Health care done differently.

ABOUT WILLOW

MY APPROACH

There is a better solution to managing your chronic health concerns than suppressive medications.

I believe in better health care. In a system that provides proactive (vs reactionary) care and patient education. In working collaboratively with patients.  In the importance of the doctor-patient relationship - one built on trust and creating a safe space. In the forgotten but fundamental role of doctors to teach patients how to live a healthy life. In empowering patients to feel confident in making decisions about their health.  In the power of integrative medicine - combining modern science and advances in healthcare with traditional knowledge and wisdom.

I believe in an integrative care model - where all your health care practitioners work together to help you feel your best. 

And I believe the doctor of the future is you, the patient. And community is the missing medicine.

From a very young age, I knew that some things were missing from our current model of health care. I wanted to be a part of the solution.



MY STORY

Since childhood, I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to help people heal. To be more specific, I wanted to be an Endocrinologist. The fact that my 12-year-old self knew what this word meant - a hormone doctor or specialist - was saying something. 

My inspiration was actually Deepak Chopra - before he became famous. A hormone specialist who spoke all about “lifestyle medicine” before it was really a term.

Lifestyle medicine takes into account the importance of diet, stress management, restorative sleep, regular exercise, and the importance of positive social connection (i.e. relationships & community) on health and the ability for these factors to reverse chronic disease. I wanted to do THAT. 

As I grew up, I realized most medical doctors don’t provide these services or recommendations. Rather, their main tool is to prescribe medications that often simply suppress symptoms. I remember thinking, “Aren't we missing the real problem, the root causes of why the symptoms are going on in the first place!?”

02.

Inspiring thing number one. Title, description goes here.

Place the full description here. Speak directly to your ideal client, to create an undeniable bond with you and your values.

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Inspiring thing number one. Title, description goes here.

Place the full description here. Speak directly to your ideal client, to create an undeniable bond with you and your values.

But I knew I wanted to be a doctor, so I forged on, taking all the prerequisite classes I needed to set me up for med school. I figured I would become a doctor and then I would do things differently, like Deepak. 

It wasn’t until 1 month before I was to write my entrance exams for med school that I found out naturopathic medicine existed. A system of medicine that uses diet, lifestyle & exercise prescription, stress management, nutritional and herbal medicine, and acupuncture to address the ROOT causes of illness, rather than suppressing symptoms? I made my decision in an instant to hop ship and apply for Naturopathic med school, a 4-year full-time program on top of my undergraduate degree in biochemistry.


02.

Inspiring thing number one. Title, description goes here.

Place the full description here. Speak directly to your ideal client, to create an undeniable bond with you and your values.

03.

Inspiring thing number one. Title, description goes here.

Place the full description here. Speak directly to your ideal client, to create an undeniable bond with you and your values.

Part of changing the face of medicine is approaching it as health care, not sick care. By uncovering and treating underlying causes of disease and supporting the body’s natural ability to heal. In hopes to act and educate patients before chronic disease has gone so far.

I also believe in aspiring toward optimal health. 

You deserve more than “fine” or “getting by.”
You deserve answers to WHY you are feeling unwell.
Many of my patients come in feeling unheard or dismissed by the conventional system. Some feel they aren’t “sick enough” to be taken seriously by doctors.

I am here to listen, ensure your story is heard, and always take your concerns seriously. 

Health care, not sick care

THE TECHNICAL STUFF

Dr. Willow Johnson ND is a board-certified Naturopathic Doctor, speaker, writer, and entrepreneur practicing in Saskatoon, SK. She graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, where she gained her four-year post-graduate Doctor of Naturopathy (ND), completing a 12-month clinical internship at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic and the Brampton Naturopathic Teaching Clinic located within the Brampton Civic Hospital. During her clinical year, she was selected for a specialty shift focusing on the treatment of complex, chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. She also had the opportunity to work at the Anishnawbe Health Center for Aboriginals and in 2014, travelled to Haiti to provide care through Naturopaths Without Borders

Born in Montreal, but raised most of her life in Hampton, NB - a small, close knit community surrounded by beautiful countryside - she was first introduced to many of the ideals of Naturopathic Medicine from a young age, where mindfulness, eating clean, local foods, getting plenty of fresh air and activity, and using natural therapies where a norm within her family home. 

Willow went on to complete her Bachelor of Science majoring in biochemistry with a minor in anthropology from Mount Allison University. It was during these classes she was exposed to alternative forms of medicine and ethnobotany and was inspired to meld her life long love of science with the art of medicine. 

Willow focuses on health optimization, especially in the areas of digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, autoimmune disease, stress and burnout. Her mission is to help women get their health back, so they can live their life with quality and purpose. 

Willow works at Saskatoon’s premier integrative health clinic, Lead Integrated Health Therapies, where she uses a team- based approach in crafting the best individualized health care plans for her patients.

Willow was voted Saskatoon’s best alternative health care practitioner in November 2019 by Planet S magazine after only 3 years in the province. In 2021, CommunityVotes Saskatoon voted her platinum in the category of Naturopath and Weight loss & Nutrition.

Willow is registered with the Saskatchewan Association of Naturopathic Practitioners and the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors.