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About Dr. Mariko
Licensed Naturopathic Physician in Washington State, USA
Licensed Massage Therapist in Washington State, USA
I was born and raised in Japan, and my perspective on healing has been deeply influenced by the importance of balance, mindfulness, nature, and the connection between body and mind.
My journey toward becoming a naturopathic doctor was not a straightforward one. Over time, I became increasingly passionate about supporting women living with chronic illness, pain, nervous system dysregulation, and long-term stress — especially those who have spent years quietly carrying too much on their own.
This path eventually led me toward an integrative approach that combines naturopathic medicine, bodywork, nervous system support, and energy medicine to help patients reconnect with their bodies and restore vitality from the inside out.
I speak English and Japanese.
How I Chose to Became a Naturopathic Doctor
Growing Up in Japan
I was born and raised in Japan. During puberty, I started having severe skin breakouts, irregular periods and severe cramps. I visited many doctors for acne treatment, but I didn't find any helpful treatment. I struggled with severe cramps every month after age 18, and I had some months I didn't have periods at all. I also had surgery to remove fist-sized cysts from my ovaries when I was 26 years old. My doctor at that time told me, "The cause of ovarian cysts is unknown, and this condition tends to recur. Since you also have endometriosis, I would recommend you to get a complete hysterectomy after you finish having children." This advice actually caused me emotional trauma for a long time. Doctors saw my acne, irregular period, and ovarian cysts separately and did not connect the dots to find what's going on in my body.
Moving to the US
I moved to the US in 2008 when I was 30 years old. At that time, I developed depression and severe skin breakouts. One day I got a winter cold and saw a doctor. When he inspected my skin condition, he told me that I might have PCOS and ovarian cysts, so he referred me to an endocrinologist. I had never heard of PCOS, and I wondered how this neighborhood doctor could know I had PCOS right away, but the Japanese gynecologist in that big hospital didn't even tell me that?! I was shocked and confused. However, I was relieved to learn about PCOS and its symptoms since all my troublesome symptoms since puberty were caused by PCOS -- my hormones were out of whack!
Diagnosed with PCOS
The endocrinologist diagnosed me with PCOS, pre-diabetes, hypothyroidism, severe vitamin D deficiency, and depression. The doctor prescribed birth-control pills, metformin, thyroxine, and Vitamin D, but metformin caused me serious side effects, including severe nausea and digestive issues. I started researching more about metformin, what it was and why the doctor prescribed it. I wanted to know if there was any other way to resolve my mildly elevated blood sugar without taking metformin. During that process, I started wondering why the doctor didn't focus on what was the cause of my health deterioration since my health was not too bad one year ago.
Discovering about Naturopathic Medicine
I found Dr. Tori Hudson's book called "Women's encyclopedia of natural medicine" while I was researching the treatment options for PCOS. I learned there is an occupation called Naturopathic Doctor because she was one of them. I also learned that there are many more types of doctors in the US compared to Japan, such as medical doctors, osteopathic doctors, chiropractic doctors and naturopathic doctors. I used Dr. Hudson's book as a reference and changed my diet and lifestyle. A few months later, my PCOS symptoms were well managed and blood tests did not show any signs of PCOS. The most meaningful moment for me during my journey was knowing the relationship between stress and PCOS symptoms. After that, I found my sources of stress and began dealing with them. I couldn't speak English when I moved into the US, I did not know the culture here, and I was frightened going to the market since someone might talk to me and I could not understand. I took ESL courses in the community college to re-learn English, and I gained the skill of different ways of seeing myself and my culture of origin as I talked with classmates who were also from all over the world.
Educational Path to become an ND
I continued to have some unresolved questions over time: why didn't the gynecologist in Japan tell me about PCOS? Why didn't he even refer me to an endocrinologist? Why didn't my endocrinologist in the US try to find the root causes instead of prescribing medications? I decided to take biology and physiology classes at the community college to further learn about the human body. After learning more about what was happening in my body, I made up my mind to become a naturopathic doctor to help other women going through similar health challenges. I re-learned basic science in English, completed pre-medical classes at UCLA Extension, and completed naturopathic medical training at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington and licensed in Washington state in the US.
Yuki, my cat, is often present in the office and has quietly become part of the healing environment for many patients.
Many patients living with chronic stress, pain, and nervous system overload find comfort in his calm and gentle presence.
Animals can help create a sense of grounding, emotional ease, and nervous system relaxation, and for many patients, Yuki has become a comforting part of their healing experience.
For patients who prefer a cat-free environment due to allergies or personal preference, Mondays are designated as “No Cat Days,” and Yuki stays home on those days.
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