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Reveal your primary and secondary elements in Chinese Medicine and what they mean for your life, relationships, and health.

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Ready to live your best life? Choose a program to discover how Dr. Liz can help:

Discover your 2 primary elements and what they mean.

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“To make progress toward our goals, our dreams, our deepest desires, we have to start listening to ourselves.”

Hi, I’m Dr. Liz Carter

Nice to meet you!

As a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist, I have a deep appreciation for the body’s own inner wisdom and ability to heal itself.

This core concept has guided the development of my natural health practice, New Leaf Natural Medicine, and my teaching and writing style.

The body is always right. It’s constantly telling us what it needs. And it’s my passion to help you understand what it’s saying.
Think of me as a translator — as the middle ground. I’m here to help you understand the language of your body, mind, and spirit so you can become a better, happier, and more fulfilled version of yourself.

The Latest from Dr. Liz Carter

What is Constitutional Medicine? Rediscover a lost piece of medicine in the modern world

What is Constitutional Medicine? Rediscover a lost piece of medicine in the modern world

Traditional healing systems from around the world incorporate constitutional medicine into their theory and practice.

Great examples are the three doshas of Ayurvedic (traditional Indian) medicine, the 4 humors of Hippocratic medicine, and constitutional homeopathy.

Chinese medicine has its own constitutional medicine system in the 5 elements which helps practitioners to see the whole person and get to the root cause of health issues more effectively.

What are the 5 Elements and Why Do They Matter? Learn how Chinese medicine impacts your personality, health, and more

What are the 5 Elements and Why Do They Matter? Learn how Chinese medicine impacts your personality, health, and more

Learning about the 5 elements literally changed my life when I was in acupuncture school, no exaggeration.

I’ve always been a personality nerd – I love to understand what makes people tick.

I was so surprised and excited to learn that Chinese medicine not only had its own personality type system in the 5 elements but also that the elements are really a comprehensive and holistic way to understand the body, mind, and spirit together.

Let’s demystify the elements and the role they play in your health, relationships, personality, and life!

What Was the Most Difficult Part of 2020? The Unacknowledged Reality of the Year of Our Personal Development

What Was the Most Difficult Part of 2020? The Unacknowledged Reality of the Year of Our Personal Development

Last year a patient asked me what I thought the most difficult part of 2020 had been. I immediately knew what I’d say but I was hesitant to share.

I don’t think the hardest part of 2020, and now 2021, has been the pandemic. Nor was it the extremely necessary social upheaval we’ve experienced with the Black Lives Matter movement. It also wasn’t the feeling of unrest that blanketed the nation last September and October around the election or the vaccine mandates being rolled out.

These events have precipitated, highlighted, and magnified my deepest concern.

Lazy Refried Beans Make this Classic Dish with Little Effort + Delicious Results

Lazy Refried Beans Make this Classic Dish with Little Effort + Delicious Results

This pot o’ beans is my favorite kind of food. 

Spend 10 minutes getting it prepped, forget about it for a few hours, then bam! Delicious food to eat for a week. YES.

I call these lazy refried beans because they require minimal effort and they’re still tasty even if you don’t go the extra mile to fry them up.

To be honest, we often don’t go that extra mile and they are still fabulous.

A Lesson in Softness and Strength Embrace the Wisdom of Your Body

A Lesson in Softness and Strength Embrace the Wisdom of Your Body

I spent most of my teens and 20s trying to close off my heart.

I wanted to become impervious to the pain of the world and to my own. 

Hard, impenetrable, and strong. Not soft, weak, and tender like I’d felt my whole life. 

I fantasized about what a welcome relief it would be to feel less.

I was “too sensitive” for most people and was encouraged to push my feelings away, pull myself up by my bootstraps and soldier through, like anyone else with common sense. I’m sure I’m not alone in this life experience.

Grief + Grace for Our Younger Selves A Lesson in Integrating Past Experiences + Healing

Grief + Grace for Our Younger Selves A Lesson in Integrating Past Experiences + Healing

In early March before COVID-19 hit the Pacific Northwest hard, my husband and I took a trip to Breitenbush Hot Springs in rural Oregon for some much needed rest and recovery.

The springs were as gloriously relaxing and rejuvenating as you’d imagine.

The land was pristine and so, so quiet.

But I was stressed out about the trip for a full month before we left.

The last time I had visited Breitenbush was 12 years ago at one of the lowest points of my life.

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