Occupation: I’m a naturopathic physician. I majored in philosophy and environmental science at SUNY Purchase, and got my ND from the University of Bridgeport. An ND is a physician with the background of a medical doctor, but my last two year’s training was about using the body’s natural constituents to maintain or restore the body’s natural balance. That includes vitamins and minerals and neurotransmitters. It’s a very different approach to wellness, compared to the conventional approach. If you give the body what it needs, it can reconcile. What I do is a lot of detective work to see where the imbalance is.

Family: I’m married to Stacy, who is a massage therapist. We have a daughter, Amelia, 6, and a son, Desmond. He is 1½ years old.

Pets: We just lost our two older dogs in this past year. We have a huge Flemish Giant rabbit, Butterhead. He’s as big as a cat and very mellow and calm.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We’ve been in Sandy Hook for about eight years. I’ve had my practice here on Main Street for two and a half years.

What do you like to do in your free time? The kids keep me really busy and that’s really what it’s all about. I’m a big fan of hiking and camping. I do some writing and reading. Most of my reading tends to be about health and the health business. When I do watch television, it’s mostly nature documentaries.

Do you have a favorite hiking trail? Along the Hudson River. There’s a mountain called Breakneck Mountain near Cold Springs, N.Y., with beautiful views from the top.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Probably Vermont. We have property close to Canada, so we try to get up there once or twice a year. There’s a place called Lake Willoughby up there, between two mountains, that is surreal. It is so clean and clear.

What is the best thing about Newtown? So much of it! We like the parks and that it has a nice, small town feel, but still has modern conveniences. I’m a fan of all the ethnic restaurants that are in this area. We love the Paugussett Forest. And what other town has kept its historic Ram Pasture? The flagpole, of course. The only thing some of my clients from Fairfield and Stamford know in Newtown is the flagpole.

Do you have a personal philosophy? Thoreau has always been a big influence on me, and the Eastern or Buddhist traditions. I believe in simplicity. Find the connections in nature that help us find our own peace. There is a quote from Thoreau that I like, “In wildness is the preservation of life.”

Do you have a guilty pleasure? I do occasionally make room for those black and white cookies at the Blue Colony Diner.