A Little More About Mary-Leah

I grew up in Brantford, Ontario and always felt connected to nature.  I was very active growing up, playing many sports including swimming, dance, track, volleyball, rugby, but my favourite was fast pitch softball.  I played competitively from an early age and was obsessed!  I would ride my bike, baseball tee slung over the handlebars, to the nearby baseball diamond to work on my swing.  This hard work paid off as I was honoured to be a part of several Canadian national championship winning teams (Guelph Gators, Brampton Blazers) and went on to earn a softball scholarship to Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, and, to this day, would be the only Canadian to be recruited.

I was equally obsessed with becoming a doctor.  I had it in my head that this is what I wanted to do and if I was not playing ball I was studying hard or volunteering at the local nursing home.  I was curious about how the body worked and wanted to know everything I could about it: what happened when it did not work right and how could it be "fixed"/supported.  I was naturally empathetic and wanted to help others feel better.  It was not until I was earning my Master of Public Health (MPH) that I came across the naturopathic medical school program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) and it was like it was made for me: based on medical knowledge of the body and, when things went wrong, supporting in a natural way using knowledge and healing from mother nature herself.  It was perfect and paired nicely with the preventative health focus I was learning in my master's program.  It would also bring me back to Canada after studying and iving in the U.S. for nearly 10 years!

Many people do not realize but the naturopathic medical program was and is gruelling!  You are simultaneously learning the physiology (how the body should work when it's healthy), pathophysiology  (science of disease/how the body works when it is not healthy) as well as how to support it using the many different naturopathic treatment options.  I recall one of our exam weeks we had 17 - yes SEVENTEEN - exams in 1 week.  In addition to the knowledge I was learning, it was really the philosophy of care that resonated with me: the inherent ability of the body to heal itself (the VIS), the understanding that as naturopathic doctors we are supporters of this VIS via the utilization of what nature has to offer.  We are setting the stage for healing and wellness.  Optimizing health and vitality in a gentle and effective way with lifestyle support and herbal, vitamin and/or mineral support where needed.  We are there to help patients identify barriers to cure (e.g. stress, poverty, food insecurity, poor sleep, toxic environment, toxic relationships, inflammatory lifestyle, etc.) and brainstorm together ways to reduce these barriers as best as possible.  Allopathic medical treatments are understood and respected and referral back to your family doctor is made when necessary.  The ultimate hope is that we can reach you before anything serious happens and we can prevent disease and disorder before it takes hold.

This really resonated with me and continues to resonate with me.  The longer I am in practice the more I am in awe of the true healing power that is within all of us and the complete life transformations that can happen when we truly look at what might be getting in our way to being the most vital versions of ourselves.  I feel honoured that this is how I get to spend my time at "work" every day and here I am, 15 years in, feeling like I am only now coming into my stride as a doctor connected to people, a doctor connected to nature and equally humbled at how much more I have and get to learn.

These and many more life opportunities, choices, and efforts along the way have brought me to where I am today.  We all have our story.  I have shared with you my passions that helped direct my path to becoming the ND that I am today.  I thank you for reading my experience and I look forward hearing your story, to meeting you as a person and a patient.  Please know that I will do my best to apply my knowledge, expertise, and experience thus far to helping you on your own path to optimal health and vitality.