About Dr. Gael
Board certified in Osteopathic Medicine, Family Practice and Holistic Medicine, I draw from a diverse set of tools to customize a living care plan as unique as you are. I graduated from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in 2000 and completed my internship and residency in Tampa, Florida. After residency I was honored when the CEO of the hospital system I trained in offered me a year’s stipend to stay in the community and start a practice. I established Carrollwood Integrative Medicine in Tampa and practiced there until 2008 when I was lured by the beauty of the Pacific northwest to the small college town of Corvallis, Oregon. There I founded Grace Good Health, a small integrative health practice. In 2014 with a desire to be closer to my family, I moved back home to the Kansas City metro area.
The human body has an innate healing ability often not recognized in conventional medicine. While conventional medical training prepares physicians to diagnose illness and manage symptoms, I was intrigued with finding and addressing the root causes of imbalances that keep a person from their full potential of health. This curiosity led me to seek further training through a number of entities: the American Academy of Environmental Medicine provided an understanding of the importance of considering exposure to toxins in our every day home, work and community and the impact of these on our physiology. The American Holistic Medical Association has been valuable for deepening an understanding of the mind-body connection and the Institute for Functional Medicine provided a systematic approach for understanding the common underlying pathways that lead to health or disease.
I sought additional training through the Age Management Medicine Group, The American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine and Professional Compounding Centers of America, among others, regarding optimal aging and the proper use of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy to address endocrine and balances. I love having the freedom and creativity to use all the tools I have gathered over 20+ years to partner with my patients and help them live their best lives now and into the future.
I practice the way I do because I was once a patient looking for answers. In my late twenties, I developed a severe autoimmune inflammatory response after an injury and was told that, because I have a certain genetic marker, my future would be dominated by medication for pain management and that I would be wheelchair bound and may even lose my eyesight. As the mother of a young child, I decided this was not an option. I was not yet a physician but studied everything I could regarding immune function, inflammation and healthy physiology. I was blessed to find a provider trained in Functional Medicine who guided me back to a state of excellent health. I learned my genes are not my destiny; the many choices we make affect our genetic expression. We have more power than we might think!
About my patients
Like you, my patients often have been through the conventional medical system and found their experience limited to symptom management. They truly want to live their best lives. Some have a goal of vitality and excellent health at any age while others may be struggling with complex health concerns. With a deep understanding of physiology and an emphasis on supporting health, we can go beyond symptom management or disease control to encourage optimal health and true vitality.