Mara Gilbert is a registered nurse with experience in several areas, including critical care, long-term care/geriatrics, nursing instruction, and oncology. She previously served at TrueNorth Health Center as clinical administrator and at the TrueNorth Health Foundation as a clinical researcher. She is currently seeing patients at TrueNorth for craniosacral therapy and pursuing her PhD in Philosophical Aesthetics at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.
Mara completed a Bachelor of Arts in theology from Franciscan University, Steubenville, Ohio, in 2003; an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Louis University, Missouri, in 2007; and a Master of Theological Studies in Biotechnology and Ethics from the John Paul II Institute, Washington, DC, in 2012. She also completed a year of PhD/DNP studies in nursing at University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ, in 2017. She also finished her comprehensive certification in Pilates through Balanced Body in 2021. She completed an MA in philosophy from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, CA, in 2022.
During graduate school, Mara became seriously ill with Lyme disease that progressed to autoimmune diseases. Her condition worsened using conventional treatment. It was only through the use of multiple modalities, primarily herbal medicine and craniosacral therapy, that her health and energy were restored. This left her with the realization that if conventional treatments did not heal her, then they likely did not heal her patients, either. Determined to find true healing for herself and others, she pursued training in nutrition and complementary therapies—all while simultaneously practicing conventional nursing. Doing a series of seven water-only fasts in a year and a half at TrueNorth made a radical difference in her health and made changes that herbs and other modalities could not. She loves fasting and is thrilled to be at TrueNorth Health Center, where she is free to both support and practice genuine healing therapies and share the fruits of her own journey.
Mara loves whatever is beautiful, whether in the natural world or the many expressions of human art, and surrounding herself with beauty keeps her a happy and balanced individual. When not working at TrueNorth and studying for her doctorate, she organizes and leads young adult events, continues to study healing modalities, and pursues many interests including fitness, hiking, gardening, and art.
