About Dr. Val
A native Californian, I grew up in Pasadena amongst the suburban cowboys of the San Gabriel hills. Dreaming of veterinary medicine from a young age led me to a love of science in general and chemistry in particular. I went on to study Biochemistry at the University of California at Davis. It was there that I shifted my career focus away from veterinary medicine towards human medicine. Always a bit of a rebel, I couldn’t see working within the dominant paradigm of western medicine, which after many experiences on both sides of the desk appeared reductionistic. The scholar in me wanted to learn everything there was to know about medicine both ancient and modern. When I was introduced to Naturopathic medicine it seemed a perfect fit. This was a small profession filled with idealists who, like myself, seek to include and synthesize ancient wisdom with modern power and precision. So I studied to become an N.D., a Naturopathic Doctor at Bastyr University just outside of Seattle Washington. There I learned in 4 years of rigorous academics a wide survey of medical practice. Naturopathic Doctors operate from an eclectic approach. We learned so many treatment options that our toolbox at times seems near inexhaustible. We learned to diagnose and treat disease from the perspective of western medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Nutrition. We learned treatment methods from creating specialty diets to individual herbal formulas, from spinal manipulations to spiritual counseling. I found a special affinity with Ayurveda, a 6000 year old medical philosophy from India, and Orthomolecular medicine, pioneered by Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling focusing on the biochemical enzyme pathways that determine health and well-being.
I am pleased to be back in my homeland, the Los Angeles basin, and am enjoying the new challenges of starting a practice. While I am not accepting new clients at this time, please stay tuned for information on the new location and feel free to email me via this website.
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