My Story
I am so glad you are here! My name is Kristen Gonzales. I am the founder of Functional PharmD. By KG. I’m a wife, a mother of two, a functional nutritionist, and a pharmacist. I was born and raised in Metairie, La. I studied pre-pharmacy at LSU before attending Xavier University where I earned my Doctorate of Pharmacy. Later in my career, thru my own personal health experience, I realized that prescription medication was not the answer if you wanted to heal from within. Wanting to improve quality of life and patient outcomes, I earned my certification as a Functional Nutritionist through the Functional Nutrition Alliance. I am also a member of the Functional Medicine Pharmacist Alliance and state leader for Louisiana hoping to teach and encourage more pharmacists to practice Functional Medicine in their work setting. I am a passionate advocate for enhanced patient-centered outcomes using a unique perspective with experience in both conventional and functional medicine.
I’ve worked as a pharmacist for over 14 years, providing service to my local community pharmacy. About 7 years ago, I began to struggle with crippling symptoms including depression, anxiety, abdominal pain, extreme fatigue, brain fog, food sensitivities, and more. Despite pursuing solutions within the conventional medicine system, I could never get a firm diagnosis or sound medical advice. I felt extremely hopeless and frustrated. Would I ever feel like myself again?
Like many of you reading this page, I longed for answers and desperately wanted my health back. I refused to believe my health and wellness could be found in a pill bottle. With much determination, I found Functional Medicine. Taking a root cause approach with the right guidance, my symptoms started to disappear and my overall health improved dramatically. I took a deeper dive and earned my certification as a Functional Nutritionist and extended training into functional blood chemistry. Overtime, with targeted nutrition and supplements, I learned how to take better care of myself and my family. I still respect conventional medicine, which is absolutely necessary and helpful in many cases, but I feel it works better in conjunction with functional medicine. By “dismantling the dysfunction” and taking a total body systems approach to health and wellness, the terrain shifts and you can get back to feeling your absolute best self.
Spending those years suffering without answers changed me and has now inspired me. I want my kids to grow up without the heavy burden of chronic illness. I want to instill in them (and you) the hope and knowledge that they (and you) can heal from within. We are not here to suffer in vain. We have been given everything we need to be restored. I want to deliver a truly personalized approach that treats you as a person, not a number. Most of all, I want to be here to give you the answers I couldn’t get, and to help you understand the “why” instead of the “what”. I hope to empower you on your health journey and help you live vibrantly.