My name is Carina Hopen and I am a down to earth, 50+ year old wife, mother of 3 school age children, prior U.S. Naval Flight Surgeon, artist and solopreneur for an Integrative and Functional Medicine practice in the Pacific Northwest.
I’m passionate about being a lifelong learner. I received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine and a Medical Degree from the University of Hawaii. Additionally, I earned a Master of Arts in Gerontology from the University of Southern California, a Master of Science in Integrative and Functional Medicine, and a graduate certificate in Healthcare Quality from George Washington University. I’m always striving to learn and grow, so I also became a Certified Health Coach through the American Council on Exercise, and I am dual boarded in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine.
In all of my years of learning, the most valuable lessons were taught to me by my daughter who was born at 26 weeks gestation, weighing 1.4 pounds. She taught me how to live! Through the experience, I learned how to still my mind in the midst of the chaos and I was empowered to gain clarity about who I was as an individual. I reassessed my values, both personally and professionally, and I understood my priorities. When I returned to my clinical practice, I had a renewed sense of self and the capacity to be resilient.
My mission for the blog is to inspire others to discover their inner strengths so that they can achieve their goals and live well.
I envision a community where everyone is able to care for and nurture themselves as much as they do for others.