Dr. Jeannie Achuff, ND

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Naturopathic Physician

I serve patients of all ages and treat a broad range of health issues, with a clinical focus in chronic disease, male and female fertility and preconception, female menstrual and reproductive complaints, pregnancy support, autoimmune diseases, and endocrine disorders.

Dr. Jeannie Achuff, ND

Every body has a story. It is in unraveling of the story that reveals the wisdom about who we are and what we are here to do.

I heard my calling into Naturopathic Medicine at 21 years of age after many years of studying environmental sciences. As the daughter of a cardiologist and a nutritionist, the pull into the healing profession certainly made sense! On a deeper level, however, I knew I was heeding a call that my soul has known through the ages: to be in a healing profession.

I completed the undergraduate pre-medical course curriculum and my Bachelor’s degree at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA and made my way to Portland, OR to study Naturopathic Medicine at the National College of Natural Medicine, which was founded in 1956. In addition to the standard 4-year ND curriculum, I pursued in-depth studies in the evolution and healing of chronic diseases with Dr. Dickson Thom, DDS, ND.  Concurrent with earning my doctorate in naturopathic medicine I also completed the NCNM two-year program focused on naturopathic midwifery and childbirth, and passed state board requirements for naturopathic midwifery.  This additional education required over 500 hours of clinical training specifically focused on prenatal, birth and postpartum care.

After almost 18 years since I first heard the call to medicine, I still find myself negotiating with God/ the Universe as to how I am best meant to be of service to the world! The combination of my own intellectual interests and heart-centered passions, as well as my personal healing journey, has lead me to develop my current practice in women’s pelvic health. I am trained in the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy™ and Tami Kent’s Holistic Pelvic Care™, and I am also a Level 2 Reiki practitioner. My work in helping women to find connection to their own bodies, stories, ancestral woundings, and ultimately to come more deeply into their power as a woman in this wild world is one of the reasons I get out of bed every morning. With a solid sense of my own spirituality I also study shamanism, energetic healing, the dynamics of the masculine and feminine, and Reichian character patterns as they all relate to our healing processes.

Please let me know if you have any questions for me. I would love to hear from you.

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PHILOSOPHY & STORY

Nauropathic medicine requires a commitment on the part of the patient. Over the years I have found it helpful for patients to understand the journey I have been on. I know what chronic pain feels like. I know what total down-and-out fatigue feels like. I know what it feels like to experience your body failing you. I get it. And I understand how difficult it can be to justify the time and expense involved in naturopathic medicine. Please read my personal story below: I understand where you are, in some sense. And I know how overwhelming it can be. But here I stand on the other side of it and I can honestly say that every step of the way and every sacrifice was worth it. Every single one. Thanks for reading.

At age 19, I was suffering from chronic hairline fractures in the metatarsals of my feet. As a lifelong athlete, this was a problem! Furthermore, I was 35 lbs overweight, but I barely ate. Most of the day I felt as if my stomach was full even if I had only eaten black beans and broccoli. I woke up for my 8am chemistry class and returned home for naps by 10am. I was depressed, anxious, exhausted, and confused. I felt horrible during the years when I should have been able to stay up late and enjoy University life!

Fast forward to my first appointment with a Naturopathic doctor: Dr. L said he thought I was having an issue with gluten and advised I eliminate it fully for 10 days, and then return to him for further evaluation and testing. After 48 hours I felt the first layer of haze lifting, my energy starting to return, and the sense of fullness settling down. By the end of the 10 days I was a new convert to the gluten-free diet. Bear in mind, this was 1999 and eating a gluten-free diet essentially meant not eating bread or pasta and converting fully to a whole foods diet. But it was so worth it! The discovery of celiac disease was the first major feat in the recovery of my own health. I lost the 35 lbs (and then some), my bones healed, my energy returned, and my mood evened out over the next year.

I started to train as a Naturopathic doctor in 2003. By the time I got into my second year, where we literally had a test every single day, we were in class for 5-10 hours/ day, and keeping up with the basic academic requirements was enough to wear anyone down. However by my second year, I was missing 1-2 days of class every month because I was curled up in pain, usually on my bathroom floor. I had menstrual cramps so severe that I also experienced cold sweats, nausea, and vomiting. My uterus was not cramping; my entire body was cramping. The pain was a 20 on a scale of 1-10. Endometriosis was the suspected diagnosis.

I refused hormones and surgery at age 25. I refused to “induce artificial menopause” at that age. I refused to jeopardize my chances of having children, even though people told me the disease itself jeopardizes fertility. “There must be another way,” I promised myself. I sought the help of Dr. Dick Thom, an instructor and academic and clinical advisor in my program. Having no idea how he worked, but having heard miracle stories about his work, I signed up to follow his guidance.

The journey was slow with Dr. Thom, but I knew deep in my bones that we were truly getting to the root cause of my ailments. On top of probable endometriosis, I also had all the clinical signs of IBS. In spite of my 5 years off of gluten at that point, my body still had a lot of healing to do. So I dutifullysaw Dr. Thom or one of his interns every month for years and left every appointment with a new round of Unda numbers (a type of remedy entirely new to me at the time). Slowly I saw an improvement. Slowly, rather than chewing 3 Advil every 4 hours to hasten its entry into my blood stream, or considering a trip to the hospital for pain management, I began to take 2 Advil at the start of my period and and could trust that this would keep the nausea and vomiting away. Slowly, my bowel movements normalized. Slowly, slowly, the deepest layers were being unearthed. I will never forget the menstrual cycle I had where I felt, for the first time ever, actual uterine cramps, rather than pain throughout my entire body. “This is a uterine cramp?!” I thought to myself. “Well, I can handle this any day after what I have been through.”

By 2010 I had periods that merely required me to rest because of low energy, and I required maybe 2 Advil on the very first day for cramping. Along the way, I had uncovered some deep and very interesting stories of my early life that I had all but forgotten. During the healing process I learned more about my body and the texture of my life up until that point than I ever thought possible. I gained a profound appreciation for the body’s tremendous capacity to store memories and emotions in our tissues, but also for it’s remarkable capacity to heal. In 2010, I conceived my son naturally, during the first month of trying. By 2012 I no longer had ANY menstrual cramps. To this day, my cycles are regular and easy, and most importantly, pain free.

I am not only deeply grateful to Naturopathic medicine for my own healing process, but I am so honored to be able to facilitate this process for other people who desire deep, transformative medicine.

The human experience is truly mysterious and never ceases to amaze me. As individuals, we become ill and we become well each in our own unique ways, regardless of diagnosis. It is my belief and my experience that every disease process has its own story and it is in unraveling that story that we find more answers and wisdom about who we are and what we are here to do in this lifetime.

With every one of my patients, I invite all of who you are into our work together as I help you navigate along the road to wellness. Of course, I cannot heal you- the job of healing is yours alone. I will use my expertise to assist you on the levels of your biochemistry (ie bloodwork and laboratory analysis), spiritual/ emotional health, energetic well-being, and structural and tissue health.

My goal with every treatment plan is to set you up for success. Sometimes the journey to wellness is a slow one. Sometimes people’s body’s require very intricately woven treatment plans and it is necessary to move more delicately. Some people are ready to ride the big waves and go for profound and rapid transformation. I am here to walk the journey with you, no matter where you are in body, mind, or spirit. I am honored to be trusted as your witness in the unwinding of old patterns and the creation of new health.

Lastly, it is also my belief that it often takes a community of support to heal. I welcome conversation between myself and your other healthcare providers (MD, DO, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Therapists, etc). I also encourage my patients to seek out one or two other supports at some point during our work together. In doing this we are more sure to raise all aspects of your life into a new, healthier way of being. Please see my Professional Networks in the toggle below to some excellent healthcare providers in our community!

Professional Information

Owner, Naturopathic Physician
Origins of Health Natural Medicine
Portland, Oregon (US)
Oakland, California (US)
Victoria, BC (Canada)
2008-present

Board Member, Vice President
The Family Naturopathic Care Society
Victoria, BC
2016 – current

Naturopathic Physician
U Retreat Spa and Wellness
Victoria, BC
September 2017 – current

Family Naturopathic Clinic Coordinator
Family Naturopathic Clinic,
Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine
Victoria, BC
January 2016 – current

Board Member
The Contemplative Society
Victoria, BC
October 2016 – October 2017

Naturopathic Physician
Sage Clinic
Victoria, BC
September 2015 – August 2017;
September 2011 – December 2012

Naturopathic Physician
Origins of Health Natural Medicine
Pleasant Hill / El Cerrito, CA
March 2012 – July 2015

Naturopathic Physician
Berkeley Naturopathic Medical Group
Berkeley, CA
October 2009 – January 2011

Naturopathic Physician
Bloom Natural Healthcare
Portland, OR
October 2008 – June 2009

Crisis Services, Clinical 1
Whatcom Counseling and Psychiatric Clinic
Bellingham, WA
July 2002 – January 2003

Crisis Stabilization Aid
Catholic Community Services
Bellingham, WA
February 2002 – January 2003

Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine;
Certificate in Childbirth
National College of Natural Medicine
Portland, Oregon (US)
2008

Bachelors of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies
“Scientific, Cultural, and Economic Issues in Sustainability”
Fairhaven College, Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington (US)
2001

International Honors Program
Global Ecology
(UK, India, Philippines, New Zealand, Mexico)
Bard College
Annandale Hudson, New York (US)
1997-1998

Laura Werner
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist (14 hours)

David Skau, MD
Pediatrics (29 hours)

Leigh Kochan, ND, LAc
Women’s Health (12.5 hours)

Dr. DW Thom, DDS, ND
Chronic Disease, Endocrinology, and Cancer (60 hours)

Jennifer Gibbons, ND
Family Medicine and Natural Childbirth (300+hours)

Stephen C. Achuff, MD
Cardiology (40 hours)

Rebecca Asmar, ND
Family Medicine (10 hours)

Lara Williams, MD
Obstetrics and Gynecology (50 hours)

Instructor
Holistic Doula Program

Pacific Rim College
Victoria, BC
September 2018 – current

Instructor
Anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and Western clinical medicine
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
San Francisco, CA
March 2013 – present

Guest Speaker
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada
British Columbia Region
2016

Guest Speaker
San Francisco State University
Institute for Holistic Health Studies
2013

Instructor
Anatomy and Physiology
McKinnon Body Therapy Center
Oakland, CA
January 2010 – September 2010

Guest Panelist
UC Berkeley Integrative Medicine Conference
2010

Birth Educator
Touch Health Association
Oakland, CA
November 2009 – December 2010

Gynecology Lab Teaching Assistant
National College of Natural Medicine
January 2007 – June 2007

Yoga Instructor
National College of Natural Medicine
Portland, OR
March 2004 – March 2005

Anatomy Lab Teaching Assistant
Outside In Clinic
Portland, OR
January 2003 – May 2003

Anatomy Lab Instructor
Biology Department
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
September 2001 – December 2001

Instructor
“Applied Human Ecology”
Fairhaven College, Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
January 1999 – June 1999

Professional Affiliations

Licenses & Training

Naturopathic Doctor
Province of British Columbia
September 2011 – current
Lic # 593

Naturopathic Doctor
State of California
October 2008 – current
Lic # 375

CPR & AED For Healthcare Providers
current

Holistic Pelvic Care
May 2015

Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy
Arvigo Institute
2014

Certificate of Natural Childbirth
National College of Natural Medicine
June 2008

Neonatal Resuscitation
American Heart Association
February 2008

DOCTOR, TEACHER, MOTHER

Playtime

When I am not pondering or writing about healing, healthcare, and the role of women in the world, I nourish my soul by spending time with my son playing cards or ninjas, or strolling in the magnificent woods and waterways of southern Vancouver Island. Or I might be getting dive-bombed by our insane cat….. I also serve on the boards of The Contemplative Society and The Family Naturopathic Society in Victoria, along with serving as one of the administrators of the Family Naturopathic Clinic, a teaching clinic serving young, low income families in Greater Victoria.

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