My Story
“My life changed in 1998 when I learned about the mind-body connection.
I started to realize how much control we have over our health, and how much chaos we can create in our health. I went on to study English literature and Sociology, because it was through these avenues the brilliant authors continued to share this idea of symbolism, of metaphor, that we each carry in our lives and connect to our health if we stop to look and listen. We all have a story. Through yoga, this same connection was revealed, through the breath.
During this time I experimented with my own health, and found that simple nutritional changes completely transformed my life; my immune system strengthened, I lost weight and energy increased.
Then I found Naturopathic medicine. This was it! This combined the thread I was looking for – the mind and emotions are intricately embedded in our cells and organs, and Naturopathic medicine could account for it.
Since then, my journey has lead me to understand how important all aspects of the body are:
- the physical – we live in a polluted environment, children are born with hundreds of known toxins, getting addicted to sugar at an early age, are inundated with antibiotics, the list is endless here.
- the emotional – our stress hormones touch each organ system and now are known to cause most chronic disease.
Addressing all factors is imperative to health care. My passion continues to be inspired by how magnificent the body is, and how is educates us about our entire being if we connect the dots. The body is the true healer, the one with the wisdom.”
– Dr. Girolamo
Dr. Donata Girolamo is a licensed and registered Naturopathic doctor in St.Catharines, ON. She maintains a private practice, where she cares for families using evidence-based medicine, combined with the art and wisdom of traditional medicine. She also has a special interest in women’s health, mental wellness and fertility.
Dr. Girolamo is committed to continuing education, and has extensive training in homeopathy, biotherapeutic drainage, auricular medicine, and medical intuition. She has additional certification in First Line Therapy, a lifestyle program for weight loss and chronic disease prevention and treatment. Dr. Girolamo has taken intensive courses in Vipassana and Mindfulness meditation, and mind-body medicine.
She is certified by the Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy Naturopathy and an active member of The Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors, and the Association of Perinatal Naturopathic Doctors. She is a regular contributor to Health Wellness and Safety magazine, and has written for Canadian Health and Lifestyle. She is a guest speaker at Niagara College, teaching stress management with meditation, and is active in the community, giving health talks to groups like Run Girl Run, Happy Hearts, and Form Fitness.
Donata continues to help her patients through continuing education:
- Standard First Aid with CPR “C” (2005-Present)
- Reiki levels 1 &2 (2006)
- Homeopathy By the Book, Dr. Kellerstein, N.D. (2007)
- Psychosomatic Energetics level1, Biomed (2008)
- OAND Convention: Exploring the Foundations of Naturopathic Medicine (2008)
- Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, Virginia Doran M.Ac., L.Ac., L.M.T (2009)
- One Day Unda Numbered Compound Intensive, Dr. Jacinta Willems N.D. (2009)
- Restorative Medicine Conference, Sedona Arizona (2009) Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome certification
- CNDA: Naturopathic Advancements in Gastrointestinal Conditions, California (2009)
- OAND Convention: Revolutionizing Medicine, The Connection Between Environment and Health(2009)
- CAND Convention: (2009)
- Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy 8 week meditation program, Dr. Patricia Rockman, M.D. (2009)
- Mindfulness Webinar, Dr. Paul Epstein, N.D. (2010)
- The Evolution of Disease &Biotherapeutic Drainage™ for Individualized Medicine Dr. Robert Abell, N.D., L.Ac. (2010)
- Biotherapeutic Drainage™ & unda Numbered Compounds, Dr.Dickson Thom D.D.S., N.D (2010)
- First Line Therapy: weight loss and chronic disease prevention program (2010)
- Clinical Patient Evaluation: Miasms, Temperaments, Consitutions. Dr. Robert Abell (2011)
- Medical Intuition: Lori Wilson’s Total Body Intuition (2012-2013)
- Auricular Medicine intro and advanced Dr. K.C. Bateman, ND (2012-13)
- Case Management and Treatment of Lyme’s Disease, Dr. Adams (2013)
- The Evolution of Disease &Biotherapeutic Drainage™ for Individualized Medicine Dr. Tondelier, M.D., France (2013)
- MTC2 – Advanced Clinical Patient Evaluation & Treatment: Miasms, Temperaments & Constitutions Dr. Robert Abell, N.D., L.Ac. (2014)
- Clinical Rounds – Dr. Robert Cass, 2014
- Healthy & Active Metabolism Program (2014)
- Individualized Nutrition For Women’s Health: Beyond Bio-Identical Hormones Dr. Ginger Nash, N.D. (2014)
- Differential Clinical Diagnosis Using Biotherapeutic Drainage™ for Optimal Patient Outcomes Dr. Mikhael Adams, N.D. (2015)
- Holistic Counseling Dr. Moshe Daniel Block (2015)
- Foundations of Functional Diagnosis Training Dr. Dicken Wetherby( 2016)
- Clinical Applications for Phytotherapy Series Dr. Robert Abel (2016)
- Psychosomatic Energetics Level 2 (2016)
- Heavy Metal Toxicity Dr. Dick Thom (2016)
- The Treatment of Infertility – the complete series Jane Lyttleton (2016)
- The Natural Fertility Masterclass Drs. Chasse, Sgarlata, Epstein (2016).
Your Naturopathic Treatment Plan – What to Expect
1st Visit – today we have discussed your goals, current health concerns and health history. The Naturopathic Program is guided by a set of principles called the Therapeutic Order. We start by focusing on health – what does your body need MORE of, and what is in the way of it healing itself? This often includes treatments that REDUCE INFLAMMATION, INCREASE DETOXIFICATION, and support the weakest ORGAN system (usually where the symptom is coming from). Remember, there are often 5 or MORE organ systems out of balance, when there are health issues. We will try to address 1-3 SYSTEMS at a time.
3rd Visit (4-6 weeks later) – We will review any new labs and discuss lifestyle changes to maintain your improvements or to deepen your healing. Your remedies will be tweaked, and now that we have eliminated some of the inflammation and toxicity, we can start replenishing deficiencies and regenerating hormones, glands, thyroid, enzymes, emotional balancing and more.
2nd Visit (2-3 weeks later) – In this appointment, we discuss your individualized nutrition recommendations, lab testing, and referrals. Based on your Initial assessment, I develop a treatment plan specifically for you. Commonly, we will work on optimizing DIGESTION (flora, bile, membranes, motility). We are what we ABSORB after all 😊. Did you know that often times, there are sneaky little bugs derailing our long term health? Parasites, viruses, bacteria, and yeasts are opportunistic infections that hide in the body, robbing us of our vital minerals, our digestive strength, stress our immune system and create extra waste for the body – even if there are no symptoms of them!. The best way to get rid of them is by changing your ECOSYSTEM so they can’t survive. Using the REBA device, we can uncover any trouble spots – lymph, liver, kidney, adrenal, small and large intestine, gallbladder, sinus, and more.
4th Visit onwards – while we may want to stop treatment once we feel better, the work is just beginning! You may have more energy, a deeper sleep, less or no irritating symptoms, and have a feeling of control over your health. From this point onward, we may want to continue the deep dive into your health and wellbeing with functional or auricular testing, or touch base again in 3-6 months to discuss cold, flu, and allergy prevention, or any new issues that have popped up. Treating acute infections naturally without suppression like antibiotics, inhalers, or other medications strengthens your body’s ability to maintain balance, so call us if you’re struggling with an infection, skin rash, having surgery, or dental work. Many patients like to include an acupuncture series of 4, 6, or 10 treatments 1 time per year to maintain vitality. We will discuss how to keep your barrel emptying so that toxins don’t accumulate and create symptoms. This requires healthy physiology!
In general, functional conditions usually heal quicker than lesional or degenerative. Have patience with yourself and the process if things aren’t moving as fast as you’d like. Chronic disease begins in utero, so it may take time to peel the layers back.