Patrick Donovan

Patrick was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was raised in a suburban community; Willowick, Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie. He grew up exploring the beaches of Lake Erie and climbing the tallest trees he could find in the local woods. A poet, artist and philosopher at heart, he graduated from high school with a scholarship for art school. But, as life has its 90 degree turns, he ended up graduating from college in 1976 with a nursing degree. Although he continued painting and writing on his own time, he worked as a Registered Nurse and then later pursued a doctorate degree in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington graduating from Bastyr in 1985. Since then he has been a member of Bastyr University's academic faculty and a clinical adjunct professor at the University's out-patient care clinic.

He has had a number of articles published in various medical journals, has contributed chapters to the Textbook of Natural Medicine and has authored two books. One book is entitled, The Face of Consciousness: A guide to Self-Identity and Healing. The other book is entitled, Dancing With The Beloved: Resurrecting Divine Sexuality through Profound Relatedness. Dr. Donovan has over 40 years of patient care experience combining a wide range of settings from hospital-based surgical and intensive care nursing as a registered nurse (R.N.) to outpatient primary care as a naturopathic physician (N.D.). While raising his two children (Erin and Connor) and establishing himself in the field of Naturopathic Medicine, Dr. Donovan began to pursue his love of art, poetry and music again.

As an artist, Dr. Donovan has enjoyed working with the human form and the expression of the inner world of human emotion through both figure and portrait. This artistic exploration has helped him in his clinical practice and healing work. It has given him a deeper understanding and insight into the formative and archetypal world of the human psyche and emotion. Dr. Donovan believes all healing is an act of creativity. Quoting Dr. Donovan from his book, The Face of Consciousness: "Creativity is 'the elixir of life' that heals and transforms life. Through the creative process you enter that 'sacred place,' that 'zone of evolution' where 'the world lights up to itself' as you light up to the world."

Dr. Donovan is also a published poet and an accomplished musician and song writer. He has been writing since he was in high school. Some of his poetry can be read in his book, Dancing With The Beloved. His poetry has been called "sensual and deeply passionate, a study of the struggle of the human soul with itself and its relationship to its God." Through his poetry, Dr. Donovan has gained a deeper comprehension of the importance of communication and dialogue in the establishment of the deep intimacy of "profound relatedness" and its relationship to healing. Therefore, much of his clinical work involves intense and probing dialogue. A collection of many of his published and unpublished poems can be found in his upcoming book, Relationships and Other Crimes of Passion. It will be downloadable in the future from The Author page of his website, www.pdonovan.com. As a musician and song writer, he was writing and performing his own music since his early teens. His music has been described as a fusion between Leonard Cohen and 60's Folk Rock. His lyrics are poetic and address the deep passion of the human soul in its longing for love. His music has given him a greater appreciation for the rhythms of life and a deeper awareness of the sensual and harmonious nature of each soul's sacred dance of relationship. This has helped him greatly in his healing work because the dance of relationship is an essential aspect to all healing. Some of his songs can be downloaded from his website.

Dr. Donovan has also been formally trained in Western Mystical Traditions through his early adult life. This training included Jewish Kabbalah, Christian mystical traditions, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Sufism and other ares of study. This background in theological and mystical thought can be seen in his books and has added a great depth to his work.

Currently, Dr. Donovan maintains a busy private practice as a licensed, naturopathic primary care physician at his integrated medical clinic The UHC in Seattle, Washington. He is a member of the editorial review board for the peer-reviewed medical journal, Alternative Medicine Review and continues his research, writing and lecturing in healing and spirituality. He and his family reside in Shoreline, Washington where you can commonly find Dr. Donovan puttering and pondering in his garden with a cup of green tea or a glass of red wine.