Why I Became a Naturopath

Brenda Elving, ND

Unless you start at birth, no story starts where you think it did. There was always prior groundwork to prepare the way. So my journey truly began with my childhood dog and wheezing attacks that I sought in vain to address. I asked questions of my vet, studied the dog's symptoms, and analyzed what the vet said and how his answers made no sense with what I saw. I never figured it out and it troubled me that I couldn't help. That frustration—of not being able to figure out what was wrong—stayed with me. Years later, when my first child had recurrent ear blockages without infection. I researched like crazy and began learning about food sensitivities. As I sought drug-free solutions, I was dismissed from more than several medical practices. I learned a lot and became a competent mother.

But then several things ganged up to give me a fuller picture of what it means to build health. I severely sprained my ankle in what the doctor said was a "dis-use injury." I spent the required recuperation time and then embarked on a weight-loss and physical training regimen. I was still angry about the doctor's diagnosis: chasing children and animals on our hobby farm was certainly not "dis-use"! My training schedule was rigorous enough that my teen sons came alongside me to train for the military. I lost 30 pounds, got pregnant and birthed my sixth child. Unknowingly, I had pushed my body past its limits—training intensely, losing weight, and carrying a pregnancy back-to-back. My adrenals never had a chance to recover. A year later, a small cyst on my sternum turned into a painful walnut-sized lump over the course of a weekend. I was more afraid of hospitals and doctors than I was of cancer, so I prayed for wisdom.

On my pastor's recommendation, I visited my first naturopath. I got an appointment within hours of my call. The office was quiet, comfortable. No crowded waiting room. No paper gown. Just one-on-one attention. He reassured me that I wasn't going to get hurt in his office and that it was a spider bite, not a fast-growing cancer. I left with a plan for resolving the issue, and 2 months later, it was over with hardly a scar. But healing from that life-threatening bite had pushed my poor adrenals far too far., and I learned about adrenal fatigue from the inside. I was glad to have a doctor I trusted to nurture me back to health. He encouraged me to resume my fitness plan and even start doing wind sprints. I'd been in his care about two years when a Facebook friend noted that my pupils, which were different sizes from a childhood injury, were normal in my latest profile picture! That blew my mind, that a 30-year-old scar had disappeared.

I finally asked the naturopath what he was doing.

I hadn’t had the energy to ask before—back then, I just wanted to feel better. But now, I was curious. He explained that he was using Applied Kinesiology, sometimes called Muscle Response Testing. I'll never forget what he said.

“I’m asking your body what it needs.”

Read that again.

He asked my body what it needed. This was pure gold. He wasn’t just shutting down symptoms. He was listening to the body.

If you really analyze what a conventional medical doctor does, he asks you your symptoms when you walk in the door. He then translates what you say into Latin to give you a diagnosis. It sounds very important. But honestly, the word 'sinusitis' is Latin for inflamed nasal passages. He gave you no new information; he merely translated it into another language and called it an important word. Hmm.

Then he matches his fancy word to a list of drugs and assigns you one. He doesn't know if it will work or even if you'll have a reaction to it until your next appointment when you tell him. My doctor - and now I - ask your body what it would do with a particular intervention. We can see immediately if it would make you stronger or weaker, if it would help or harm. This saves the client a lot of time and money, as we can predict reactions before they happen. There is no guessing.

Remember, I had six children. As I continued seeing this doctor for myself and my family, my entire mindset shifted to one of health promotion. I no longer wanted to fight the illnesses that entered my home. I wanted to have strong children with strong bodies who didn't get sick.

And then I noticed that the kids were growing up. They wouldn't need Mommy in a few short years. What was I going to do then? I don’t knit, so going stir-crazy was definitely an option.

I decided to become my naturopath. In my own way.

I researched naturopathic schools and realized that of those who published their curriculum, I had already mastered a good portion of it. To fund my education, I took in a neighborhood child while continuing to homeschool my own. I practiced my craft on every injury and illness that crossed our threshold.

Somewhere along the way, someone pointed out that I already had a small, very loyal practice. My next step was to find clients who would pay for my knowledge.

The idea of charging for what I had been doing all along? That made me laugh.

Now, I hold two certifications in naturopathy—not because the letters behind my name define me, but because I wanted to be absolutely confident in advising people on their health. I’m a perfectionist by nature, and if I’m going to do this, it needs to be professional. It needs to be worth every dime someone spends.

Today, I’m doing what I was meant to do. Still learning, still growing. But most importantly—still listening. Because the body already knows what it needs. It’s just waiting for someone to ask.