Victoria Rivera MS, PA-C, IFMCP

I am a functional medicine clinician combining the best of my western medical training,  clinical nutrition, and intuition medicine. I am certified through the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM), which is the founding organization of Functional Medicine that began in 1991. IFM certification is the industry gold standard and is available only to licensed medical professionals.  Before opening my own medical practice, I worked in family practice, internal medicine, women’s health and functional medicine group practices for over 20 years. 

As a functional medicine clinician, I focus on the gastrointestinal system and its role in chronic disease, which often begins in the gut. My practice style centers on how and why individuals develop disease. This process involves examining the interconnectedness of symptoms and evaluating environmental, genetic and psychosocial influences. I help clients identify barriers to health and assist them in creating and integrating changes needed to restore and optimize wellness.

This involves addressing physical, psychological, emotional and energy needs that impede the 5 Pillars of Health: Sleep & Relaxation, Exercise & Movement, Nutrition, Stress and Relationships.

Functional Medicine requires a patient/practitioner collaborative relationship to understand the complexity of chronic disease. Unlike, the management of acute illness, this process occurs in layers, with removal of one layer revealing another. By partnering with patients who are ready to commit and invest in themselves: the healing process begins. This approach focuses on the person, accurately summarized by Sir Willian Osler, “Ask not what disease the person has, but rather what person has the disease.”

Educational background:
School of Applied Functional Medicine, 2020.
Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Institute of Functional Medicine, 2019.
Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, University of Western States, 2019.
Master of Intuition Medicine, Academy of Intuition Medicine, 2014.
Nutritional Consultant, Bauman College, 2008.
Certified Hypnotherapist, Center for Hypnotherapy, 2005.
Physician Assistant, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, 1999.