'The desire to be a doctor was always there.' says Dr. Kris Berkner, sitting in her office at Queen Creek Naturopathic. Kris says she was always drawn to medicine since she was little, although her path was not a direct one. She was raised by parents that she describes as 'two very smart business oriented people' who encouraged each of their children to explore their own paths in life. Having this mentality in mind Kris was initially inspired to pursue an agriculture degree because of her love of animals and her grandfather who was a dairyman.
At 29 she shifted her focus and became the first licensed massage therapist in Queen Creek. She worked with clients for ten years before she made the decision to get her degree in naturopathic medicine. The transition was a natural one since it still played upon the themes of health and wellness. Kris took on her studies when she was a married mother of five young boys. Her commitment meant an hour commute to Tempe and schooling that could take up to forty plus hours a week.
When asked how she managed to juggle all the demands, Kris answered, 'Everyone had to work together.' Her sons were aged 5 to 17 at the time, and she admits it was a challenge for the whole family. Kris says that her husband, who is a teacher, was very supportive. Although this period of her life meant minimal sleep, Kris insists that her background as a dairyman and even motherhood prepared her for the grueling work of medical school.
Kris says that 'the fear of failure' also drove her to accomplish what to many of us may seem as an extraordinary challenge. She graduated four years later in 2009 and began her clinic part time as well as working with patients battling addiction. Kris says the work was very rewarding and that the opportunity to help people rebuild their lives was something she truly loved to do.
Today Kris works full time at her clinic in Queen Creek. The naturopathic approach, says Kris, is a chance for her to work with her patients long term, looking at the whole person, and not going for the quick fix. Kris says this gives her more 'freedom' as a doctor to give her patients more attention, more time, and a wider choice of therapies. She provides hormone therapies along with pelvic health treatments for both men and women.
If you got the impression that Kris is all work and no play, she definitely has a full life away from the office too. In her free time, Kris enjoys her family which now includes five grandkids and one more on the way. She also loves to fix things around the house she shares with her husband and several animals on an acre property they have owned for the last 30 years. This summer she and her husband plan to travel to Scotland and even hike Kerry Way in Ireland, a 140 mile trek. Some might say this is hardly slowing down and yet Kris might not have it any other way.
'The naturopathic approach, says Kris, is a chance for her to work with her patients long term, looking at the whole person, and not going for the quick fix.'