Jenna’s Journey to Doctors’ Choice Integrative
Dr. Jenna Scott joined the team at DCIM just over 6 months ago. During these past months we’ve all had the pleasure of getting to know more about her. Jenna and I took some time together to reflect on her time here at the clinic which gave me the opportunity to dig a little deeper into her journey.
From a young age, Jenna knew she wanted to be a doctor. She aspired to be a ‘different kind of doctor’, one who use food, lifestyle, and emotional wellness to help people achieve better overall health. During her undergraduate studies, she discovered naturopathic medicine and it’s holistic approach to healing, and the shoe fit perfectly.
Throughout her schooling at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, she had the unique opportunity to play both roles of a practitioner and patient. This gave her the valuable perspective of both sides of the therapeutic relationship. Jenna takes a collaborative approach with her patients and their health journey and attributes this to her experience at the Boucher Clinic.
Jenna loved the small class sizes at Boucher. This provided her with a community to create relationships with individuals that inspired her throughout the whole program. This gave her the advantage to learn from other people’s experiences, successes and trials, some things that cannot be taught in a classroom.
Settling into Practice
When Jenna was looking for a clinic to join after graduation, she took her time to find the right fit. She was hoping to be a part of a crew in a space that she felt comfortable in. During her first visit to Doctors’ Choice Integrative, she felt an overwhelming feeling of warmth and she knew that this was where she belonged.
“There is a sense of comfort and healing in this homey clinic. There is so much therapeutic value by just being in this space. My patients know it even if they can’t quite put their finger on it, they can feel it.” Jenna shares.
“It blows my mind that every time I walk into the clinic, it feels like a big hug.”
In practice, Jenna focuses on teaching her patients about their body and health.
“I incorporate mental and emotional health into my practice. I see it as more that just figuring out physical complaints, naturopathic medicine is truly an investment in a patient’s journey into better wellness overall.”
Jenna’s Approach – Body Mind Connection
Jenna has a special interest in mental and emotional health and it’s connection with symptomatology. She finds that issues related to emotional distress are often the root cause of illness.
“However, it’s not just about the treatment of these issues, it’s about understanding and identifying the emotions.”
This process can be challenging for some so her goal is to lead her patients to understand that their emotions do not just occur in their mind, but are a physical experience as well. She aims to create these mind and body connections, to create overall harmony and wellness.
“I explain to my patients that emotions are sensations in the body that arise in different circumstances or experiences. I invite them to look inward and connect with that physical sensation, where they are feeling it in their body and what the quality of the sensation is. Once that process is done, we can put the name of the emotion on that sensation experience.”
Jenna shared that coaching her patients through this exercise can improve their body-mind connection. It can also be a grounding exercise to ease the overwhelming sensation of emotional distress.
“The feeling wheel is an excellent tool for my patients to help them identify the sensation they might be experiencing and give them affirmation of what is going on in their body. Once a patient can identify the emotion and give it a name, we gain information about that experience, and the sensation of the emotion loses its power.”
Jenna believes that if we don’t continue to check in with our bodies and identify the underlying emotions, that they will fester and inevitably become symptoms that can be associated with illness. Stress is not just an emotional experience- it shows up physically and can have an impact on our physical health. This can spiral into a cycle of mental/emotional and physical struggles in the body so it’s important to figure out where it is starting from.
Jenna explained that if the emotional component of the root cause if not addressed with her patients then she is forever covering their symptoms and true healing is not achieved. That being said, the individual must be ready for this process as it cannot be forced.
Jenna stated the importance of working with a trained health professional for this exercise to ensure the safety of you and your health. It can be hard work and it doesn’t have to be done alone.
Jenna’s Other Passions
When Jenna’s not in clinic, you can find her on the local hiking trails with her fiance and dog! They love the outdoors and enjoy sharing it with good company. Jenna always has a good suspenseful book (or three) on the go and loves a sunny patio hangout in the summer.
Interested in learning more about how Jenna can support your health goals? Book a complimentary 15 minute virtual meet n’ greet! Busy during the week? Dr. Jenna has weekend availability, call the clinic to inquire!
https://www.doctorschoiceintegrative.com/book-online/
