Dr. Jolene Brighten, NMD, is one of the leading experts in women’s medicine and is a pioneer in her exploration of the far-reaching impact of hormonal birth control and the little known side effects that impact health in a large way. In her best selling book, Beyond the Pill, she shares her clinical protocols aimed at supporting women struggling with symptoms of hormone imbalance, including Post-Birth Control Pill Syndrome and birth control related side effects. A trained nutritional biochemist and Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Brighten is the founder and Clinic Director at Rubus Health, an integrative women’s medicine clinic. She is a member of the MindBodyGreen Collective and has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Forbes, Cosmopolitan, ABC news, and the New York Post.
Are you looking for your own personal health manual—you know, a user guide to helping your body thrive?
Hi. I’m Dr. Jolene Brighten, a leading expert in women's health and specifically support women looking to optimize their hormone health naturally.
I also help women who are looking to ditch hormonal birth control and balance their hormones, as well as those who want to stay on birth control without long term consequences.
I'm Considered a Pioneer in My Birth Control Protocols that Support Women Dealing with the Side Effects & Long Term Consequences Associated with The Birth Control Pill.
And let's be clear, I'm not anti-birth control. Nope. In fact, I'm all about providing education to help women make the best decision for themselves and support their body whatever stage they are at. I'm an advocate for both access and education surrounding contraceptive options.
Like so many other women, I know what it is like to struggle with fatigue, anxiety, and difficult, heavy, painful periods…not to mention wicked PMS. I've had a crazy health journey that I believe has made me a better physician for my patients.
I am one of the first clinicians to recognize and develop protocols for Post-Birth Control Syndrome that enable women to get their period back, resolve acne, and enhance my fertility so they can get pregnant when and if they decide to.
Through my clinical work with thousands of patients, I've come to understand at a much greater level what it means to struggle with your health… and how often women's symptoms dismissed.
And this is why I do things so very different than your average doc.
You see, I come from a background of nutritional biochemistry—nerd alert! But seriously, I am a proud nerd who loves research, data, mechanisms, chemistry (I have a degree in that too) and getting all the juicy details of your health journey.
To say I'm a fan of the scientific method is an understatement.
But it was in my days as a scientist that I came to recognize that we didn’t know as much about the human body and health as we thought we did. The wisdom of the body was absent in so many discussion and I could see we were ignoring a huge potential in preventing and healing disease.
So what did I do next? I studied medicine that allowed me to integrate my research driven mind with a whole lot of respect and understanding of the natural progression of healing.
Or in other words, what I do is take all the science along with the data you provide (ie your story) and put it all together to give you a complete picture of your current state of health, what to do to heal and how you can prevent what might be coming down the pipeline in the future.
This is how we build YOUR user manual.
No two of us are the same and we all have different needs. It only makes sense that you need to figure out what your individual needs are to thrive.
The good news is there’s a reason you’re feeling fatigued, frazzled, irritable and struggling with your hormones. There is a root cause to autoimmune disease, PMS, fertility issues, brain fog, chronic pain, and digestive disorders…and I must admit, my favorite part is digging deep to find the root and then teaching you to take the wheel and steer yourself back to health.
I've helped thousands of women unearth their root cause and reclaim their health and their life—I want to help you too.
I value the details of your health journey and believe in exploring your whole health story, from your diet and stress triggers to your lab values, all of which help me to create an individualized plan that fits your specific needs and unique lifestyle. I enjoy partnering with my patients to navigate the science behind the way they feel and identify how to resolve the underlying issue, while also providing symptom relief.
I know that it is possible to create balanced hormones that make you feel like “normal” within your own body without the need to pop a pill, place a patch, insert a ring or a hormonal IUD. This is what I help women do every day in my clinic.
And hey, if you need any of those because you CANNOT have a baby then know I've got you too. There's a whole lot your doc probably didn't tell you about what these hormones can do and I'd guess they told you even less about how to protect yourself while you're on them.
It's my mission to make sure you have all the info you need to make the best decision for yourself.
A little more about me…
Before earning my Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine at the National University of Natural Medicine, I graduated with a degree in nutritional biochemistry and clinical nutrition at Cal Poly, SLO. There I was involved in nutrition research exploring interventions for maintaining healthy hormones and body composition as we age.
I founded 3 clinics before age 35 and am currently the medical director at Rubus Health in Portland, Oregon.
My post doctorate education and training in Functional Medicine and Clinical Nutrition has been through The Institute for Functional Medicine. I continue to study with IFM to stay up to date on the most innovative therapies and techniques to help my patients heal.
I published my first book, Healing Your Body Naturally After Childbirth: The New Mom's Guide to Navigating the Fourth Trimester in January 2016. It was an instant Best Seller and has helped hundreds of women heal themselves after birth.
In 2019 I published my second book, Beyond the Pill, with Harper Collins, which is teaches you how to take back your hormones, support your body if you're on birth control, and transition off successfully.
I'm a frequent speaker for both the public and medical professionals. I am a part of the MindBodyGreen Collective, and have also featured in the NY Post, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Grazia, ABC news, The Guardian, and other prominent news outlets. You can also find me in a ton of other places, including documentaries, summits, podcasts, radio shows, and more!
I love spending my days in the Pacific Northwest hiking, sipping delicious coffee, and growing my own food.
Curious what the people I've helped are saying?
“I am forever grateful to Dr. Brighten for helping me reverse my Hashimoto's and giving me my life back.” – Tammy
“I feel empowered at every visit. Dr. Brighten helps me understand what is happening in my body and what I can do to make the changes I need to feel better. Because of her I finally have enough energy to enjoy life and I feel the best I’ve ever felt!” – Connie
“I had seen everyone and tried everything before I saw Dr. Brighten. She figured out within the first visit what had all my other doctors stumped. I left that first visit with hope and a plan to feel better. It took only 3 months for me to finally feel like myself again!” – Alice
“I saw every hormone doctor there was in the Bay Area. I still had terrible night sweats, anxiety and couldn’t lose weight. Dr. Brighten helped me get my hormones into balance and within months the weight started coming off, I felt stronger and I didn’t even notice that the anxiety had just disappeared.” – Jessica
“I sought help from every natural healer in Portland. Dr. Brighten was the only one to run the tests I needed and give me clear direction on how to actually heal myself. But the best part was that it actually worked! I'm no longer hypothyroid, my energy is up and I'm off my anti-depressants. I've never felt better!” – Kayla
Read more blush worthy praise here.
More about Dr. Brighten…
Licensed Naturopathic Doctor, NUNM Graduate
Degree in Nutritional Biochemistry from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
Degree in Chemistry
Recipient of the Best General Practitioner Award 2014 & 2015
Nominated for The Rising Tide Award, Innovator Award, and Health Influencer Award 2018
Voted Best Women's Health Blog 2017
Nominated Leading Health Innovator 2017
Member of The Institute for Functional Medicine
Member of The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
