Dr. Vanessa Yu, ND

As a naturopathic physician (ND), I’m here to empower others to manifest a state of wellbeing that extends from their home life to their public life. With engagement in self-care and the maintenance of proper boundaries comes a greater capacity to regulate, sustain, and inspire wider positive change. I want to help people have more – health, happiness, and the kinds of experiences that matter most. My patients can take charge of their personal legacies with the time, energy, and freedom to do what they want and the well being to enjoy it.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.
– Chinese Proverb

My firsthand experience with atopic dermatitis and food / environmental sensitivities has transformed into a passion for helping patients with similar ailments. Whether you’ve struggled with eczema or other physical afflictions, there’s almost always a mental or emotional undercurrent and vice-versa. Through greater self-awareness, lifestyle interventions, and targeted evidence-informed natural treatments, momentum for a higher quality life is within reach.

I believe anyone can achieve inner peace through acting pragmatically, living with intention, and upholding integrity in all matters. Cultivating a deeper connection with our sense of Self is the most important step in achieving any goal. Our inner voice knows best. By removing extra noise (i.e., ego, which may take the form of distractions, excuses, stories, etc.), releasing stuck emotions, and focusing instead on addressing unmet needs, susceptibilities, and possibilities (infinite), many obstacles to vibrant health can already be overcome. In addition to providing the tools to establish a solid foundation for mental, physical, emotional, and overall spiritual vigour, I’m also trained to treat the deeper rooted, multifactorial issues that may or may not have a clear diagnosis. Foremost amongst my areas of interest are fatigue, digestive disturbances, atopic conditions (asthma, eczema, allergies), environmental medicine, hormonal imbalances, chronic pain, and disease prevention.

The naturopathic principal of Docere meaning “to teach” is something I try to embody. I’ve been a student in some form as far back as I can remember, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share not only what I’ve learned but also greatly benefitted from on a fundamental level. Through childhood to early adulthood, I suffered from atopic dermatitis and allergies due to diet, environment, work / school stress, and frankly genetics. Having limitations on not only what I could eat but also touch was disabling, isolating, and embarrassing, especially when I could no longer hide the angry rashes covering my face and hands. During my teens, I was left to my own devices to refine my definition and utilization of healthcare, living far from home in a small university town. Sick of wasting countless hours in outpatient services due to a shortage of GPs, an unhealthy vegetarian diet (i.e., bread and cheese) from a lack of education, and pushing myself to the point of burnout looking in the wrong places for answers, I sought the services of an ND. It only took a few visits to steer me in a direction that felt authentic and curative. From a family background of traditional Chinese home cures and an internal place with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and understanding, deep respect for nature, and devotion to creating a brighter future for all, I feel like I’m finally doing what only comes naturally. I feel aligned from head (mental) to heart (emotional) to feet (physical grounding point).

A native of Delta, B.C., I’ve traveled and resided from coast to coast seeking proficiency in the fields of Liberal Arts, Bowen Therapy, Integrative Body Psychotherapy, and Classical Homeopathy from experts, while discovering what it means to be Canadian. After five years in Sackville, N.B. studying Environmental Studies and Fine Arts, I returned home to reconnect and further develop personally and professionally before completing my Naturopathic Medical training at the Boucher Institute in New Westminster, B.C. In my spare time, I enjoy making art, dancing like no one is watching, dabbling in athleticism, modern homesteading, and pursuing a zero-waste lifestyle.