Dawn Bantel, Naturopathic Doctor

I love helping people become their best selves.

I earned my doctorate of naturopathic medicine from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon in 2001. I was fortunate to have experienced diverse medical rotations at the many community clinics that serve Portland. Prior to that, I received my bachelor of science in psychology from The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. I currently live in Tucson and run Integrative Recovery Medicine.

My first position as a naturopathic doctor was in private practice with a focus on family medicine for several years. At the same time, I was teaching physiology at a massage school and several western medical classes at a traditional Chinese medical program. I eventually transitioned to full-time work at Mirasol.  I was the medical director of Mirasol’s eating disorder treatment center from 2003 to 2015. During that time, I managed the medical care of adults and adolescents at all levels of treatment; residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programming.

After Mirasol, I accepted the position of the first medical director of Sabino Recovery, a residential treatment center for those with addictions and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from 2015 to 2020. I provided medical services, including detoxification services to residents at Sabino Recovery. Additionally, I ensured both state and accreditation compliance oversight for the center. It was a great experience to be part of the leadership team while it was a start-up.

My professional memberships include the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) and the Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association (AzNMA). I’ve been trained and certified in Trauma & Tension Releasing Exercises (TRE) and BrainSpotting. Both are helpful in the body’s processing of trauma.

I am very excited about psychedelic medicine and am a part-time ketamine prescriber at Tucson Counseling Associates. Having completed the MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) MDMA training program, I am hopeful that the FDA will approve it as a treatment soon!

I have recently become a Reiki master and hope that it complements my other work.

I am passionate about naturopathic medicine and love to educate about it on social media. I manage my own health by using food as medicine and am committed to my daily exercise and meditation practices. I’m married to a great guy, have two daughters, and adore my furry critters.