was going on beneath my skin. I wanted to find answers to questions like why chronic disease was on the rise, were there things in the environment making us sick, and why
wasn’t there a cure for conditions like cancer and Alzheimer’s.
When I returned to U of O, I declared a major in human physiology, determined to find the answers to all the health-related questions I had been seeking. While working towards that degree, I began to feel disheartened by the conventional medical system and the general trajectory that others in my program were following. I couldn’t help but feel like there had to be another approach to medicine that wasn’t solely focused on reactive and symptom-based management, but rather a root-cause approach that fosters true healing. My curiosity for an alternative approach to medicine eventually led me to the Integrative Health Care program at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver). It was there I discovered that the type of medicine I was seeking, one that emphasized root cause healing, natural therapeutics, scientific evidence, and integration of the mind, body, and spirit did in fact exist. It was called Naturopathic medicine, and it was my calling.
During my time in the Integrative Healthcare program, my inspiration and excitement for learning returned. After all those years of seeking, I felt like I had finally found my place in the world. As graduation got closer and it was time to make decisions about the future, I knew that my education journey was not over. While I toyed with the idea of chiropractic, osteopathic, and allopathic medical school, wondering what doors might open for me if I pursued another avenue to medicine, I kept coming back to Naturopathic medicine. Once the decision to attend Bastyr University and become a Naturopathic Doctor was made, I never looked back.
I feel fortunate to have found a sense of purpose in this life, and to be able to say that I truly love what I do for work. Sharing this medicine, teaching and empowering others, and walking alongside others on their journey to health is a privilege that I do not take for granted.
