Teravita

My journey began as a child growing up on the remote island of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific. The years I spent there seeing the needs of people less fortunate than myself, shaped my lifelong desire to help others. Nursing - a vocation of compassion - seemed like a natural fit for my desire. I completed my BScNursing in 2000 and went on to work in a variety of hospital acute care settings, as well as public health. My yearning to do more than practice western medicine lead me to pursue a masters in public health, with the intention to work in community development projects overseas. I completed my MPH in 2006 and went on to teach nursing. A few years later, my husband and I landed back in Papua New Guinea, where I worked as consultant to a health promotion project. 

It was only later that I began to look differently at the conventional medicine I had been practicing. Although extremely important in many cases, it no longer seemed to be solving the growing chronic disease epidemic; there were gaps in crucially important areas. I came to this realization through dealing with my own health and the health of my children. 

I began to understand that the picture of health is much larger than just physical symptoms. Solely managing the symptoms will never reach the root of the issue. In order for a symptom to present itself, a whole interplay of environmental factors - emotions, nutrition and other lifestyle factors - have to be at play, and in potential disarray. Bringing these factors back into balance and re-creating harmony within the body is key. 

This led me to purse an interest in functional medicine, and particularly how nutrition effects our healing. I now hold membership with the Institute of Functional Medicine and have completed the first of their courses. 

I believe we are all unique, that we all have a story, and that it is a part of our journey to health. I believe every aspect of our life story impacts us, and gaining insights into it helps us to unlock the puzzle pieces of illness. It is only within the framework of our own story that we can begin to fit these pieces back together.