Dr. Strand’s Professional Bio:
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Dr. Strand was born and raised in Mitchell, South Dakota. After graduating from high school, she moved to Arizona to attend Arizona State University where she earned a B.S. degree in Microbiology. Shortly after graduating from ASU, she joined the Peace Corps and taught Math/Science in Cameroon, West Africa. Upon returning from the Peace Corps, she worked with the homeless in central Phoenix for two years before attending naturopathic medical school.
Dr. Strand graduated from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (www.scnm.edu) in 2002, where she graduated at the top of her class and received the Daphne Blayden Outstanding Student Award for her “commitment to naturopathic medicine, academic excellence, compassion, perseverance, loving sense of humor and positive, supportive outlook”. Dr. Strand loves to educate & inspire people about their health & wellness…both inside & outside of the US. She believes that her main goal as a physician is to be a teacher, which is what the word doctor (docere) actually means. She is fully committed to teaching people what they need to know to create health and vitality…and empowering them with the knowledge they need to THRIVE! In her free time, Dr. Strand loves to be outdoors, play in nature, hike, bike, garden (which she is not very good at), play golf (which she is REALLY not very good at), and travel. In the past few years, Dr. Strand has traveled to Ghana, West Africa, and Mozambique, East Africa to offer humanitarian outreach to the people of those countries (see Humanitarian Outreach page for more details). Dr. Strand is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (www.naturopathic.org) and the AZ Naturopathic Medical Association (www.aznma.org) |
"Dr. Strand is warm, welcoming, funny, and listens to what you have to say. She fully embodies the individualized approach and I genuinely appreciate all that she does."
My Story
I always wanted to be a physician, and I knew from a very young age that I would become one someday. Growing up, I absolutely loved nature and I was fascinated with the human body. I was one of those kids that would spend the entire day outside exploring anything and everything I could find…plants, animals, bugs, fish, etc. I grew up in South Dakota, so there was plenty to explore and keep me busy!
After I graduated from high school, I moved to Arizona to establish residency and attend Arizona State University. While I was going to school, I worked as an instrument tech in General Surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital. I gained a lot of experience and had the opportunity to be exposed to allopathic medicine. However, while I was working there, I started to question whether or not I wanted to be a part of medicine.
Since it had been my lifelong goal, I didn’t know what else I would do if I did not go to medical school and become a physician. So, I did what many other lost & confused college graduates do…I joined the Peace Corps. I was in Cameroon, West Africa teaching math and science, and I started realizing that they do things completely differently there. They didn’t have access to western medicines so they relied on what they had…plants, animals, and food. One day I saw 3 kids in my front yard “picking my weeds”. I went out to let them know that they did not have to pick my weeds and they informed me that they were picking the plants because their baby sister was sick with “belly palaba” and needed to make a tea out of the plants.
This intrigued and fascinated me so much that I wrote to a friend about it. In that same letter, I also shared that I was still confused about what I wanted to do if I did not go to medical school. My friend wrote back and told me that I should think about naturopathic medicine. I had no clue what naturopathic medicine was, so I asked her to send me some information about it. The moment I read the info, I knew that was what I was meant to do. I remember thinking, “I can be a physician AND honor nature? How perfect is that!”
Upon returning home from the Peace Corps, I worked with the homeless in downtown Phoenix for 2 years before attending naturopathic medical school at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. I graduated in 2002 and have been practicing ever since.
It is through these vast experiences that I have gained my empathy and compassion for people and have truly learned to value individuality and to celebrate diversity of all people. I am incredibly passionate about naturopathic medicine and about educating and inspiring people to be proactive in their health. I hope my passion is contagious…
After I graduated from high school, I moved to Arizona to establish residency and attend Arizona State University. While I was going to school, I worked as an instrument tech in General Surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital. I gained a lot of experience and had the opportunity to be exposed to allopathic medicine. However, while I was working there, I started to question whether or not I wanted to be a part of medicine.
Since it had been my lifelong goal, I didn’t know what else I would do if I did not go to medical school and become a physician. So, I did what many other lost & confused college graduates do…I joined the Peace Corps. I was in Cameroon, West Africa teaching math and science, and I started realizing that they do things completely differently there. They didn’t have access to western medicines so they relied on what they had…plants, animals, and food. One day I saw 3 kids in my front yard “picking my weeds”. I went out to let them know that they did not have to pick my weeds and they informed me that they were picking the plants because their baby sister was sick with “belly palaba” and needed to make a tea out of the plants.
This intrigued and fascinated me so much that I wrote to a friend about it. In that same letter, I also shared that I was still confused about what I wanted to do if I did not go to medical school. My friend wrote back and told me that I should think about naturopathic medicine. I had no clue what naturopathic medicine was, so I asked her to send me some information about it. The moment I read the info, I knew that was what I was meant to do. I remember thinking, “I can be a physician AND honor nature? How perfect is that!”
Upon returning home from the Peace Corps, I worked with the homeless in downtown Phoenix for 2 years before attending naturopathic medical school at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. I graduated in 2002 and have been practicing ever since.
It is through these vast experiences that I have gained my empathy and compassion for people and have truly learned to value individuality and to celebrate diversity of all people. I am incredibly passionate about naturopathic medicine and about educating and inspiring people to be proactive in their health. I hope my passion is contagious…
I remember thinking, “I can be a physician AND honor nature? How perfect is that!”
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My Naturopathic ApproachMy Naturopathic Approach to Healing: I have a very naturopathic approach to healing: I focus my practice on creating healing relationships with my patients and guiding them through their own journey of health. I have an exciting and eclectic practice, working with people of all ages, and working with people experiencing a variety of health concerns. I utilize Acupuncture, Bio-Identical Hormones, Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, IV Therapy, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Counseling as the foundation for treating the whole person and promoting the true healing power of nature…the greatest healer of all. My Naturopathic Philosophy: My philosophy is simple…to listen, to respect, and to provide knowledge and advice based on individual needs. I recognize that each person I work with is unique and has individual needs. I understand that we each have our own definition of optimal health and I believe in the potential of each individual to achieve that goal. I respect that one thing will not work for every person, so together with my patients, we create an individual treatment plan that encompasses the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of each person. My Mission: We have an epidemic of sick, stressed-out people in our culture who have broken lifestyles & can’t find viable answers in our broken healthcare system. We aim to change that! Our purpose in life is to help others get healthy enough to live their purpose in life! |