An Introduction to Naturopathic Physician Melissa Manda
Since the very beginning, I’ve aimed to facilitate the growth of Northwest Life Medicine Clinic into a compassionate and collaborative group practice, harboring the very best resources that holistic healing has to offer. I couldn’t be prouder of the group we’ve grown into, so when the time comes to invite new staff and practitioners to our team, I take great care in the selection process.
We recently had the opportunity to invite a new naturopathic physician to join our team. I am so very delighted to introduce Dr. Melissa Manda as our newest addition! From the moment we met, I could sense her genuine compassionate nature and her excitement for our medicine, our practice model, and the Bellingham community at large. Please join us in welcoming her to our team and enjoy getting to know her a bit better below!
Cheers,
An Interview with Dr. Melissa Manda
What drew you to naturopathic medicine?
As a competitive athlete, I was always interested in what we can do to make the body function optimally through nutrition and other tools. I have always wanted to be a family doctor, so when I learned about naturopathic medicine, I realized I could be the kind of doctor I wanted to be, combining modern diagnostics and technology with tried and true healing tools and practices .
Naturopathic medicine is, at its core, very simple. We function optimally when certain conditions are met. What does the body need that we can add, and what does the body not need that we can take away? The exciting part is figuring out how to approach this with each individual.
Dr. Melissa Manda
Tell us a little bit about your background, professionally and personally.
I grew up in Wichita, KS and attended the University of Kansas where I played volleyball (Rock Chalk!) and studied human biology and psychology. After college, I spent two years in Spain teaching English and met my now husband, Brian. We lived in Denver for a couple years and then San Diego, where I attended Bastyr University and completed my doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. After medical school, we moved to Billings, MT for my family medicine residency at Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic under Dr. Maggi Beeson, who has 30 years of clinical experience. In August of this year, our son, Miles, was born, and then shortly after we moved to Bellingham!
Dr. Manda with husband Brian and their 2 pups
What brought you to Bellingham?
My husband and I wanted to be closer to our family and friends here, especially with our new addition! Bellingham is such a beautiful place with great access to the outdoors, and the community vibe here is really special.
What areas of medicine do you especially enjoy working with? Do you have any areas of specialty?
I like to work with folks of all ages and with a variety of health concerns. However, the area I enjoy working with the most is digestive/GI health. Since the health of the gut is at the root of many, if not all, health issues, I assess factors such as nutrition, digestion, detoxification, elimination, impacts of stress, etc. with each patient. I have done additional training in identifying and treating conditions like SIBO and intestinal candida/fungal overgrowth and have found them to be quite common.
I also like helping my patients address their stress and find simple solutions for a more balanced life.
How would you describe your approach to Naturopathic medicine and yourself as a practitioner?
Where naturopathic medicine really shines is in building relationships and getting to know each person as a whole being instead of just a list of symptoms. While this can take some detective work, I enjoy diving in and trying to understand the root cause(s) of symptoms for each individual. The relationship piece is crucial, because we will need to work together to come up with a plan that will be both effective and realistic given all of the circumstances. I use conventional and specialty lab testing when needed, and use a combination of nutrition and lifestyle modification, herbs and supplements, detoxification support, and stress management tools, among others.
What made you decide to join the team at Northwest Life Medicine Clinic?
I really appreciate Dr. Jenna’s focus on education around lifestyle and health. Her ELM framework (environment, lifestyle, mind) is a simple, yet powerful model for understanding how multiple factors in our life influence health, and which of these may be the most impactful for a specific person.
The position here at NWLM clinic opened up right as we were moving, and it just happened to be perfect timing! I was immediately drawn to Dr. Jenna and the whole team- it was just a great fit!