Meet Dr. Alyssa DeSena, Naturopathic Physician
Hello! I am so happy you’re here!
I am a naturopathic physician ready to help you achieve your health goals. I believe healthcare should be about team work between the doctor and patient. I want to help you create the life of your dreams by creating healthier habits, preventing illness, and giving you more energy to do the things you love.
I always had a passion for nutrition and medicine, but never resonated with the conventional medical model. I was always the kid that was trying to eat healthy, I even would order a salad at McDonalds. When I was in college, I wasn’t sure what the next step was going to be for me once I graduated. Some of my family members started seeing a naturopathic doctor and that’s when I learned about naturopathic medicine. From there, I started researching the field, applying to schools, and ended up at Bastyr University, California.
As I was growing up, I dealt with some digestive issues and when I got my period, I was put on birth control to help manage period cramps and acne. Once I decided to come off of birth control, many of my symptoms got worse - I started to react to food and had acne all over. The stress of medical school ended up making my symptoms unbearable. My breakouts wouldn’t clear up, I was dealing with cystic acne on my face and terrible period pain. It wasn’t until I used naturopathic medicine to peel back the layers of inflammation and imbalances that were brewing in my body for years.
License & Degree:
I am a licensed naturopathic doctor in the state of Connecticut. I received my doctorate of naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University, California in sunny San Diego. Naturopathic doctors are trained as primary care physicians.
Before leaving medical school, I gained experience in various settings including shadowing some of the top naturopathic doctors in San Diego specializing in autoimmune diseases, oncology, environmental medicine, and more. I also had the pleasure of working in an urgent care and community care clinic.
Before medical school, I attended Eastern Connecticut State University where I graduated with a BS in biology.
Some fun facts about me:
I’ve done 2 road trips across the country
I’m originally from Connecticut
I have a black cat named Vinny! Who said black cats were bad luck?
In college, I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica and San Salvador, Bahamas to do research in rainforest and aquatic environments
I’m based out of Long Island in New York
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Naturopathic doctors graduate from accredited naturopathic colleges, including Bastyr University, California where Dr. Alyssa attended. They are trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent chronic and acute illnesses. Naturopathic doctors aim to treat the whole person and dig to the root cause instead of using medication to suppress bothersome symptoms. Naturopathic doctors will gain all of the information they can to understand the underlying cause.
While in school, students take many of the same classes a conventional medical student will take during their first two years (like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology). On top of those classes, there is also extra training in naturopathic philosophy, botanical medicine, homeopathy, nutrition, physical medicine. Students gain over 2 years of clinical experience and also have the chance to help out at community clinics and urgent care clinics.
-
All visit are held virtually.
Dr. Alyssa is based out of Long Island New York, which means she has many connections in the area for specific referrals, but all her visits will be held virtually.
-
Nearly everyone has something to gain from naturopathic medicine.
Do you struggle with: never ending fatigue, stomachaches, bloating after meals, PMS symptoms, or something else that has been brushed off as ‘normal’ but just doesn’t feel right to you?
These are just a few examples, but many of the common issues people struggle with everyday that have been told is ‘normal’ and are not. A naturopathic doctor will investigate why these issues are happening and get to the root cause of what is going on. We will target the root cause with natural therapies to help get you feeling like new again.
Want to know more about how a naturopathic doctor practices? Learn more about the top reasons to see a ND here.
-
Initial visits with a naturopathic doctor are usually around 60-90 minutes.
These visits are a bit longer because NDs will ask more questions about your history, lifestyle, and health history. We try to get more detail to understand what your symptoms are and what your goals are.
This is crucial in getting to the root cause instead of covering up symptoms with medications.
-
Set up a free discovery call with Dr. Alyssa to get your questions answered and see if naturopathic medicine is the right fit for you.
