Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Kostrzewski.
Hi Laura, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I never wanted to have a career in medicine. My mother was a pediatrician and I spent countless hours in her clinic growing up, and it completely deterred me from ever wanting that for myself. Fast forward through high school and college, where I was constantly changing my mind about what I wanted to do, and I eventually ended up getting my multiple subject teaching credential. I taught fifth grade in the central coast of California for two years and over that time, I lost both my maternal grandparents, both of whom I was very close with. My grandmother passed while I was making the drive home to say goodbye to her, and I didn’t make it in time. I then became very involved with my grandfather’s end of life care, regularly taking shifts feeding him, and laying by his bedside to make sure he wasn’t alone. He suffered from Parkinson’s and had a slow but steep decline. I was extremely grateful to be with him when he passed, and through his journey, I realized medicine was my true calling.
I then decided to complete prerequisite courses for naturopathic medical school, and enrolled the following year at Bastyr University California in San Diego. I had ambitions of working with neurodegenerative disorders in the elderly, and hoped I could change the fate for people that suffered like my grandfather had.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall, I feel very fortunate in my path to where I am today. Of course, there have been times of struggle or challenges that come up, and the two biggest I can think of were the Covid pandemic, and my pregnancies. I was doing my residency when Covid hit, and the transition to moving completely virtual in a clinical setting was really difficult for me. I think that virtual medicine is one of the best things to come out of Covid, but having your entirety of your career online is not for me.
It was also interesting navigating my work as a pregnant woman (twice). I was lucky to have very easy pregnancies and healthy babies, but pregnancy does change your ability to move through what would otherwise be a completely normal day. I do feel extremely grateful that my experience going through two pregnancies taught me a lot about the female body and reproductive system, and really changed my trajectory for my own clinical learning. During my residency, I had started doing extensive training and neural degenerative disorders, specifically Alzheimer’s. But my own journey through pregnancy really opened up my learning to women’s reproductive health. And now that’s a huge part of my practice and something I really love.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a naturopathic doctor, specializing in neuroendocrine health, basically anything having to do with hormones, the nervous system, and mental health. My clinic specializes regenerative medicine, supporting healthy aging through many modalities. I have completed trainings in Dr. Bredesen’s Reversing Cognitive Decline protocol, and Dr. Walsh’s biomedical approach to managing mental health disorders. I have also done extensive training in women’s hormones, and women’s health has become a big passion of mine over the last few years. I love helping my clients manage their health holistically, with balancing hormones and mental health at the forefront.
What are your plans for the future?
RIght now, I am focused on developing my regenerative medicine clinic. I hope to make a non-profit arm in the future and do more to serve those with less access to complimentary and alternative medicine.
Contact Info:
- Website: avenanaturalhealth.com
- Instagram: avena_natural_health
Image Credits
Heather Loegering Photography
