Naturopathic Medicine and Chinese Medicine are holistic systems of medicine. They recognize that mind, body and spirit are connected, and offer healing strategies that incorporate physical and emotional/energetic support. They are integrative in nature and work well with other conventional therapies, be they pharmaceutical medications, cognitive behavioral therapy, group and DBT therapy, EMDR, or other therapeutic interventions.
Many people express a desire to work with someone to better understand the root cause of their mental illness or mental health symptoms. My work with people is multi-dimensional: I want to honor their current relationship to self and mental health, rather than viewing it as a “defect” or “problem.” I also want to support individuals on their journey to feeling stable and well, in whatever form that may be.
Offer nutritional and other natural therapies to minimize side effects from psychiatric medications.
Recommend conventional and functional lab testing to understand how diet, hormones, thyroid, immune system, microbiome, environment, and nutritional levels may be impacting your mental health.
Recommend genomic testing to help understand which medications may be the best fit for you (if your psychiatrist has not already done so).
Offer focused nutrient therapies, herbal medicine, homeopathic medicine, and acupuncture to support mental and physical health.
Help you understand how nutrition impacts your mental health and provide individualized food-based recommendations to support your mind and body.
Offer dose reduction support or medication weaning support with focused nutrient supplementation, acupuncture, herbal medicine and hydrotherapy.
I find a team-based approach to care helps patients most, and so I encourage patients to be open and transparent with their health care team about what they’re taking - medications, vitamins, herbal medicines and other supplements. While health care providers may not always agree on treatment strategies, it’s important to have open discussion about your care, making sure to take into consideration your goals, values, and current support network.