Naturopathic Doctor

Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology

Leesa Kirchner’s passion for Naturopathic Medicine began when she was months away from beginning medical school (for training as a conventional M.D.).  After visiting a Naturopathic Doctor for a health concern and being so impressed with the philosophy, she subsequently enrolled in naturopathic medical school and has never looked back.

Leesa’s pre-medical training includes a B.Sc. degree in Biology from the University of Waterloo and a degree in Human Physiology from the Université Claude Bernard in Lyon, France.  She received her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (N.D.) designation form the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto and obtained advanced training in Emergency Medicine at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut, the teaching centre for the Yale University School of Medicine.

While completing post-graduate training in IV therapies (specifically for the treatment of cancer) in Alberta, Leesa was responsible for establishing a Naturopathic clinic in rural Saskatchewan.  Prior to deciding to settle in Ottawa, she practiced within a multi-disciplinary clinic in Toronto and was a teaching assistant at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.

After successfully maintaining a general family practice since 2003, Leesa decided to obtain more specialized training and focus her practice in the area of Naturopathic Oncology - a role she finds both extremely challenging and incredibly rewarding.  Naturopathic Oncology is unique in that it is highly focused on not only attempting to treat cancer, but also the prevention of both the recurrence of cancer and the formation of new cancers. Leesa’s treatment protocols are individually created for each patient taking into account both their current state of health as well as any anti-cancer treatments they are currently undergoing.  Treatments are aimed at enhancing overall health and quality of life; improving the tolerance to and minimizing the side-effects of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy; as well as attempting to prevent metastases.  All treatments offered are based on the latest scientific research that validates the use of the particular treatment in patients with cancer.

For the past few years, Leesa has been fascinated by the use of high doses of vitamin C (administered intravenously) in the treatment of cancer.   She not only has ample experience using it in clinical practice, but has done extensive training in the area and has met with some of the most prominent researchers in the field.  She is currently involved in a research project aimed at further exploring the role of IV Vitamin C in patients with cancer. 

Leesa is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor registered in Ontario with the Board of Drugless Therapies-Naturopathy (BDDT-N), and is a member in good standing of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND), the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research (ISCMR), the Canadian Society for Orthomolecular Medicine (CSOM), and the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP). 

Additionally, Leesa has been awarded the status of Fellow by the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (FABNO), making her one of only six naturopathic doctors in Canada who are board certified in Naturopathic Oncology.