Hi.  I am a registered naturopathic doctor in private general practice with emphases on gastrointestinal disorders and optimization of sleep. I was trained at the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon; and participated in a year-long mentorship under Dr. Steven Sandberg-Lewis, studying and treating SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).  I utilize functional medicine principles have experience treating patients who have acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, SIBO, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, hiatal hernia syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, food sensitivities, allergies, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insomnia, anxiety, cognitive dysfunction and many other conditions.  I utilize natural therapies and remedies to help my patients regain health and to stay healthy.

My ideal patient is one who is willing to make dietary and lifestyle changes, if necessary, to restore their health and vitality.  The Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” is applicable to my practice.  I provide my patients with the tools they need to live more healthfully in this world with increasing levels of toxic substances.  I teach them to use things provided to us by nature, nutrients and other various natural treatments so that they can develop habits that are consistent with healthful living.  Each patient decides how much they are willing to modify their lifestyle in order to maximize their vitality.

With permission, I assess each person’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs that are likely to be contributing to their health problem.  I, then, determine where the imbalance likely began and if the patient is willing and ready, we will support that organ or system to enable their body to heal itself. Once we remove the obstacles to cure, the body heals itself.  If I feel like the patient's need would be better addressed by another practitioner, I will refer them to someone else.

I treat people of all ages, but I find it the most rewarding to work with kids because if a child learns early in life how to live healthfully in this world, they will avoid a lot of health problems.  Interestingly, the rest of the family often gets healthier by adopting some of the accommodations the parents are making for the pediatric patient.

I use the most gentle, down-to-earth therapies like clinical nutrition, herbal therapy, hot and cold water treatments, touching the earth, walking in a pine forest (if it is available), nutritional supplementation when necessary, castor oil packs and poultices.  I often will draw up a timeline with my patients to help determine what may have initiated the decline in health.  It is not uncommon for a health problem to be preceded by a mental, emotional or spiritually stressful event.  To bring about complete resolution of the problem and to prevent recurrence, we need to resolve the initiating stressor, either in the office or by referring you to someone who specializes in that area.

I look forward to partnering with you in your journey to health.

Sincerely,

Joan D. Waters, ND

Naturopathic doctor, naturopathic functional medicine practitioner

Call 970-482-2010 to schedule an appointment