Renee Young, N.D.
Renee Young, N.D. is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor practicing since 2002, with particular interests in hormone health, autoimmune conditions and longevity medicine. She earned her doctorate degree in Naturopathic Medicine at the University of Bridgeport (CT) and received a B.S. in psycho-neuroimmunology from Moravian College (PA). Dr. Young is a member of the California Naturopathic Doctors Association and holds certifications in IV therapy, ozone therapy, Prolozone therapy, peptide therapy and hormone replacement therapy.
Outside of work, Dr. Young enjoys spending time with her husband, son and German Shepherd. Their property in the mountains of Los Gatos is home to a beautiful organic garden, beehives, lots of fruit trees and countless chickens.
The Human-Centric Healer
Imagine walking into a consultation room, expecting to be met with the clinical surroundings and detached professionalism you’re used to seeing in medical practices. Instead, you’re greeted with a burst of laughter and a palpable warmth that stretches from the front desk to the farthest treatment room.
This is the world of Renee Young, N.D., where each interaction is an opportunity to build a life-long connection, and medicine is practiced with humor, empathy and a profound respect for the individual.
“Some doctors love medicine and they see people. Some doctors love people and they practice medicine. I am the latter,” says Dr. Young. Whether she’s helping the San Jose Sharks improve their athletic performance, or helping a patient understand the risk factors in their family history, Dr. Young places empathy and curiosity at the heart of her care.
She likens her approach to the way a doctor might have practiced in the ‘50s or ‘60s. Her office is a respite from today’s rushed and impersonal model of medical care. With Dr. Young, appointments are unhurried and patient-centered, and treatment plans are customized down to the genetic level. Her devotion to this philosophy is not merely professional; it is rooted in her personal experience with the limitations of the modern medical system.
The Patient
At 14 years old, Dr. Young found herself grappling with perplexing abdominal pain. The condition lasted until she was 19, resulting in many doctor visits and some unnecessary surgical procedures. Eventually, she found a naturopath who provided relief. “It turned out I had some pretty simple problems that were made more complicated than they needed to be,” she says. “After that experience, I believed in naturopathic medicine.”
This first encounter with naturopathic medicine would not be her last. At 23, while in college in Pennsylvania, she suddenly dropped 20 pounds in three weeks. The doctor she consulted insisted it must be the result of an eating disorder and refused to be swayed no matter how strongly Dr. Young insisted otherwise. “She was convinced I was anorexic because I fit a certain demographic. To experience that kind of profiling from a medical doctor, that was my final straw.”
She returned home to Connecticut to see her naturopath. Within just a few minutes, the naturopath diagnosed her with carbon monoxide poisoning, ending two months of suffering and uncertainty. “I’ve seen in significant examples in my life that the mainstream medical community are smart enough to provide good care, but they don’t have the time to really listen to people,” Dr. Young says. “I do things differently.”
The Student
Dr. Young went on to earn dual undergraduate degrees in biology and psychology with a minor in philosophy. Her field of study, psycho-neuroimmunology, looks at the way our environment and psychology affect our physical health. Though she hadn’t set out to become a doctor, she began to see connections between her scientific background and her personal interest in naturopathic medicine. “I started to think about changing paths,” she says, “and I realized I was already three-quarters of the way to a pre-med degree.”
Another connection — or as some might call it, a sign from the universe — soon made itself apparent. Dr. Young’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 45. Her conventional medical doctors treated the disease, but overlooked the need for a holistic perspective and compassionate communication. With little guidance or follow-up care, Dr. Young’s mother felt adrift in her recovery journey.
“She would panic often about whether she was well or not well,” Dr. Young recalls. “So I sent her to my naturopathic doctor and she had a very different experience. I realized that it’s not just people with simple problems who benefit from this care. People who have complicated problems also need this level of help.”
When a new naturopathic school opened in Connecticut, allowing her to pursue her interests while remaining close to her mom, the decision was easy. Four years later, Dr. Young was a member of the second graduating class from the School of Naturopathic Medicine at the University of Bridgeport.
The Founder
Dr. Young was finishing her residency on the East Coast when her husband proposed moving to California. She agreed on one condition: only if they license naturopathic doctors as primary care doctors.
As luck would have it, that same year, the California governor signed legislation into law that granted licensure to clinically trained naturopathic doctors. The Youngs promptly packed up and moved cross-country, and Dr. Young became one of the first licensed NDs in the state.
Beginning a career in the nascent stages of naturopathic recognition didn’t come with the luxury of walking established paths. “I didn’t have the opportunity to go work for someone right after graduation. I didn’t have social media or the internet in the same way we do now,” Dr. Young recounts. “So I took the leap and started my own practice.”
The Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness was born. With her characteristic resilience and vision, Dr. Young set out to raise awareness about naturopathic medicine. “I was going to gyms and health stores and art openings and wine tastings — anywhere I might find people who would be interested in what I do.” The grassroots approach paid off, and YNC grew.
The Advocate
According to naturopathic medicine, health isn’t merely the absence of disease but a harmonious balance of the body, mind and environment. While conventional medicine focuses on symptom relief, naturopathic medicine emphasizes proactive strategies, the interconnectedness of the 12 systems of the body, and the critical importance of bio-individuality.
“I am extremely passionate about encouraging people to discover what the chemistry of their body looks like,” Dr. Young says. “You have to know what your normal is in order to know when you have a problem or how you can best equip yourself to fight time.”
The belief that each patient is unique and requires a personalized approach is a core tenet of naturopathic medicine. Dr. Young dedicates time to understanding each person’s individual needs, risk factors, lifestyle and goals. Armed with this information, she develops a customized plan to achieve optimal wellness — both now and for the future.
Consider your car, she suggests. Just like that car, your body requires regular maintenance and the right fuel to function at its highest level. Comprehensive and preventive naturopathic care allows you to find underlying issues before the check engine light illuminates. “Don’t wait until you’ve totaled the car and the parts are all over the road to come see me,” she advises. “I’m here to help you keep the car in good running condition.”
The Naturalist
Both at work and at home, Dr. Young embodies a philosophy of connection with the natural world. “We are fine-tuned to be in nature,” she says. “That’s where we feel the least amount of discontentment and disruption.” Yet humans have become disconnected from what makes us well, even at the simplest levels.
You’ll find Dr. Young walking her talk in her organic garden, which supplies most of the produce she and her family eat, or in the pantry filled with things she has foraged and canned, or in the freezer stocked with meat acquired on hunting trips.
“Almost everything we do for fun has to do with the procurement of food and the balance of your body,” she explains. “It’s a source of great enjoyment for us.”
Dr. Young encourages patients to find their own ways to connect with nature, whether it be learning more about the seasonality of foods or rebalancing your circadian rhythms. “Honing in with the natural environment helps your neurochemistry feel more at ease. Without a sense of ease, you feel discomfort. That is what the word dis-ease means — a state of discomfort.”
The Strategist
Like a good financial plan, good health is no accident. Dr. Young helps her patients go beyond solving immediate issues to identifying root causes and investing in strategies that support disease prevention and longevity.
“Our clinic is all about strategic wellness,” she explains. “I will both diagnose you with what’s going on right now as well as give you a path forward so that you can combat time.”
New patients undergo a thorough consultation and testing process called the Optimal Wellness Check. This comprehensive assessment covers all 12 systems of the body, offering deep insight into your current health status and future risk factors. This forms the foundation of your personalized roadmap to long-term well-being.
“If you don’t plan on being well, you can’t know how you’re going to get there or what tools to use. That would be like saying you’ll start saving for retirement at 64 years old. It just doesn’t work,” says Dr. Young. With a holistic health strategy, you don’t just have the opportunity to prolong life, but also to ensure quality of life and vitality throughout your years.
The Innovator
“Naturopathic medicine has grown so much over the last twenty-two years. People started to understand the value of this preventative, comprehensive care,” Dr. Young says.
She attributes this growth, in part, to technology. The internet expanded access to doctors and health information, while the proliferation of wearables has made people increasingly attentive to their health needs. She also mentions the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point. “People realized you can’t control everything, but you have to take control of what you can.”
For Dr. Young, that means embracing a growth mindset and continually seeking ways to improve YNC. She is an avid consumer of new research, and looks to both naturopathic medicine and mainstream medicine to ensure she stays at the forefront of promising developments.
“We’re usually five years ahead of the curve,” she says, citing the clinic’s early adoption of peptides and exosome therapy as examples. “We’re doing everything we can to help you stay well, safely and effectively.”
The world has changed in many ways since Dr. Young graduated from a new naturopathic medicine school, became one of the first licensed NDs in California and took a chance on starting her own business, but she remains a trailblazer.
Visit Dr. Young at the Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness
Discover your roadmap to optimal health at the Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness. To meet with Dr. Young, call us at 408-761-6781 or complete our online contact form to schedule your consultation today.
