A Welcome from Dr. Macdonald

Welcome to The Macdonald Centre for Natural Medicine! Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our clinic, our services and our team of health care professionals.

You deserve a doctor who listens, who respects you and who is your ally in creating optimal health. Great health can take time and effort, but it’s our goal to help you get there, and our vision to do it in a caring, enjoyable environment.

Thank you for your time and interest, and on behalf of The Macdonald Centre team, thank you for considering our Courtenay clinic. We value your trust, and we look forward to helping you feel better.

Yours in good health,

Dr. Deidre Macdonald, ND

Founder, The Macdonald Centre for Natural Medicine

Meet Our Practitioners

Dr. Deidre Macdonald, BA, ND

Dr. Deidre Macdonald has won the Reader’s Choice award for Best Naturopathic Physicians and Alternative Health Providers every year the contest has run. She is a naturopathic physician who has had a naturopathic medical practice in Courtenay, B.C. since 1997. She is passionate about sharing the wisdom of naturopathic medicine to help people achieve their health goals. She believes that her patients hold the power to change their own lives given effective and professional medical coaching.

Listening is a doctor’s number one tool, and Dr. Macdonald works with her patients to find the underlying cause of their health challenges and create protocols that work.

Learn more or book now

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from U.B.C. and graduated first in her class. She has her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon and is a licensed naturopathic physician in B.C. She chose to attain additional training in pharmacology and received prescribing authority in 2010. She has also done post-graduate training in pediatric medicine, homeopathy, Bowen Therapy, laser therapy, SIBO (IBS), women’s medicine and more.



What kind of person comes to see Dr. Macdonald?

  • Dr. Macdonald assists patients with a wide variety of concerns. She welcomes men, women and children into her practice.
  • Dr. Macdonald has extensive experience in treating people with allergy-related concerns, women’s health issues, digestive disorders of all kinds and many other acute and chronic conditions.
  • She often treats patients with complex health concerns such as chronic pain, cancer, autoimmune disease or neurological disease.
  • She also treats healthy people who want to be healthier. For instance, people who are generally in good health may desire coaching to lose weight, review their supplements, do cleansing programs, enhance athletic performance, have a thorough physical exam and blood work, optimize their nutrition or have a Pap test.
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Dr. Shawn Peters, ND

Dr. Peters brings many years of experience as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist to his role as a primary care provider / Naturopathic Physician. He is a good listener who strives to deeply understand his patients’ cares, concerns and goals.

Dr. Peters has many tools to offer you.  He can provide full medical workups including physical exams and blood tests.  He can help you understand your body better and learn how to get the most out of your health.  His treatment plans may include nutrition, herbal and homeopathic medicines, acupuncture and spinal manipulation.  Dr. Peters also uses facial rejuvenation acupuncture (cosmetic acupuncture) to support signs of aging.

Dr. Peters practices general family (naturopathic) medicine and also has an interest in helping men to feel great and age well. He believes that listening and collaborating are the keys to a good doctor-patient relationship.  Learn more about Dr. Peters  or  Book now.

Terry – Office Manager

Terry is our office manager and the real brains behind the operation. Having served with a smile since 1998, she is the Master of Multi-tasking. She’s the one who gets you quick appointments when you are sick and puts a rush on your special orders, so be extra nice to her!

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Natalie Rogers, RMT

Natalie Rogers is licensed massage therapist who shares her kind heart and skilled hands with her lucky clients.  We love having Natalie as our in-house massage therapist.  She can provide massage to compliment our laser patients’ treatments and the staff here all love to get a massage too!  Natalie’s practice goes beyond traditional massage in that she teaches Somatics.  This gentle exercise method helps patients address underlying muscular tensions and imbalances.  To book an appointment with Natalie, click here.

Celia Laval – Counselling

Celia Laval is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (#3590) and Certified Canadian Counsellor (#10007473). She provides individual counselling to adults.  She has been working as a Registered Clinical Counsellor for over 10 years.  Celia enjoys respectfully collaborating with people to help them reach their goals using resources from their body, mind, spirit and the larger community.

She is passionate about learning and using recent findings in the field of neuroscience and mental health to help people find healing and practical help for moving forward.  Her specialties are trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, as well as shifting unwanted patterns.

For more information, please check her website https://celialaval.weebly.com/ .

Jennifer Ramos, R.Ac  Acupuncture

Acupuncture is very complementary to Naturopathic medicine, so we are pleased to collaborate with Jen in helping our patients reach optimal health. Her warmth, kindness and extensive experience make her a great asset to the team here.

Jen  has been practicing acupuncture since 2011 and has been passionate about health, healing and Chinese Medicine her entire life. Jen grew up on Quadra Island and is happy to call the Valley home. She is excited to offer her services as a way to support the health and vibrancy of her growing community. With a practice based in women’s health, sport injuries, mental health and pain, she is dedicated to continuing her education in order to provide the best individualized treatment strategy for each of her patients. With each treatment acupuncture, cupping, dietary recommendations, moxibustion, electrical stimulation & more may be used. Extended health insurance usually applies. To learn more about her or to book appointments check out her website at http://www.cumberlandacupuncture.ca

Katie Stanford, Laser Hair Removal IPL

Unveil the beauty of smooth, hair-free skin with Katie, our seasoned professional in IPL laser hair removal. With years of hands-on expertise, Katie has transformed countless lives by delivering impeccable results and unmatched precision. Her passion for enhancing your confidence shines through every session, making each visit a rejuvenating experience. Say goodbye to unwanted hair and hello to radiant, silky-smooth skin with Katie, your go-to specialist for IPL laser hair removal. To discover more about this safe and effective laser hair removal process, contact Katie at 250-206-7937 or check out her website at https://naturallynudelaser.square.site/