"Journey the path to health and wholeness"
Lisa-Ann Bilinsky received her degree in naturopathy from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, where she was awarded the Governors' Award of Excellence for outstanding academic performance. She is registered to practice under the College of Naturopaths of Ontario and a member of both the Ontario and Canadian Associations of Naturopathic Doctors
. Lisa-Ann is also a trained ND Doula and has a special interest in perinatal and pediatric care, reproductive health, mental health, and environmental medicine. A message from the ND:
Not unlike a labyrinth itself, my own personal journey to becoming a naturopathic doctor was one full of twists and turns. Raised by a mother who was a pioneer of the “health food revolution” and by a father who taught me the wonders of the natural world, I learned at an early age the value of natural medicine and healthy living. However, as a young adult I found myself more influenced by the realm of the spirit and mind and pursued an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies and Psychology at the University of Waterloo. I followed this with a more intense theological education and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from the University of Toronto. The career in ministry that followed led me to a number of privileged experiences as chaplain to students and educators in the school system, as assistant in an inner city mission community and as “padre” to the youth of the Canadian Cadet corps. While this work inspired me with the enthusiasm of youth, I was also witness to the struggles inherent in cultures of peer pressure and family conflict, and to the sobering injustices and inequalities of poverty. Moreover, working in the context of religion, I often found it difficult to navigate the tension between doctrines and dogmas and peoples’ personal experience. These challenges helped clarify for me that a healthy spirit was deeply interconnected with a healthy body, a healthy mind, a healthy community environment and a healthy earth. I began looking for a way to integrate all of these aspects of our lives into my work, believing that it is this integration that is at the core, or centre, of good health and healing. When I discovered naturopathic medicine, I knew that this was the answer to my quest. Here was a career that spoke of ideals close to my heart: “root cause”, “whole person”, “healing power of nature.” I enrolled in and completed the pre-requisite science courses and then began the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine programme of study. Through it I was able to add the wisdom of the naturopathic elders, the teachings of traditional Chinese medicine and the processes of modern science to my background in arts, social science and ministry. It was truly a holistic education. My goal in practice is to continue that holistic education everyday, with each patient I meet, in a spirit of care and non-judgment. It is my hope that together we can journey to that integrated centre of good health inherent in each one of us. Lisa-Ann
