Dr. Michael Morse, ND
Dr. Michael Morse received his medical training from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences (SCNM). During his 4 years there, he was the Environmental Medicine chair for the Naturopathic Medical Student Association, President of the Environmental Medicine club, and was awarded a grant by the American Association of Environmental Medicine as an honorary student member. After graduation, Dr. Morse continued his training with internships in urgent care and family medicine. He holds an active medical license in Arizona and currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr. Michael Morse received his medical training from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences (SCNM). During his 4 years there, he was the Environmental Medicine chair for the Naturopathic Medical Student Association, President of the Environmental Medicine club, and was awarded a grant by the American Association of Environmental Medicine as an honorary student member. After graduation, Dr. Morse continued his training with internships in urgent care and family medicine. He holds an active medical license in Arizona and lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
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My Background
The journey that led you to consider naturopathic medicine is probably not too different than mine:
Shortly after starting college I started to develop strange symptoms in my gut. I had heartburn all the time, crushing fatigue that would come and go seemingly out of nowhere, and a creeping sense of dread and anxiety that would come out at the most inopportune times. My family doctor at the time did what he was trained to do—prescribe me medications for each one of those symptoms. For the heartburn, I was given an acid inhibitor. For the anxiety, I was given a powerfully sedating and addictive drug—a benzodiazepine. These drugs helped in the short term, but they were not the answer to my problems. Eventually, they no longer worked, and the side effects were worse than the original symptoms. I refused to accept that I would be stuck in this endless loop of suffering and going back to my doctor who I knew would simply just change the drug out for a different one.
Articles by Dr. Morse
I then discovered naturopathic medicine. I was intrigued about all the talk about “treating the whole person” and “getting to the root cause” and I figured I should try it out despite my insurance not covering it. In my first visit with my ND, she asked me questions I never even thought to consider. She probed deep into my health history where no other doctor ever had. She understood my problems the way no other doctor had. She spent an hour with me and for once, I felt like my problems were finally heard!
Being a doctor was something I wanted to be from a young age. But it was my experiences in the modern healthcare system that almost completely turned me off to the passion I had for medicine. But once I learned about naturopathic medicine, I knew right away that it was my calling in life. It is my passion and privilege to help those who are struggling with health issues, who feel like they haven’t been listened to, and who are tired of patching symptoms with band-aids.
Gut-Brain Axis
HPA Axis
The “nature vs. nurture” debate—the idea that a trait or disease comes from either your genes or your environment—is a concept that is often understood but never practiced by medical professionals. With my extensive training in environmental medicine, I approach my patients with an understanding that not only are they a whole person, but they are a product of their whole lifetime of dietary choices, environmental exposures, social pressures, and cultural expectations. Let’s work together and get you on the right treatment plan that is customized just for you.