Naturopathic Doctors in Portland, Oregon
Dr. Danielle Smith Lockwood (ND, LAc)
Naturopathic Doctor & Acupuncturist.
I am an Oregon licensed primary care physician as well as a licensed acupuncturist. While my status as a Doctor does give me full prescriptive rights, I prefer to use more gentle, natural techniques when possible. I attended USC School of Dentistry for my undergraduate degree and the National University of Natural Medicine for my doctorate. My status as both a physician and an acupuncturist trained in classical Chinese medicine gives me a skill set that is unique among my peers. As a result, I have been blessed with opportunities for public-speaking engagements and deeply cultivated professional relationships in medicine, mental health and dentistry.
For me, being my best self begins with balancing my passion for excellence with being the humble student of every patient I treat. I want to take the time to get to know you and your physical and emotional health while helping you get to know yourself better. I invite all of my patients on a path of self-discovery where we find what is healthy for you through improving self-awareness. As a naturopathic doctor, I believe that physical health and spiritual/emotional wellbeing are certainly intertwined. Much like a reversible reaction in chemistry, physical health can have profound effects on emotional wellbeing just as emotions can biologically affect us physically over time. By achieving balance in both these emotional and physical selves we help our clients move into a greater life fulfillment and health. I want to be the best Naturopathic Physician in Portland, Oregon so I can help you become your best self.
Within the scope of my clinical practice, I treat a diverse range of patients suffering from conditions including traumatic brain injuries, addictions, emotional disorders, gastroenterological disorders, chronic/acute pain, complex headache patterns, infertility and autoimmune disorders. I will prescribe medications when necessary, however my true aim is that each of my patients reach a state of wellness wherein medications are unnecessary.
I specialize in customized, one-on-one medicine based on neurological and genetic patterns that are found in each person and tailor my treatment to each individual. Modern psychology has identified that the six leading causes of death in America are directly linked to stress. The medicine I practice treats specific conditions while also addressing these deeper emotional-stress components that make each of us more susceptible to illness in the first place.
My Ethos of Practice
As a professional and also in my personal life, I have found that greater life satisfaction comes through living an authentic life. For myself, living in her authenticity comes through cultivating self-awareness, healthy boundaries with herself and others. Although self-awareness and conscious living are popular buzzwords, truly living a life that is disentangled from the ego is a lifelong pursuit that is never truly mastered. And, perhaps ironically, when I feel as if I have mastered conscious living, it’s an indication that more growth is needed. Through the practices of deep breathing, yoga, time in nature and directing the mind to peaceful silence, I find much-needed time for replenishing my internal reserves so I can be the best version of myself.
As a physician and from life experience, I know how easily all of us can react to life out of a fight-or-flight state where our decisions are made by the primitive regions of the brain. This fight-or-flight response puts our body in a position of stress that diminishes our higher reasoning and may lead to irrational or reactionary words or behavior. This stress response is activated by the body’s sympathetic nervous system as a means of self-preservation during life or death emergencies. And, while the sympathetic nervous system may help save your life in a disaster, it can also lead to great human suffering in one’s personal relationships, life goals and physical health. Anyone who has ever had an argument spiral out of control only to later regret what was said or done knows the dark side of “fight-or-flight” first-hand. One of my main goals as a physician is helping to ease reactive nervous systems so we can can live happier, more fulfilled lives.
It’s worth noting that this process of becoming less reactive to fight or flight actually makes us better able to respond to actual emergencies. We’ve all heard stories of the heroic mother who lifted up a car to save her child and developing mindfulness in our daily lives doesn’t disarm these valuable protective mechanisms in the body. Rather, by being mindful, we avoid the long-term damage that habitually living in a high-stress state of being causes. If we go through our lives constantly on “Red Alert” due to normal situations like traffic-jams or others’ foibles then we leave our bodies and minds depleted of the resources needed to act when a real emergency happens. Thankfully, the process of deep breathing, meditating and even the foods we eat and our personal habits can help reduce the unwanted effects of the body moving into fight-or-flight too quickly or in situations where it is unproductive.
Helping patients identify and find relief from unconscious sources of stress and trauma is a core value for myself and the Terrain Wellness Naturopathic and Primary Care Clinic. When the body is in a stress response too often, naturally occurring chemicals in the body like cortisol can build up over time and lead to conditions such as adrenal fatigue, weight gain and high blood pressure while also exacerbating the body’s often-harmful inflammatory responses. In short, too much stress can be harmful or even fatal if left untreated. In my practice as a Naturopathic Physician in Portland, Oregon, I love helping patients identify these unconscious sources of stress that may influence the patterns of our health in fascinating ways. Through a blend of learning, acupuncture, muscle-testing and mindfulness, I help patients improve their quality of life through reducing stress and increasing self-awareness.