Do you feel as if something is missing in the care you are receiving, but you’re not sure what it is?

You may need a naturopathic doctor on your team. 

Naturopathic doctors are trained in 4-year accredited graduate-level medical schools and are the leaders in holistic health research and integrative and holistic healthcare practice.  (Not to be too bold here, but it’s true: naturopathic medicine is the fountain of knowledge from which many other ‘integrative medicine’ MD practices fill their wells.)  Our professional numbers are much smaller than many other disciplines, so our reputation is not always as well known. But though our numbers are small, we are mighty.

Collaborating with a virtual naturopathic doctor means gaining a professional partner and a guide toward your optimal health.

See below for some of the most common sentiments that people express when they are ready to work with a naturopathic doctor. Maybe you resonate with one or more of these experiences:

1. Feeling Traumatized by the Medical System, Needing to Rebuild Trust and Empowerment: Unfortunately, many people in the conventional medical system experience a version of medical trauma at some point in their care experience.  This can come in many forms such as feeling betrayed, diminished, or dismissed by a doctor, experiencing a lack of care that borders on negligence, or being mistreated due to the fragmented nature of the current system, or worse. Naturopathic doctors are here to help you make sense of what happened, learn about your symptoms and your medical history, and to help you rebuild trust in yourself, in medicine, and healing—on your own terms. Our goal is to empower you to become your own best advocate, ensuring that your concerns are heard and addressed with the respect they deserve.
   

2. Seeking a Well-Rounded, Whole Person Perspective on Your Health: Have you seen numerous specialists but feel as if your health is viewed in isolation or with a very narrow lens by each one? Naturopathic doctors take a holistic approach, considering the interconnectedness of many different symptoms and help you to understand and integrate the various kinds of care you’ve been receiving. This comprehensive viewpoint allows for a more nuanced understanding of your health, paving the way for you to choose the most impactful interventions.
   

3. Tired of Hearing “Your Labs Are Normal”: If you're frustrated by persistent symptoms despite "normal" lab results, a naturopathic doctor can help you delve deeper. We are trained to take a fine-tooth comb to the standard reference ranges on lab results.  Did you know that the ‘standard normal’ range for lab results is typically adjusted every so often to keep pace with the general trends in the overall population as a whole? Yet we all know that what we see in our society as ‘normal’ and ‘common’ is not always ‘optimal’ or ‘healthy’.  If you want to explore deeper potential causes of your symptoms, or you know that something is not quite right despite what the lab tests have been saying, enlist a naturopathic doctor to help you.
   

4. Seeking Deep-Level, Restorative Healing: If you're seeking more than just band-aid solutions, work with a naturopathic doctor.  Our training prioritizes foundational pillars of health. That means we have researched and learned the practices that will promote deep levels of change from the roots up. Often those kinds of changes are the hardest ones to make, so we’re prepared to help you get there step-by-step.
   

5. Wanting Relational, Personalized, Humane Care: Do you feel as if something is missing in your conventional healthcare?  It is very common for people new to naturopathic medicine to interrupt themselves during an Initial Visit to comment “Is this too much?”, expressing their surprise and shock about how much detail and nuance we are able to attend to.  The reality is, most people haven’t experienced the quality of care that comes from having a trained holistic doctor give undivided time and attention to getting to know their medical history, health challenges, goals, and experiences. If you haven’t worked with a naturopathic doctor yet, chances are that you just don’t know how much better it could be. And how much better you deserve it to be. For more on what it’s like to work together, check out “Working With a Naturopathic Doctor” and “Frequently Asked Questions”.
   

6. Gaining Clarity on Your Path Forward: Many people who are motivated to improve their health often research natural and holistic solutions for their symptoms, and may even spend significant time doing so.  But these days, the internet has become an echo chamber of wellness trends, and even research articles can be complex and/or biased.  It gets confusing quickly. And confusion leads to burnout and frustration. Working together with a trustworthy professional can help you get the clarity you are seeking so that you’re able to get on board with a plan and start putting approaches into practice. This collaborative approach ensures that you're not overwhelmed, that your journey towards health is supported and clear, and that you get where you want to go.
   

7. Confused or Overwhelmed Navigating the Options in the Alternative Healthcare Scene: I have a lot of compassion for patients trying to navigate the alternative healthcare landscape. It is confusing ! It’s hard to clear away the noise of loud marketing machines to determine which practitioners are trustworthy and professionally trained. If you feel you've done some helpful work with a provider but: (1) you're not sure it was as comprehensive or thorough as it needed to be; (2) you're still having symptoms; (3) you feel like you were put on a standard protocol or given rote-prescriptive advice, it may be time to dig deeper. Naturopathic doctors are trained in conventional medicine as well as holistic integrative approaches and are able to provide a thorough perspective on your health so you can determine the best next steps forward.
   

8. Feeling Ready to Level Up Your Quality of Life:   Many aspects of conventional medical care are helpful and well-intentioned, but the mainstream system is designed to handle the masses, not necessarily to attune to individual needs, restore health after chronic conditions, or help individuals reach their goals for optimal health. Are you feeling ready for a positive change in your overall quality of life? Studies show that enlisting professional support increases the likelihood of achieving your aspirations.

Collaborating with a naturopathic doctor goes beyond addressing symptoms; it's about transforming your approach to yourself and your health. And, this way of supporting yourself has side-benefits! We love watching the light bulbs go off as patients have epiphanies about themselves and what finally works best for their systems.  So, if you are seeking a more comprehensive, personalized, and empowering healthcare experience, a naturopathic doctor may be the missing link in your care team.