Meet Stephanie Poiani: Naturopathic Doctor

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

Hi Stephanie, how does your business help the community?
Lyme disease is a growing epidemic. Due to the complexity of the illness, variation in symptoms, difficulty with testing, and treatment controversy these patients are often left mistreated in the Western medical model. The same goes for other complex chronic conditions and environmental illnesses like mold illness, mast cell activation syndrome, heavy metal toxicity, autoimmune diseases, etc. Often times I see patients who have been through a long list of doctors with no real explanation for why they feel so sick or why they don’t have any improvement despite treatment. I help my patients investigate and treat the root cause of illness versus covering up symptoms. My goal is to provide access to proper treatment and expand awareness and eduction around complex chronic illness.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a Naturopathic Doctor. I completed 4 years of medical school at Bastyr University and am now seeing patients at RestorMedicine in the Mission Hills Neighborhood of San Diego. Throughout school I faced a great deal of my own health challenges. I went from doctor to doctor feeling completely misunderstood. I knew something was very wrong, but the tests came back “normal” and “I didn’t look sick” even though I was barely functioning. Every single day was a struggle and looking back, I have no idea how I did so well the first couple years of medical school. Eventually, I found a doctor who discovered the root cause. My symptoms were due to a variety of chronic infections. I started integrative treatment with antibiotics, herbs, and supplements and gradually my health began to improve. My own health experience led to developing an interest in complex chronic illness and environmental medicine. I know there are so many people out there going through a health situation similar to what I’ve experienced. Our medical system in the United States is broken. Although the Western medical approach is amazing for acute situations, it fails many people with chronic illness. My job focuses on investigating and treating the root cause of symptoms. I am grateful to be in a field where I can empower my patients to overcome chronic illness!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love everything about San Diego! There’s so much to see and do no matter what you’re in to. I would definitely recommend spending a sunny and warm day at Windansea Beach. I love Trilogy Cafe – a rooftop vegan spot- in La Jolla for a nutrient dense meal with beautiful views. And a favorite spot to hangout around sunset is Kate Sessions park. You get a breathtaking view of Downtown, the bay, and the ocean. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be where I am today with out the support of so many people! I am grateful for Dr. Nicola Ducharme for being my mentor and believing in me. I am grateful for my friends and family for always supporting me and my decision to take an unconventional path. I am grateful for the many instructors and supervisors at Bastyr University who helped me develop the foundational skills to begin my career as a Naturopathic Doctor.

Website: https://restormedicine.com
Instagram: @dr.steph.nd

Image Credits
Sean Levitan