Dr. Rivard received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine from National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) in Portland, OR. NCNM is the oldest accredited graduate program for naturopathic medical training in the country. She completed a four year, full time post-graduate academic program inclusive of 2 years of clinical rounds in community outpatient clinics, and one year of internship at a clinic focusing on the naturopathic treatments of cardiac, pulmonary and endocrine disorders. Dr. Rivard has passed rigorous national board exams to become eligible for state licensure, and she completes ongoing continuing education requirements in pharmacy and integrative medicine training in order to maintain licensure in the state of New Hampshire. She received her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences at James Madison University in Virginia. My Philosophy and Approach Naturopathic medicine is not “one size fits all.” I recognize that many factors influence an individual’s health, both intrinsic and extrinsic, therefore treatment plans prioritize and address these factors to best suit the health needs of each individual. My goal is to increase wellness for the individual, the family, and the community. I work to empower each patient with education and the necessary tools so that they are able to maintain a more optimal state of health with less reliance on riskier and more costly pharmaceutical interventions. I have trained extensively in the safe and proper use of nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, healthy lifestyle counseling, stress management/ biofeedback, and gentle muscle/joint therapies as primary treatment tools. Licensed naturopathic doctors offer the highest level of expertise in natural medicine. As a N.H. licensed naturopathic doctor, I am also able to prescribe a limited selection of pharmaceutical interventions when necessary, such as antibiotics and thyroid hormone replacement medications. I am always happy to work together with a patient’s primary medical physician, and I refer patients to medical specialists and other community health services as necessary.