Meet Dr. Tara Shelby
ND, LM

(she/her)
Naturopathic Physician
CEO, Founder of Village Medicine

Tara believes that the best doctors are those who serve as ambassadors of information and who take the time to consult, engage, and empower patients.

Tara’s journey into medicine began as a very sick young patient who intuitively believed that there was something beyond what she was experiencing with her physicians, medications, and surgeries. After surviving what could have been viewed as a devastating diagnosis, something awakened within her. What was considered “chronic illness” suddenly became what gave her life deep purpose and meaning. It was the healing power of illness!

Tara’s Philosophy of Medicine

Tara often describes herself as a 6yr old girl trapped in a grown woman’s body as her number one question remains…”but why?” The longer she lives the more she has come to appreciate as well as question her decades of medical indoctrination. She is thrilled to be living during the age of the longevity escape velocity where science, medicine and technology converge often highlighting her integrative studies with herbalists in the Native American and Maori cultures.

She believes that the best doctors are those who serve as ambassadors of information (Docere) and who take the time to consult, engage, and empower patients. She works in relational-based collaboration with her patients so that they are active participants throughout the process of their own healing and in the development of their treatment plans.

She is honored to be a board-certified Naturopathic Physician and Licensed Midwife specializing in full spectrum primary care. Often when her staff asks her, “Dr. Shelby, do you treat (*add any diagnosis here), she reminds them that she partners with people not diagnoses. Almost all of of her patients are by referral and tend to have already seen many other physicians, therefore it is not uncommon for her to work with extremely complex cases. As a board member of the GastroANP for over 3 yrs she loves to study gastroenterology and the expansive human microbiome, all forms of women’s health and hormonal balancing throughout the lifecycle and the intersection between them otherwise known as the endobolome. She has a long history working with, preconception, detoxification, chronic illness, autoimmune disorders, as well as her love for pediatrics.

 

Education & Training

  • Naturopathic Doctorate ND: Bastyr University Kenmore, WA
  • Bachelor’s Degree Ithaca, NY Pre-medical studies Human Biology, Health & Society: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • Licensed Midwife LM: Bastyr University Kenmore, WA
  • Spirituality, Health and Medicine Certificate:Bastyr University Kenmore, WA
  • Advanced Practitioner: Center for Mind Body Medicine:  Washington, DC
  • Disease Intervention Specialist & Research Study Coordinator, Center for AIDS research: University of Washington Seattle, WA
  • Traditional Maori Medicine Certificate: University of Waikato Hamilton, New Zealand

Learning Opportunities With Tara

An integral part of treating the whole patient is the sharing of essential knowledge at every interaction. Village Medicine Seattle takes this further, developing a range of comprehensive group and individual learning opportunities. These valuable sessions are offered seasonally throughout the year. Tara develops, leads and participates in several of these opportunities and welcomes your presence.

Learn More

Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight, or night? Why?

Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight, or night? Why?

If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why?

Six years old because it’s my favorite number, and I was awesome at cartwheels

If you were to geek out on something, what would you geek out on?

Research studies on fecal matter, meditation, and quantum theories.

Meet Dr. Tara Shelby