clarissa’s story
Discouraged by conventional medicine, which offered no medical answers apart from “continue what you are doing,” I started looking for natural ways of healing for my son and myself. This is when I understood that my calling was to be a healer. I was drawn to functional naturopathic medicine because I believe the human body can repair itself when it is provided with the resources it needs. I started studying again and trained at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in Nutritional Therapy and Naturopathy for four years in London. Starting to study at 42 again for four years as a mum of a neurodiverse child was not easy, but this calling was too strong.
After implementing natural protocols that allowed my body to heal itself, I started working on my son, doing a lot of functional medical tests that allowed me to understand some of the root causes, working on his detoxification pathways, and integrating nutrients and supplements that supported his body and helped him thrive. It was fascinating to see how a few simple changes improved his well-being and sensory regulation. I truly believe that every individual is unique and has their own healing path.
Being diagnosed at 11 years old with type 1 diabetes and having to measure blood glucose and inject insulin since then, made me very conscious about the power of food and how tailored nutrition can help and even heal.
I worked for 17 years in corporate sales and management for global consulting firms worldwide. As much as the jobs were stimulating, my health had taken a toll. Having an autoimmune condition as well as juggling extremely demanding jobs made me very unwell and burned out. I would go from medical specialist to medical specialist, without getting better, or if getting better, it was only for a few days, as symptoms would come back stronger.
Only after my naturopathic training did I understand that if you do not treat the root cause of the disease, symptoms will come back worse.
After three miscarriages, having my son was the most beautiful and magical moment of my life. It was also the hardest when, after a few years, he was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder and autism. We went to every specialist and started numerous therapies, but the essence of sensory dysregulation or dispraxia was still very alive. What was very hard for me was that I knew my son, and I knew he was there, but there was like a veil separating him from the world we live in.