Dr. Nalbandian Practices Medicine with Heart

When you talk to Jana Nalbandian, ND, MT (ASCP), her enthusiasm for her work is obvious. You can hear the enjoyment in her voice and see it in her facial expressions. "I love teaching," says the core faculty member and naturopathic physician at Bastyr Center for Natural Health. To be more specific: "I love being with both students and patients."

And love of the subject matter-naturopathic medicine-also comes across clearly, and is perhaps hereditary. Nalbandian says her mother and grandmother practiced folk medicine and her sister dabbled in homeopathy.

Nalbandian's own journey to become a natural health practitioner began in the early 1980s when she was a medical laboratory specialist in the military. Afterwards, she earned a degree in chemistry from Angelo State University in Texas. She then returned to Seattle and enrolled at Bastyr. Nalbandian enjoyed the intimacy of the small classes at Bastyr and the camaraderie she shared with her classmates. She remembers Dr. John Bastyr, a frequent "guest lecturer," with particular fondness. "Dr. Bastyr would visit a class, sit in a chair in front of the room, and answer our questions. He would always talk about the most simple routes to health, such as pure water and good food from the earth," she says.

After graduating with her naturopathic medicine doctoral degree in 1989, Nalbandian moved to Oregon and worked in a medical laboratory. She then returned to Washington, became laboratory superintendent at Bastyr and started her private practice in downtown Seattle. A year later, she became part of Bastyr's clinical faculty. Most recently, she was invited to join the core faculty team and teach full time at the health center and at the university.

Since first working at the health center in 1996, Nalbandian has witnessed its growth. She notes that although it's undergone a major expansion, the center is still a place where giving personal attention to patients is paramount. "We put 100 percent into caring for each patient. I'm delighted when a patient tells me, 'this is the first time anyone has really listened to me.'"

Nalbandian encourages more people to take advantage of the services at Bastyr Center. "We have everything here," she says, "We have so many different modalities. We can treat patients physically, emotionally, intellectually and even energetically. And beyond that," she adds, "we're on top of the newest research in natural medicine."

When asked to summarize her affection for naturopathic medicine, Nalbandian pauses for a moment, then answers: "Naturopathic medicine gives you the freedom to practice with your heart."

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