About Allissa Gaul
Dr. Gaul came to naturopathic medicine in an unusual way -- she fell ill. At the time, she was working full time as the production editor of the University of Alberta student newspaper The Gateway while doing a full time science degree program in pharmacology. "I pretty much was in high stress and on a poor diet from eating on the run at the Student's Union building. My family physician thought that birth control pills and sedatives were the answer, but I wasn't so sure!"
A school friend had suggested that she consult a naturopathic doctor. "My first response was -- don't give me that pseudo-scientific bull! But after my family doc had made his suggestions, I relented and went to see an ND." This changed her perspective on what natural medicine was all about. "I realized that they really had something interesting going on in the naturopathic profession, and even though I had originally planned to go to "normal" medical school, where my boyfriend and many friends already were, I decided to pursue a naturopathic career."
At the time, there were only twelve naturopathic doctors in Alberta, and her family considered it an unusual choice. There were however, other factors that came into play. "I had always been interested in herbal medicine, being an avid gardener, and had toyed with the idea of doing herbal medicine alongside conventional practice, but the scope of naturopathic medicine turned out to be exactly what I was looking for."
Dr. Gaul completed her degree in psychology with a special interest in neuroscience instead of completing the pharmacology program. "The more I looked at it, the more I realized that some of the best drugs we have are plant medicines, and the drugs we seem to most understand are naturally derived, not synthetically manufactured."
Dr. Gaul was accepted into Bastyr University in Seattle Washington and was granted a Presidential Scholarship, awarded to those students expected to make significant contributions to naturopathic medicine. After graduating in 1998, she spent a year living in the United Kingdom and exploring different medical models there and in Europe, where she participated in courses in rehabilitative medicine in the Czech Republic. She has practiced in Calgary since 1999.
Since settling here, Dr. Gaul has continued to pursue different avenues of expanding her awareness of different approaches to medicine. For many years she has practiced neural therapy, an injection technique for chronic pain and nervous system dysfunction. In 2004, she completed a program in Anthroposophical Medicine, which is based on Dr. Rudolph Steiner's approach to the human being, recognizing each individual as a unity of body, mind and spirit within a specific life purpose and destiny. She currently incorporates Autonomic Response Testing in her practice, an energy reading technique that can often elucidate the meaning and best approach to a particular symptom or dysfunction.
"My practice is quite varied now -- everything from acute pediatrics to chronic disease management and palliative care. My view of how people can positively and negatively affect their health has broadened in such a way that I now see results with people that I never thought were possible. I have a team of colleagues that I refer to and who complement and support the work I do with patients. It is a wonderful way to practice!"
Dr. Allissa Gaul ND is the current President of the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta. Today, she embodies a mind body and spirit approach as the founder and director of Resonance Wellness, empowering the patients she sees with knowledge, perspective, and hope.
