Deborah Caldwell, ND

Approach to Care | Biography | What Patients Say

Growing up on a small farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley taught me the value of nature and hard work. My days were filled with activities ranging from planting gardens and harvesting grapes to pulling weeds and riding alongside my father on the tractor. Occasionally I could be found with my siblings hiding in the thicket of the blackberry bushes pretending they were forts. Our lives were wrapped in nature and the outdoors. And no matter where our travels would take us we always looked forward to coming home to the farm. In hindsight I see how this deep connection with nature would serve as the genesis of my long journey into the healing profession of natural medicine.

Before my elementary years were complete my life moved away from the farm to Orange County, California. Culture shock was inevitable but kids are adaptable so I learned to change. Before long, ten years had passed and the family farm was off my mind. Life was happening and a disconnection with nature was growing. Like most young adults I was continuously gauging myself to the world around me searching for orientation and purpose. I was being called to heal and teach but had no clear path to direct this concentrated desire. I considered following my dream of becoming a surgeon; however, the deeper I went into this process the more conviction I felt something was lacking. My journey seemed to be stalling with no clear path to continue.

A few years later while volunteering in the surgery department at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona I was exposed to many new things. Among them I took note that the patient’s who took an active role in their health recovered much quicker than those who passively waited to “get well”. This triggered a deeper look into alternative forms of medicine. Naturopathic medicine was the perfect fit. For the first time in a while I felt peace in my convictions and I therefore chose the National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM) in Portland to continue my formal education.

Through this process I have traveled full circle and believe that I have returned home to nature, focused on a relentless pursuit of optimal health and wellness through the healing properties it can provide. My purpose as a physician is to help those searching to find a connection within themselves and nature striving toward long-term health and wellness. I take my position as a physician seriously; and, I find most success through my ability to listen. I believe in this parallel: listening to a person is like listening to the sounds of nature. One must take the time, be still and focus on the source to truly hear and understand. I want to provide you with this time. In my practice I am committed to this art form as the foundation of our progress together.