About Dr. Michelle Cárdenas

Michelle grew up in Santa Barbara, California, surrounded by nature in her family’s Mission Canyon home. She attended the University of California at Santa Cruz, where she graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology. 

Michelle returned to Santa Barbara after graduating from UCSC to help her parents run their family music business (SOhO Restaurant and Music Club) before resuming her studies in Oregon at Portland Community College and Portland State University. There, she took her pre-med requirements in anticipation of attending naturopathic school at the National University of Natural Medicine (formerly National College of Natural Medicine), from which she graduated in 2013. After completing her National Board examinations, she again returned to Santa Barbara to begin her practice as a Naturopathic Doctor. 

After setting up a solo practice and seeing patients for a number of years in Goleta, Montecito, and Bakersfield, Dr. Cárdenas got the opportunity to join Pathways to Natural Health, where she practiced for 4 1/2 years. Most recently, to continue her growth as a doctor and to pursue the collaborative work environment she’s always sought, Dr. Cárdenas transitioned to working alongside Dr. Elisse Evans at Origins Integrative Medicine. Dr. Cárdenas continues to help her patients attain optimal, sustainable health, believing strongly that the body’s innate healing mechanisms should be reinforced and not suppressed. 

Dr. Cárdenas welcomed her first child, Río Alexander Cárdenas, into the world with her husband Eric in 2019. They spend their time absorbing the many lessons brought on by parenthood while enjoying music, good food, the outdoors, the ocean, friends, family, and snuggling with their cat, Badger.