Danielle Bechert, MD, is board certified in family medicine and is an IFM Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner.
Dr. Bechert received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. It was there that she met her husband, Chad. She then graduated with honors from the Indiana University School of Medicine. It was during medical school that Dr. Bechert began to realize her strong passion for health prevention and healing through lifestyle choices. She decided the broad post graduate residency experience of family medicine would allow her to best pursue that passion.
Dr. Bechert provided primary care in a large family medicine group but was disappointed by the hurried way in which healthcare was delivered. Although she was passionate about health and healing, the system wasn’t set up to truly help people find the root cause of their illness. Dr. Bechert began to evaluate her purpose and direction. She pursued education in complementary and alternative medicine, finding a wealth of scientifically backed therapies with great potential to aid in healing. She became a certified yoga teacher through Prairie Yoga School in Chicago, which led her to learn more about mind-body medicine and ultimately Functional Medicine. In 2015, Dr. Bechert and her family relocated to Scottsdale, where she completed the certification pathway through the Institute for Functional Medicine. She was able to actively apply the principles of Functional Medicine to herself and see the benefit. It was at this time Dr. Bechert met Dr. Parke. This timely meeting was just before Dr. Bechert’s oldest daughter suddenly became very ill and was found to have Celiac Disease. Dr. Bechert experienced first hand, through working with Dr. Parke, the need for the personalized approach of Functional Medicine. Her daughter’s healing required patience and more than a gluten-free diet. The persistent application of the principles of Functional Medicine helped her daughter regain her health. Dr. Bechert knows how painful it is to have a sick child, but now knows the joy of seeing that child healthy again. This experience has deepened her desire to help others with the useful tools of Functional Medicine.
Dr. Bechert still enjoys the practice of yoga and many other fitness activities. She can most often be found in the kitchen with her three daughters who all enjoy cooking. Dr. Bechert thrives on listening to enriching podcasts or audio books in the car as she shuffles her girls to school and extra-curricular activities. She is motivated to keep herself, her husband, and their daughters healthy so they can live fully and help others do the same.
