About Dr. Cerra

Education:

I am a licensed naturopathic doctor. I received my medical training from Bastyr University, the leading accredited institution for science-based natural medicine. The naturopathic doctoral program is a four year full-time integrated medical program, similar to a MD or DO degree program, but we have a few philosophical differences as well as more training in a wide array of treatment approaches. What makes naturopathic doctors unique is that we speak many, many medical languages, and we understand conventional, functional, traditional, and natural modalities making us experts in integrative medicine.

Prior to naturopathic medical school, I received my bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences and Spanish from Rutgers University.

Areas of Focus:

When I see my patients I rarely am fixated on one area of concern unless something acute has arose, instead I treat the whole person. I focus on making sure that their mind, body, and spirit are in alignment. I have a deep understanding of how linked our mental/emotional state is with our physical state, and the importance of addressing imbalances of either one to heal the other. I have spent a lot of my time creating a deeper understanding of our endocrine system and how our hormones play such an important role in all of our bodily systems. I work with my patients in regaining their health through hormone regulation. Whether this is in areas of concern with males or females, I assist those wanting to get their energy back, regulate their menstrual cycles, improve their immune system, optimize brain function, support those with anxiety or depression, and much much more.

One of my favorite concerns to address is with body image. Whether this is with patients that have a history, are currently struggling with disordered eating, or those wanting help in maintaining a healthy weight for disease prevention, I love to guide my patients in getting to a body that they feel comfortable in.

My Journey:

I grew up with a health conscious family surrounded by integrative medicine. I spent my summers helping out at my parent’s independent pharmacy and had the great honor of being able to witness how well medication worked for patients in acute situations. However, at the same time, I was perplexed at how many of the customers were “regulars”. Why were such a large percentage of patients coming back, returning for medications they had been taking for years, and would continue to take for the rest of their life? I was curious if anyone was working with them to potentially help them get off their medications or figure out the root cause of their health problems. My curiosity for sustainable health began at a young age, and I’m grateful that I never stopped asking those questions. I knew then that my eagerness to understand a different side of the western medical world would lead me somewhere special.

Why I Chose Naturopathic Medicine:

While working on my biology degree at Rutgers University, I became trained as a yoga instructor, and my own personal journey in health and wellness began. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring meditation, mindfulness, nutrition, and self discovery into natural health. At the end of yoga classes I would teach, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for clients to say things like “What pose is good for back pain?”, “What should I do for menstrual cramps?”, “Since starting yoga I’ve been able to come off my antidepressants”, “Can you tell me what I should do for anxiety?”, “How can I healthily lose weight?”. I grew frustrated that I didn’t have a medical background to answer these questions or fully support them on their healing journey. I distinctly remember the night that I went home and started researching medical professionals that used an integrative approach to treating disease and focussed on preventative medicine. My search led me to naturopathic medicine, and alas here we are!