We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Sexton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, how do you think about risk?
I have risked a lot to follow my bliss! I uprooted my family and moved to further my education. If I had not been brave enough (or maybe naive?) to do this, I would not have found the fulfillment that I have in what I do. New opportunities call for us to step outside the norm and sometimes do the unthinkable!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a specialist in integrative/functional/natural medicine with specialization in cannabinoid medicine and women’s health, I provide naturopathic care to people across the lifespan! I began my healthcare career as a midwife and herbalist and then went to Naturopathic Medical School in Seattle Washington. I always tried to balance my brain by staying involved in creative aspirations, primarily by playing music. I had my own band during the time I was in medical school. I rounded this out by pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship in pharmacology and opening the first cannabis lab in Washington State in 2010. I’m excited to have pioneered the clinical medicine of cannabis and offered some of the first education to doctors on this topic, and continue to do this through my affiliation with UCSD. It has been an interesting journey combining my lifelong loves of women’s health, botanical medicine, research and patient care. I now work a lot with chronic pain patients and bringing education of how adversity in life can contribute to health issues. Naturopathic medicine allows for building up health using natural approaches that are evidence-based. Some challenges along the way were not overcome, but I have learned to trust my instincts and to not be bullied! I have pulled this lifetime of experience together and recently completed a book that I hope will help to demistify and bust herban legends about cannabis: “Eat, Sleep, Relax, Protect, Forget: An Endocannabinoid Guide to Systems’ Wholeness for Women”.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love to pick up some fish tacos from El Pescadero in La Jolla and take my visitor to Wind and Sea surf break to watch waves, surfers and sunset. Balboa Park and the museums are always on the itinerary! My favorite thing to do is surf, so I would probably drag my visitor down to the beach and coax them in to try boogie boarding at least. Taking a hike to Potato Chip Rock shows off the view of the area and provides a glimpse in to the diversity of our region. Sampling some of San Diego’s finest IPAs is a must, and there are so many fabulous restaurants and taco stands that we would be busy with a gastronoomic smorgasbord. I like visitors to just take it slow and enjoy the SoCal slow life, as embodied by Pacific Beach’s own “Slo-Mo’ skater on the boardwalk. I love just living locally and contributing to my community where I volunteer for Beautiful PB and Shoreline Community Services. Walking and cycling around PB, and highlighting how San Diego is promoting walking, rolling, bicycling and transit to promote Vision Zero and advance the goals of the Climate Action Plan are things that make me proud to be a San Diegan!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many have cheered me on in my endeavors. First and foremost I would not be a doctor if I had not had the mentorship of my Grandfather Ewell Hunt MD and the support of my parents and family. I developed a love for botanical medicine and research due to the instruction of my Mentors Dr. Ellen Peffley and Dr. Nephi Stella. I would probably never have had the courage to further develop myself if I had not read the book “Women Who Run with the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It took a lot of fortitude to step away from the culture I lived in to realize my dreams!

Website: msextonnd.com

Instagram: @dr.michellesexton

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-sexton-a40408b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msextonnd

Image Credits
none applicable, I took the photos

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