Muskoka ND

Hello There

Welcome to the Muskoka Naturopathic Family Practice.

I’m Dr. Howard Owens ND - aka Howie or Dr. Howie. I'm a licensed Naturopathic Doctor. A proud graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine & the University of Guelph. And I’ve practiced in downtown Bracebridge, Ontario - right in the heart of Muskoka - since 2002.

before you go any further

here's what I believe

Do no harm.
Cooperate with the healing powers of nature.
Address the fundamental causes of disease.
Heal the whole person through individualized treatment.
Teach the principles of healthy living and preventative medicine.

These are the central tenets of naturopathy - and I've adhered to them ever since I put my passion into practice, over 15 years ago.

My Practice

I focus on prevention, working with nature and the body’s ability to heal itself.

I look to the most successful natural treatments and techniques from around the world, specifically Asian and European systems, whose healthcare solutions have been delivering proven results for thousands of years.

As an ND, I am trained in the safe and effective use of treatments combining herbal medicine, clinical nutrition, lifestyle counselling, orthomolecular medicine, physical therapies and acupuncture.

With training in western diagnosis and research, I can speak the same language as your MD. I appreciate and utilize the strengths of modern science throughout my work.

I focus mainly on lifestyle and nutritional interventions, doing my best to limit the number of pills, other medicines or diagnostic testing needed, while being conscious of my patients’ budgets.

see the complete list of what I treat

Here

My Credentials

I have carefully studied the science, diagnosis, philosophy, and history of medical systems to find natural solutions that work. I believe that natural solutions need not be slow, bad tasting, or expensive. I don’t believe that evidence based medicine needs to be at odds with traditional or more esoteric approaches. My art is to find pleasurable, sustainable, and simple solutions that get you results. The vast majority of what I do around nutrition, lifestyle, and herbal medicine is all grounded in an evidence-based approach.
9 years in full-time post secondary eduction, receiving a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.
While in school, received the Merit Achievement Award, given to a student who exemplifies the spirit of giving through charitable work.
Received the Dr. Shimon Levytam Award, for demonstrating outstanding understanding of the principles of naturopathic medicine, while applying and promoting these principles in Canada and beyond.
Completed a Complementary and Alternative Medicine Program through Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education, Division for Research and Education in Complimentary and Integrative Therapies.
Holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Guelph.
Spent close to six years living and studying abroad, particularly in the Far East.

about NDs

Naturopathic Doctors, or NDs, employ a unique and comprehensive approach to improving health and treating illness.

The primary goal of treatment is to address the cause of the problem. That means seeing the patient as a whole person, and considering the following factors when diagnosing and developing treatment:

The Physical

The Mental

The Emotional

The Spiritual

The Harrington Method

My work as an ND has led me to co-create a line of natural health products, called Harrington’s. Each formula is scientifically enhanced and comes in uniquely powerful doses that act fast and get real results.

You can check it out at:

TheHarringtonMethod.com

Life Itself

When I’m not hard at work healing, I always try to lead a balanced, rewarding life full of fun and philanthropy.

I’m a founding member of The Dads of Muskoka, a group of like-minded men in Muskoka who help raise funds and do projects to create facilities and opportunities for families to get active in free or cost-effective ways, and to help people and families who are falling through the cracks.

For the past decade, I have been practicing monthly in a multidisciplinary health clinic on the Rama First Nation, helping indigenous people improve their health and diets with traditional methods and medicines. I also practice monthly at another multidisciplinary clinic in the Haliburton Highlands in Minden.

I travel frequently to local men’s prisons, through the John Howard Society Pre-Release program, volunteering my time teaching inmates about the positive effects of nutrition and naturopathy.

Over 7 summers, I volunteered as a summer camp doctor at YMCA Camp Kitchikewana. I’ve also volunteered for the Town of Bracebridge Parks and Trails and Recreation Committee, as well as the Muskoka Trail Council. We worked with local politicians and health officials on issues surrounding active transportation, eliminating pesticide / herbicide use, trail upkeep, and other initiatives geared towards helping Muskoka and its people.

I regularly lead medicinal herb walks for local horticultural societies, the Band members at Rama First Nation, local naturalists, conservationists and other interested groups. Please contact me if you’re interested.

And then there’s the great outdoors – I’m an avid trail runner, swimmer, yogi, back country camper, paddler, gardener, foodie, cross country skier, mountain biker, and disc golf player.

Finally, I can be found at home with my wife Allyson, and my two wonderful kids Seamus and Bronwyn – all of whom can be found on my Instagram account. Speaking of which…