About GAIA TREE

Candace Miller MS, PA-C

Holistic Medical Care Practitioner

Candace Miller is a board-certified Physician Associate empowering patients to achieve positive change using a systems-based approach to health that incorporates principles of Ayurveda and Functional Medicine.

Candace is an artist, herbalist, and certified yoga instructor with a Master of Science from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine Physician Assistant program, where she was recognized for leadership in complementary and alternative medicine. She earned a second Master of Science degree in Maharishi Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine from Maharishi International University, the only program in the United States offering accredited graduate-level clinical education in Ayurveda. She also holds a BA in Humanities with a focus in medical anthropology and has studied Reiki, acupressure, qi gong, and Ayurvedic, Chinese and western herbalism. Prior to opening Gaia Tree, Candace served as a Senior Clinician in New Mexico, and as Regional Quality Lead in Utah and Washington for CVS Minute Clinics, where she received a Paragon Award for excellence in leadership and patient care.

Candace opened Gaia Tree to create a space for close-knit patient-provider relationships and an approach that transcends the reductive lens of the mainstream medical system. This is a process-oriented practice with the goal of nurturing connection to our own innate health and intelligence at every stage of life. A treatment plan at Gaia Tree is highly personalized and may include western allopathic medicine, diet and exercise recommendations, aromatherapy, herbs, supplements, and collaboration with other western and alternative medical specialists. Unlike the typical western medical practice, Candace makes the healthcare experience deep, engaged, and very often fun! She enjoys working with obesity, chronic pain, fatigue, allergies, digestive imbalances, immune disorders, skin conditions and mental health issues.

Candace is a California native, writer, potter, animal lover and avid hiker living in Santa Fe with her longtime sweetheart and their two adorable cattle dogs. She is licensed to practice medicine in the State of New Mexico and offers virtual Ayurvedic Consultations & Health Coaching to residents of the greater United States and beyond.

WHY I PRACTICE DIRECT PRIMARY CARE

In my career as a PA, I have come to appreciate that western medicine has many strengths, but does not have all the answers, particularly when it comes to preventing and managing chronic disease. We all know someone who received extensive western medical workup over months or years, passed through the offices of multiple specialists, and spent a fortune on tests only to wind up with a cabinet full of drugs and a host of new medication-induced problems. This is especially true for chronic pain, and digestive and mental health issues that are so common in the modern world.

I founded Gaia Tree Integrative Medicine to create the kind of medical experience people want and need: one that is spacious, holistic, safe, and effective. Gaia Tree DPC clients receive an extensive new patient visit reviewing their history and personal health goals. My treatment plans are highly personalized and may include western allopathic medicine, diet and exercise recommendations, aromatherapy, herbs, supplements, and collaboration with other western and alternative medical specialists.

I welcome patients at all levels of health who want to be an active participant in maintaining or improving their baseline wellness. Recognizing the dangers of pharmaceuticals and especially polypharmacy, I am open to helping clients taper off western pharmaceutical drugs when appropriate in a controlled and safe manner. If you already have a family practice provider you like working with, you don’t have to stop seeing them to join my holistic medical practice. The work we do at Gaia Tree is unique, powerful, and complimentary to the treatment you receive elsewhere.

Gaia Tree adheres to sustainable practices, minimizing use of unnecessary pharmaceuticals and medical waste and support nonprofits dedicated to conservation, reforestation, environmental research, and indigenous rights including Pachamama Alliance and the Earth Island Institute. I consider it a privilege and honor to practice medicine for the benefit of individuals and the planet.

We all know that health is more than physical. My approach to medicine is to help you become the best possible version of yourself by removing obstacles to health, self-expression, and enjoyment of life. That is what I believe primary care should be! I have chosen a membership model because it’s affordable and allows me to take care of my patients (whom I love!) in the best way I know how.

– Candace Miller, PA