WHO I AM AND WHAT I DO
Shayna L. Keller, ND
Shayna L. Powell (formerly Keller), ND is the owner of West Elks Wellness. She is a registered Naturopathic Doctor (ND) practicing in Montrose, Colorado. Dr. Keller runs a family practice, and loves working with children. She has a special interest in gastrointestinal complaints and dermatological issues. Dr. Shayna received her bachelor's degree from Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado in 2014 majoring in pre-medicine. She graduated from Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington in 2020 as a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. During her final year of naturopathic medical school, she completed a year-long internship at Emerald City Naturopathic Clinic in Seattle, Washington with Molly Niedermeyer, ND. Dr. Shayna has studied with several elder naturopathic doctors through the Naturopathic Medicine Institute since 2016.
Dr. Shayna lives in Montrose with her husband Jacob Powell and their two cats and two dogs. She loves to garden, snowboard, read and cook for fun!
Memberships
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Naturopathic Medicine Institute 2016 - Current
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Colorado Association of Naturopathic Doctors 2015 - Current
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American Herbalists Guild 2018 - 2022
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American Association of Naturopathic Physicians 2015 - 2020, 2024-Current
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Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians 2017 - 2020
My Life
As a child, I moved around quite a bit, and though not originally from Colorado, I finished high school in Trinidad, CO. When I moved to the Western Slope for college, I fell in love with the mountains. My husband and I moved back to the North Fork Valley to be closer to family and friends and escape the city life. I love cooking, baking, fishing, hiking, snowboarding, and gardening. We recently moved to Montrose, CO!
My Health journey
At a young age, I noticed my younger brother's difficulties in the medical system. He was unable to speak until age 5 and he was diagnosed with autism. I was curious and wanted to learn more to be able to help him. When I was 8, I was inspired by the 1998 movie Patch Adams to become a doctor. This was my goal from grade school to high school, even onto college. During my junior year of undergraduate, I completed a summer internship with Colorado AHEC Pre-Health Scholars geared towards conventional medicine. Little did I know the health issues I was facing during that period of time is what would pivot me from a conventional medicine track to a naturopathic one.
I had such severe heartburn as a teen that I kept a bottle of Maalox or Tums in my school bag, locker, and bedside table. I ate those tablets like they were my lifeline. I could barely eat without worrying that the tomato, meat, or other food would trigger a heartburn attack. I spent my last year of high school in and out of emergency rooms where in the end the doctors concluded I was too young to have stomach ulcers or severe GERD and medication was the only route forward. After my tongue became yellowish-orange, I became fed up with the pill fix. The next step was exploratory surgery to determine the cause of the severe heartburn, but I knew there had to be another way. What the conventional doctors didn't consider is that chronic stress is such a powerful force on the body. That's when I saw my first naturopathic doctor at the Main Street Clinic in Gunnison, CO. That visit changed my life and within three days after the first appointment I was feeling better than I had in years. The doctor empowered me and helped me heal my gut in a way no one had come close to in the past.
To walk with you on your health journey is an honor and privilege that I don't take lightly.