Shannon Feely is hoping to fill a void in the community.
The former Hope resident has opened a new naturopathic clinic to provide residents with more health care options and guidance.
“The overall goal is to improve quality of life,” said Feely, who also runs a practice in Vancouver that primarily focuses on pediatric health.
“I am by no means trying to replace the medical doctor. I’m a pretty conservative naturopath and I would say the most powerful medicine is using conventional plus alternative together.”
Feely relies on a variety of treatments to address chronic and acute health conditions, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, clinical nutrition, massage, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, laboratory testing, and lifestyle counselling. She also uses a holistic approach with each patient to determine the root cause of an illness and manage symptoms.
“You really can improve your daily life by a large degree just by making a few simple changes,” she said.
Feely said natural medicine can help with digestive problems, premenstrual syndrome, low energy/fatigue, children’s respiratory issues, allergies, asthma, cold/flu prevention, ear infections and skin conditions.
Feely was inspired to become a naturopath by a breast cancer survivor that she met several years ago while working as an environmental planner.
“I always wanted to help people,” she said. “This multi-faceted approach made so much sense to me.”
Feely trained at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto before moving to England, where she spent two years running a naturopathic practice in London while teaching students at the College of Naturopathic Medicine. She also served as the director of nutrition, managing the college’s nutrition program and student clinic.
Feely is currently working in Hope every third Thursday at the Hope Chiropractic Care Centre. Naturopathic doctor visits are covered under most extended medical plans.
For more information, visit shannonfeely.com
