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Vitalia Natural


Medicine Dr. Natasha Wolf restores health to the body, mind and spirit by Linda Sechrist


As an undergraduate student at Queen’s University, in Ontario, Canada, Natasha Wolf, a licensed naturopathic doctor, learned about naturopathic medicine from another premed student. Although it took some research to locate a top-notch, accredited naturopathic school in the United States, Wolf persevered until she found Bastyr University, in Seattle, Washington, the largest university for natural health arts and sciences in the nation.


“When I read that Bastyr University respected the healing power of nature and recognized that the body, mind and spirit are intrinsically inseparable, I knew I had found the right kind of medicine to practice, especially since they modeled an integrated approach to education, research and clinical science that focuses on finding and treating the underlying cause of a prob- lem with diet and lifestyle changes, as well as homeopathic and naturopathic treatments, rather than addressing only symptoms,” advises Wolf. After graduating from Bastyr in


2002, Wolf moved to California and set up her Vitalia Natural Medicine practice in Carlsbad Village in 2003. “I’ve never looked back or had even one regret for taking this route, even though my


16 San Diego Edition


professors, fellow students in premed school and even my dad encouraged me to go into allopathic medicine,” says Wolf. “This naturopathic system of individualized treatment deeply satis- fied my fascination for physiology and biochemistry, which were emphasized in my education. After my dad’s friend had a good experience when his child was treated at the Bastyr clinic, he began supporting my decision.” In charge of creating her own


career after graduation, Wolf set up a website and went into the commu- nity to give educational talks about naturopathic medicine. “Often, people were surprised to learn that when they brought in their child to be treated for an ear infection and high fever, I would not only look in their ears and


www.na-sd.com


treat them with natural medicines, but also ask questions about what was in their diet that could be compromising their immune system,” notes Wolf. She spends time empowering patients with information about diet and lifestyle strategies that can help them take con- trol of their lives and avoid long-term, chronic illnesses. Awareness building begins on the first call. “My patient care coordinator has about a 20-minute conversation with a potential patient when they call to schedule an appointment,” explains Wolf, who adds that part of the call in- cludes a description of how naturopath- ic and allopathic medicines differ. On a first visit, which averages 90 minutes, a new patient can expect to hear about Wolf’s education and philosophy of natural medicine and the diagnosis pro- cess. Her gentle queries are intended to encourage patients to talk about any physical, mental or emotional stressors, their diets and exercise routines, as well as their history with smoking, alcohol and prescription medicines. “I explain that all this information is extremely important when looking for the cause of their health challenge, and that it’s not just one thing that causes an issue to develop,” says Wolf.


Customized treatment plans gener- ally include diet and nutritional lifestyle advice, as well as vitamin therapy and herbal and homeopathic medicines that support the body, rather than over- whelming its physiology with side ef- fects. “With each patient, I put together an individualized treatment plan, which often includes stress management,” advises Wolf, who specializes in herbal and homeopathic medicines. “My first love will always be to


help my patients solve their health chal- lenges naturally,” she enthuses, “and if my friend had never mentioned natur- opathic medicine, I probably wouldn’t be here in Carlsbad doing what makes my heart sing and what lets my patients enjoy health and well-being.”


Dr. Natasha Wolf, Vitalia Natural Medicine, 2750 Roosevelt St., Carlsbad 92008. Call 760-720-6288, email mail@ VitaliaNaturalMedicine.com or visit VitaliaNaturalMedicine.com. See ad on page 45.


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