Dr. Dunne began her health care career as a university student, working as a certified nursing assistant with elders in long term care facilities. She trained in hospice care and served families through transitions of loss and grief. In 1977 she joined a group of women studying midwifery and subsequently practiced as a home birth attendant for 13 years. In 1981 she received a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree and worked as a RN in obstetrics and neonatology units. This rewarding experience with young families lead to a desire to deepen her knowledge and effectiveness as a care provider. Dr. Dunne was introduced to naturopathic medicine by a dear friend who had restored her damaged vision with the help of Dr. John Bastyr and Dr. Joeseph Pizzorno, two pioneers of the revival of the modern naturopathic medicine. Dr. Dunne received her medical degree from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland Oregon in 1989. Dr. Dunne is a national leader and activist working for the transformation of health care through integration of all effective healing systems. Immediately following graduation from medical school Dr. Dunne practiced under the auspices of teaching mentors at the Natural Childbirth and Family Clinic, and was an instructor for the obstetric and perinatology curriculum at National College. She participated in the successful effort to license NDs in Montana in 1991. Dr. Dunne has served as President of the Montana Association of Naturopathic Physicians, as well as on the Alternative Health Care Board for the state of Montana, the regulatory body for both naturopathic physicians and licensed direct entry midwives.
Dr. Dunne has contributed to the development of the naturopathic profession through her appointment as Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam Chair for Emergency Medicine, and as a founding member of the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners. She served as President of the Federation of Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Authorities. In 1995 Dr. Dunne was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), chairing the Professional Affairs and Ethics Committees, and editing the association’s monthly electronic newsletter. She was honored to receive the 2002 AANP President’s Award, which describes her contribution as having “reliably cared for and nurtured the soul of our profession.” She was elected President of the AANP in 2004, and currently serves as Past President. During her tenure as President she facilitated collaborative projects and events that wove contributions from medical doctors, nurses, psychologists, grass-roots political organizers, acupuncturists, herbalists and education leaders. She continues to serve the profession as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Institute for Natural Medicine, a philanthropic working group that works to secure and manage resources for the advancement of naturopathic philosophy, education, research and health care.
In pursuit of further tools for the active facilitation of change, Dr. Dunne has studied at the Leadership Institute of Seattle, Bastyr University, from where she earned a Master of Arts degree in Applied Behavioral Science in 2002. She has co-authored a book on nutritional and dietary solutions for polycystic ovary syndrome, The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility: How to Manage Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Naturally. Along with her co-author Bill Slater, she maintains an informational website for women with polycystic ovary syndrome and fertility problems (www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com).
In 2005 Dr. Dunne participated in an historic first as primary author on the article titled NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE: What Can Patients Expect?, published by the Journal of Family Practice, a conventional medical journal with 84,000 MD subscribers.
She provides naturopathic medical services in her Missoula clinic, BitterRoot Natural Medicine. Her practice there focuses primarily on the health of women and children. Dr. Dunne has a second treatment site, called ORIGINS: A Family Systems Counseling Service, in Hamilton Montana, where the focus is psychotherapy and counseling through life transitions. Her clients include individual adults and couples seeking to consciously manage life changes. Dr. Dunne is a certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. Many of her counseling clients are combat veterans and their families.