A black background with a line art illustration of a cat's head with an eye and cosmic symbols on its forehead, and the words 'My Story' in orange below.

I grew up in a small town on a farm in Southwestern Ontario.

As a child, I spent countless hours out in the fields, woods, and rivers, connecting with nature, the animals and land. I’d pretend I had magical powers and would make little potions from the things I found in the earth.

I’d imagine I could talk to the animals and trees and feel them respond. I suppose some may have found this strange, but to me it was normal. But as I got older and the social conditioning set in I slowly lost touch with those parts of myself.

I had always been healthy but when I was about 15 years old, I started to develop strange symptoms. My voice changed, I felt a tightness in my throat, and became very fatigued. I visited the doctor many times over the next few years but was often disregarded and told this was “in my head”. Finally, when I was 18, my symptoms became so severe I was having trouble breathing and swallowing. I was sent for a CT scan which revealed a large mass in my throat that had surrounded my voice box and spread into my thyroid and lymph nodes: I was diagnosed with stage IV laryngeal cancer.

This was a shock considering I had no risk factors and was so young. I was given a choice: undergo surgery to remove the tumour (and my voice box) or die. On March 2, 2006, I underwent extensive surgery to remove the cancer. I then underwent 6 weeks of high dose chemoradiation treatment that brought me within an inch of my life. While the physical treatments were painful and hard, the psychological aftermath was far worse.

Cancer and facing death changes you; You don’t just get to go back to who you were. In cancers wake I developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), clinical depression, and anxiety. I felt lost. I didn’t know who I was anymore or where I was supposed to fit in this world.

After some time and much suffering, I came across the work of famous psychologist Dr. Carl Jung. One of his quotes resonated so deeply with me, it became my mantra: “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become” – I realized that sometimes in life hard things happen that we cannot control, but we always have the opportunity to decide how we will choose to respond. I had a choice: I could continue to wallow in self-pity, or I could use it for a purpose and to create something good in this world. I choose the later.

I decided to pursue degrees in psychology, and then my PhD where I focused on psychosocial and integrative oncology. I’ve also completed training in massage therapy, Reiki, Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT), Kundalini Activation, Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy, Advanced Meditation and Coherence Healing, and end-of-life doula support.

My research has focused on understanding how treatments for cancer impact the gut microbiome, gastrointestinal and mental health in people with cancer, and using integrative strategies such as probiotics, mindfulness, and biofield therapies to help address these symptoms and support healing. As I continue to research and practice, integrative medicine is central to my approach, and I truly believe these strategies hold the keys to comprehensive, whole-person healing.

My vision for the future is one in which people can experience healing at all levels of their being, to foster authentic and sustainable wellness. As I reflect on my life, I see that I have in many ways come full circle by reconnecting with those parts of myself I had loved but lost touch with. I’m back to playing in the woods, communicating with animals, practicing rituals, and embracing all the beauty and magick of life. My hope is that through this work, I can support others on their healing journey and that together we can raise the collective consciousness.

With love, joy, and gratitude,

Dr. Julie

Education and Training:

  • PhD in Medical Science, specializing in Integrative and Psychosocial Oncology

  • MSc in Psychology, specializing in Behavioural Neuroscience

  • BA Honors in Psychology

  • End of Life Doula Certificate

  • Certified Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) Practitioner

  • Certified Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy

  • Certified Kundalini Energy Activation Facilitator

  • Certified Level 2 Reiki Practitioner

  • Cancer and Nutrition

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