DR. CHRISTINA BJORNDAL, ND
Christina Bjorndal is a licensed naturopathic doctor and established keynote speaker on how to regain your mental health using a naturopathic approach. She is the co-founder of Natural Terrain, a naturopathic clinic in Edmonton, and is regularly interviewed for print magazines and online resources as a leader in her field.
Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
University of British Columbia (B.Comm); Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
Keynote speaker on how to achieve mental well-being
Avid outdoors and exercise enthusiast (previous marathoner and Ironman competitor)
IN HER OWN WORDS…
While I was doing my undergraduate degree at UBC in the late 1980s, I experienced debilitating depression and anxiety that was difficult to treat. I also had an eating disorder and was not coping with the stress I was under at that time. Like most people, I had not heard about naturopathic medicine or orthomolecular medicine, so I was treated with conventional medications that were ineffective.
Six months after starting an antidepressant to help my depression and anxiety, I spun into a psychotic, manic episode. It took six people—my mom, boyfriend, two paramedics, and two firemen—to wrestle me into a straight jacket. I was taken to the hospital, injected with haloperidol and left in a rubber room to come back to reality. When I did, I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder type 1. Since that time, I have lived in shame because of the label of bipolar disorder. I just wanted to be “normal.”
how i became a naturopathic doctor
After surviving a suicide attempt (which left me in a coma, on dialysis waiting for a kidney transplant), I finally began the healing process after reading a book called A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson. Up until that point, I’d been living with the shame and stigma of the labels I had been given, and I had not accepted myself. Since reading that book and with the help of many types of practitioners, I have come to realize that there are 10 steps to mental wellness and there are more natural ways to treat mental “dis-ease” as I outline in my book “Beyond the Label: 10 Steps to Improve your Mental Health with Naturopathic Medicine.”
The sole reason I became a naturopathic doctor is because, when I was struggling with my illness, there weren’t many experts in this field. After attending the Orthomolecular Medicine Society’s Mental Health Regained Public Forum in 1999, I became a patient of Dr. Abram Hoffer’s and experienced my first depression-free year in 13 years. I also made some major life changes, such as resigning from my job as Head of Marketing in a global investment management firm after sitting repeatedly with the question “If money didn’t matter, what would I be doing?” The answer consistently revealed itself to me over and over again: Become a naturopathic doctor and help people heal from anxiety, depression, bulimia, bipolar disorder (types 1 or 2), ADD/ADHD, OCD, using natural therapies and orthomolecular medicine.
HOW I CAN HELP
Given my health journey, I have a primary interest in treating mental health issues. In the last decade, however, I have expanded my expertise to balancing hormones for women when it comes to PMS, menopause, fertility, and pregnancy, especially since becoming a mom myself. Nothing gives me greater joy than helping a woman conceive, seeing her birth her baby naturally and being the primary care physician for her and her newborn baby.
If you have been recently diagnosed with a mental illness or you are struggling in your life, please accept my helping hand and let me guide you to optimum health. I encourage you to read "Beyond The Label: 10 Steps To Improve Your Mental Health With Naturopathic Medicine", as well as start reflecting on your life using Moving Beyond: A Journal Into Self-Discovery. If you are looking for a first step, then consider starting with diet and nutrition by following The Essential Diet: Eating for Mental Health. Have faith that you can get well. I believe you can, and I wish you all the joy there is to be found on the healing journey. Let love for yourself always be your guide. As the author of these recommended products, I will be financially compensated. A percentage of the profits from the sale of these products is donated to The Mustard Seed
testimonials
"I have been seeing Dr. Chris, ND now for 3 years now and she has truly changed my life. I have a lot of issues including mental illness and she has been my one true hope through my journey. She speaks the truth and directly from her heart. Everything that she says to me, hits home and speaks directly to my heart. She has helped me in more ways than I could ever count and I would HIGHLY recommend her to anymore."
I wish to thank you for being the first Doctor to “see me”. I wish to thank you for extending your deep grace which allowed me to unfold myself and begin this difficult work. I wish to thank you for your perfect generosity, boundless patience a...
-- Days are Lighter and Brighter, V.H. --