Functional Medicine
What is Functional Medicine?
You are likely here because you are looking for an alternative to the conventional western medical paradigm. Your health needs are not being addressed, and now you are wondering where you should go. Most people have heard of the terms “integrative medicine” or “alternative medicine,” and that is where you may have began your search. Functional medicine is related to these fields in that it is both an alternative to mainstream medicine and encompasses a lot of the same lab testing technologies that you would find with an integrative doctor.
Functional medicine stands apart as a superior method for healing the body for a few reasons. The main tenant of functional medicine is that it shifts the traditional disease centered focus of medical practice to a patient centered approach. In practice, that means that I will not label you with a specific disease and treat a disease. It means that I will look at your unique collection of symptoms, health history, and emotional status, and come up with a highly individualized treatment plan with the aim of bringing your body back into balance.
Functional Medicine practitioners spend time with their patients. Initial appointments in my office are an hour to an hour and a half. This is because a successful treatment plan accounts for every detail – how you sleep, digestive health, energy, emotional wellbeing, and your health history going back to your childhood. I look for interactions among genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors because all of these aspects of your life can influence your long-term health or propensity for disease. Functional Medicine is medicine for the 21st century, and I love being able to offer this comprehensive level of care to my patients.
Under the umbrella of Functional Medicine, I offer:
Nutrition advice & therapeutic diets
Botanical medicine and supplement protocols
Detoxification & cleanse programs
Stress management techniques
The latest laboratory testing, including:
Nutritional evaluations of your blood
Complete Blood Count with Differential
Thyroid Panels
Heavy metal testing
Stool and urine testing
Adrenal fatigue testing
Why Work With Me?
I am highly invested in the wellness journey of each person that I work with and there are a number of things that set me apart in the work that I do. I prefer to see a smaller number of people within my practice. This allows me the opportunity to give a very high level of attention and care to each person. I do an extensive intake process, therefore my initial appointments are longer than what is typically offered. I also offer check-ins in between sessions for additional support. I am very thorough in covering everything from diet to spiritual wellbeing at each meeting. I take the time to listen to you, guide you, educate you, and support you. I see myself not only as your doctor, but also as a vision holder. As someone who has recovered from chronic disease, I faithfully believe in the body’s ability to heal, given the right support. I hold this belief very strongly for all of my patients and have been privileged to see extraordinary healing manifest itself over the years I’ve been in practice.
Preparing for your appointment:
For your initial consultation, please block off 90 minutes on your calendar. We could be done sooner, but it is very important to me that we do not feel rushed in the initial process of getting to know you and your health goals. In order to best prepare, I invite you to take notes in the week leading up to your appointment, so that you don’t forget to mention any important details that could help me put together your treatment plan. You can take notes such as moods, sleep patterns, digestive complaints, times of day or circumstances in which your issue is worse or better, and pain patterns (when the pain appears, how long it lasts, pain scale 1-10, where pain radiates, quality of pain such as dull or sharp). You can also arrange to send me any recent lab work relevant to your case in advance of your appointment.