Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Dr. Julia Christensen, ND is pleased to live, work and play in our beautiful city of Victoria, BC. Her dedication to natural medicine is built on a foundation of 15 years of education and experience in the health and wellness field. She has always been fascinated by the complexities of the human body and is committed to sharing her passion for holistic healthcare with our community at large and creating long-lasting relationships with her patients and colleagues.
In her private practice Dr. Christensen finds her inspiration in deeply getting to know her patients, guiding them through a range of experiences from the common cold to tackling difficult life decisions in a manner that is safe, non-judgemental, and built on informed consent and patient-centred care. For Dr. Christensen, medicine is not simply addressing your physical ailment, but meeting you as a whole person and walking with you as your path in life unfolds. The ideal doctor-patient relationship for Dr. Christensen is with individuals who are on a path of self-reflection and self-acceptance, and who would like to work long-term together making subtle adjustments along the way for optimal health. Her patients, colleagues and mentors describe her as “kind and approachable,” “gentle,” as well as “thoughtful, intuitive and wise” both in her personal and clinical approach.
Clinically, she focuses her practice in hormone restoration and balancing (including thyroid and reproductive hormones), digestive disturbance (IBS, SIBO, inflammatory bowel disease), and she can address symptoms including anxiety & depression, PMS and irregular cycles, endometriosis, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood changes, poor sleep, and chronic pain. Additionally. Dr. Christensen has a particularly deep understanding of exercise physiology and is an excellent resource for optimizing athletic performance. She also has a deep interest in how early life trauma influences her patients’ current state of health.
Therapeutic approaches include IV therapies (vitamin and mineral infusions as well as chelation of heavy metals), bio-identical hormone replacement therapies, acupuncture, herbal medicine, pharmaceutical prescriptions, and nutrition and lifestyle recommendations.
Dr. Christensen’s education background includes an undergraduate degree with honours in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University, which included the publication of her honours thesis work in the Journal of Experimental Physiology. As she earned her four year Naturopathic diploma from the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine (BINM) she also interned at the Family Naturopathic Clinic (FNC), here in Victoria, where she saw how deeply impactful naturopathic medicine can be for this community of patients. She is now a clinical supervisor at the FNC where she guides students in clinical diagnosis and naturopathic treatment. She has also been an adjunct faculty instructor at BINM providing course content and instruction in Exercise Therapy.
In her private practice, she likes to work cooperatively with other care-providers to create a network of care to support her patients journey to health and wellness. Dr. Christensen lives her medicine and is a true advocate for the healing power of the body. Clinically, she strives to identify the root cause of disharmony in order to restore optimum health and balance for each patient.
Independent of her career, she is constantly striving for self-evolution by engaging in a lifestyle that includes weightlifting, yoga, meditation, whole foods, bare feet in nature, plant medicine, flotation therapy, highland dancing, creating and participating in supportive community, and dance parties with her niece and nephews :)
Dr. Christensen is currently accepting new and returning patients via telemedicine (video consult or phone consult) and in person at Third Space in Victoria. She is available Tuesday and Thursday and booking can be done through online booking or via email through her administrative assistant Elyce: drjuliafrontdesk@gmail.com
