I combine compassionate patient care with the best of scientific inquiry and evidence-based treatments.

Dr. Anita Komonski, ND

I completed my first degree at the University of British Columbia, in a customized program of psychoneuroimmunology where I studied the complex interplay between the mind/brain, the immune system and hormones in the creation of health and disease. This laid a solid foundation for my medical training at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, where I developed a deep understanding of the lifestyle, hormonal, dietary, behavioural and psychological changes that need to take place for the achievement of optimal heath and the reversal of disease processes.

Combining a personal passion and building on my philosophy that the best physician is a guide and mentor, I also became a certified personal trainer, and after a decade of practice, a yoga teacher. I firmly believe in motivating and empowering individuals to take on the challenges inherent in striving for optimal wellness.

After 5 years in practice, I found that while many physiological root causes could be easily addressed and the illnesses remedied, there remained deep-seated emotional reasons for why some patients could not reach their full potential.  I sought out professional training in medical hypnosis and clinical hypnotherapy, and I can confidently say that these issues can be healed. I feel that this is a tool that fits in perfectly with naturopathic medicine, as it can access the subconscious source of illness and utilize the mind in the healing process.    

After 8 years running a busy multidisciplinary clinic in Vancouver and serving as clinical faculty at Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, and serving Quadra Island and Campbell River for 5 years, I am happy to call Victoria home.

Outside of medicine, my many passions include sustainability, practicing yoga & meditation, tending to plants, riding my bicycles, exploring beautiful British Columbia, cooking and sharing delicious, healthy food with others, and snuggling my beautiful daughters. 

Education

• Bachelors Science degree in Psychoneuroimmunology UBC (2004)

• Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine: Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (2008)

• Coastal Academy of Hypnotic Arts and Science (2013) 

Awards and Distinctions

• Grassroots Naturopathic Award  - “excels in the field of women’s health, exhibits a passion and commitment to the foundation of naturopathic medicine & demonstrates compassion and humility in patient care”

Professional Memberships

• College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia

• Canadian Association Naturopathic Doctors

• British Columbia Naturopathic Association

• Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians

• North American Menopause Society/The Menopause Society

• International Medical & Dental Hypnotherapy Association

Advanced Training

Board certifications:

• Prescribing authority in BC

• Intravenous therapies

• Chelation therapy

• Immunization

• Acupuncture

Additional training:

• Intramuscular stimulation (IMS) & pain management

• Menopause Society Certified Practitioner

• Basic & Advanced Bioidentical Hormones (BHRT) training

• Women’s Health, Fertility & Obstetrics (Jane Littleton, BINM, Institute of Women’s Health, Peaceful pregnancy hypnosis)

• Helixor training & certification

• IV Iron Certification (IronRx)

• Medical Herbalism (John Redden, RH)

• Adjunctive Oncology Training (Drs Alschuler, Traub, Kaczor)

• Naturopathic Cardiac Life Support

• 800 hour Yoga Teacher Training

• Compassionate Inquiry Professional Training with Gabor Maté

Guiding Principles

I believe in providing healthcare that honours an individual’s uniqueness, commits to integrity and honesty, and addresses the underlying cause of disease – not just places a band-aid on the symptoms. 

In practice, I provide individualized treatment plans using evidence-informed therapies, while maintaining the individual needs and values of the patient at the core. In addition to performing acupuncture, IV treatments, and hypnosis, as well as prescribing medications, hormones, botanical medicines, and nutritional supplements, I teach individuals how to become ambassadors of their own health through dietary and lifestyle change.

Naturopathic medicine is a system of primary health care that combines current medical science and inquiry with safe and effective traditional therapies. While no two doctors are the same, all naturopathic physicians are guided by a specific set of principles:

• First do no harm

  • I use only safe, effective treatments, which minimize side effects and reduce any further risk to the patient. Very careful consideration is given when vitamins/herbs and supplements are combined with medication to ensure no negative interactions occur. Also, harm is prevented by addressing the cause of illness, as opposed to suppressing symptoms while the illness progresses.

• The healing power of nature

  • Our bodies have evolved a very complex system of self-repair and homeostasis. When you stop and think about it, the body's innate intelligence is incredible; the way it protects us from the millions of bacteria and viruses we encounter on a daily basis, or how quickly a cut finger is healed. The immune system possesses an intelligence that no drug will ever match. The goal in all treatments is to restore and support the body's innate and intelligent healing capacity by using medicines and techniques that are in congruent with these processes.

• Identify and treat the cause of disease

  • There is always a reason that the body produces symptoms. Often, they are expressions of the body's attempt to heal itself. Instead of viewing symptoms as the problem to be defeated, I consider them to be clues that point to why the condition exists. With the inquisitiveness of a detective I strive to uncover the root of the problem, which could relate to nutritional deficiencies, lifestyle habits, food allergies, aberrant biochemical processing, mental-emotional issues, structural problems, life events and/or the environment.

• Treat the Whole Person

  • Although we all share a very similar physiology, and diseases often follow a certain course, what leads a person to health or disease is as individual as they are. The cause of disease is never singular. Likewise, health and illness involve the entire organism, which simply cannot be compartmentalized. Physiological, mental-emotional, spiritual, social, genetic, dietary and environmental factors are taken into account during diagnosis and treatment. When all of these elements are addressed, the best outcomes are achieved.

• The Physician as Teacher

  • I believe that one of the physician's main roles is to educate and empower patients. All patients need to understand what is happening in their bodies, as well as how natural and conventional medications act so that they can make educated decisions regarding their health. True health cannot be obtained from any pill or supplement. It is a doctor's duty to encourage personal responsibility and teach strategies for optimum health maintenance. Permanent results can only be possible if we know how to read and respect the signals our bodies give us.

• Teach Prevention

  • The best healthcare must be proactive. Instead of waiting for overt disease to manifest, I assess your risk factors, genetic susceptibility and lifestyle factors and make appropriate interventions. Health is more than just the absence of disease; it is optimal daily functioning of every body system, a balanced lifestyle, abundant energy, adequate sleep, and positive thoughts and emotions.