| NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIANS |
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| CRYSTAL ABERNATHY, ND CHARLOTTE, NC 28269 (UNIVERSITY AREA) PH-704-562-9705 drcrystal@abernathynd.com www.abernathynd.com |
I was born in Charlotte, NC in 1966 and grew up on my parents’ and grandparents’
farm, playing outdoors & eating lots of fresh vegetables.
After graduating from North Mecklenburg High School in 1984, I attended UNC-
Charlotte, graduating in 1988. In addition to majoring in Psychology & English
literature, I was also an honor roll student & did a foreign exchange to Trinity College
in Dublin Ireland.
After earning my bachelor’s degree, I worked in various fields including: working at a
group home for mentally retarded adults, grading SAT essays, and canvassing for
Green peace. I also traveled extensively in the U.S., Canada & Europe, and was active
in environmental causes.
In 1994, I decided on a career in Naturopathic Medicine, and spent a year (1994/1995)
taking premed courses to allow for my entry into Naturopathic college. I attended the
Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, Ontario from 1995-1999,
graduating in May of 1999. At that point, I returned to my native NC and set up
practice.
In 2002, I married my childhood sweetheart Jeff Abernathy, and in June 2003 our son
Sean was born (a very sweet little souvenir from our honeymoon in Ireland!)
Below is a time line of my career history:
1999-2000: Private practice in Wilmington, NC.
2000-2001: Worked as a consulting staff physician and lecturer for Great Smokies
Diagnostic Laboratory in Asheville, NC.
2003: Published a chapter on Urinary Tract Infections as a contributing writer in The
Anti-Pain Plan.
2001-2006: Private practice in Charlotte, NC (my hometown).
My passion for Naturopathic Medicine and a more natural way of living stemmed
from my childhood on the farm, my love of plants & animals, and my interest in
preserving the environment for future generations. I also love cooking, reading, and
any outdoor activities (bicycling, camping, hiking). As a patient myself, I became
disenchanted with the over reliance of conventional medicine on drugs, and the
unwillingness of many MDs to address the root cause of health problems. After seeing
an ND myself, my own health problems got better and I began to develop an interest
in Naturopathic Medicine as a career. These things have led to the passion I have
today for helping my patients find their healthiest selves by reconnecting with a
natural way of living, through the use of foods and herbs as medicine.
