© 2020 Dr. Natalie Metz, ND

I am a doctor, teacher and student

I bring this comprehensive expertise together in my holistic approach to patient care and integration support.

Who I Am
and What I Do

The role of student and teacher is one I take seriously. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, and a Master's degree in Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness, in addition to my Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. I bring this comprehensive expertise together in my holistic approach to patient care and integration support.

I am committed to offering education about my passions, as well as the natural treatments and support strategies I choose and their benefits. I serve on the faculty of several institutions, and actively speak at national conferences and local events. I am a student of life, and believe that each patient, client, and student is truly my teacher. I love to learn, and continue my studies of herbal medicine, shamanism, dance, music, and more.

My Intentions

I seek to create partnerships with patients, students, and clients that empower them to make healthy choices for themselves and their communities.

As a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor, I see my role as an advocate for your health and well~being, and draw upon my life experience, clinical expertise, and ongoing education to offer the best care possible, utilizing natural remedies by choice and referring when appropriate.

In my Naturopathic Medical practice, I formulate individualized treatments with the Therapeutic Order as a framework, seeking to use the least force intervention possible to effect change. In the simplest form, I aim to give the body, mind, and soul what they need to thrive, to clear out that which does not serve, and to inspire patients. I seek to educate my patients about their bodies, to understand how their diet and lifestyle choices, as well as pharmaceutical medications and environmental pollutants, can influence health.

As an Integration Consultant, I help individuals, couples, and groups to explore and integrate beyond-ordinary, potentially transformational life experiences. Integration is the process by which the material accessed and insights gained in a beyond-ordinary experience are incorporated into one's life in a way that has meaning and benefit (Bustos, Megler, Metz, 2015). Integration support can be a powerful container in which to explore and embody the potent lessons that are contacted in beyond-ordinary experiences.

As a Faculty Member at the California Institute of Integral Studies, I enjoy teaching, learning, and supporting students in their educational journeys. I serve as Core Faculty in the Integrative Health Studies department, and the Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research. I've also worked with CIIS Public Programs co-creating conversations about various topics including plants, psychedelics, longevity and more. I invite you to explore the CIIS Public Programs podcasts available here.

My Personal Journey

Over the past 12 years I've made the "extended" San Francisco Bay Area my home, living first in Big Sur, then Garberville, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Oakland, and Sonoma County. I am now spending time in both the Bay Area and Santa Fe, NM, extending my offerings to diverse communities. I am originally from Connecticut, attended college in North Carolina, medical school in Arizona, and have traveled extensively in the US and Mexico, as well as in Canada, Costa Rica, Europe, Australia, and China. My deep love of travel and novel experience has infused me with a sense of wonder and excitement about the rich ecological and cultural diversity of planet Earth, a beautiful place we are so fortunate to call home.

I am currently in my thirteenth year of practicing Naturopathic medicine, and have served as a teaching assistant or faculty member at various academic institutions since 1997. Before moving to Santa Fe, I spent 2014-2020 in private practice in Oakland, and worked with a group of doctors in San Francisco for three years prior to branching out on my own. Before moving to the Bay Area, I practiced in Santa Cruz for almost three years at an integrative clinic, and taught at the local acupuncture and herbal medicine schools. Prior to that, I lived and worked at both the Esalen Institute and Heartwood Institute, engaging the experience of intentional community building, and teaching within the residential education programs.

My Naturopathic Medical education included specialized training in Environmental Medicine, Women's Health and Herbalism, including detoxification and specialized testing for digestive disturbances, hormone imbalances, and heavy metals. I learned how to diagnose and treat, blending both biomedicine and holistic philosophy to provide patients with the best that natural medicine has to offer. While in Naturopathic medical school, I deepened my study of medicinal plant identification, cultivation, harvest, and preparation through the Voyage Botanica School of Botanical Medicine.

Five years after graduating from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, I returned to academia to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness. During my time in PCC, I dedicated my efforts to studying archetypal astrology, cosmology, integral ecology, and the therapeutic potential of entheogenic experiences. Two years after completing my PCC degree, I became one of the first graduates to receive a Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies and Research from CIIS. Prior to these academic adventures, I earned a degree in Chemistry from Elon University where I fell in love with organic chemistry, shamanism, and natural medicine. Between college and Naturopathic medical school, I worked as a medicinal chemist for a small pharmaceutical company in Cambridge, MA, designing novel drugs for the treatment of diabetes and Parkinson's.

In 2014 I was fortunate to join the faculty at CIIS, where I continue to learn through the journey of teaching. I have most recently completed a two week Permaculture Design Certification at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center and am very excited to blend my love of holistic living with permaculture principles. I am a lifelong student of dance and music, a lover of dark chocolate and all things purple, and enjoy sharing my passion for life with the world.

Professional Experience & Education