Your First Visit / What to Expect

At your first visit you will receive an introduction to the clinic and to the philosophy of Naturopathic Medicine. This first visit is intended to provide an open and caring space to better understand you and your interaction with your specific environment through an extensive information-gathering and evaluation process. We outline your personal goals and strategies; and develop a unique, individual wellness plan for you.

First Appointment: approximately 90 minutes

Our first appointment is focused on getting to know you and determining how we can best help you.

This is done by completing a thorough intake form and interview, which includes detailed questions regarding your current health, medical history, social history and psycho-emotional well-being. We are interested in knowing as much about you in order to determine the most appropriate approach for treatment. Any pertinent physical examination will be done. Further lab testing or special functional metabolic testing may be ordered to provide greater insight into your current health. Once this is established we will educate you on how environmental factors such as lifestyle, diet, exercise, stress, and relationships may be impacting you and what we feel is the best approach to take.

We promote and support our client’s full participation in their healing process, recognizing that it is themselves who possess the innate wisdom and knowledge to heal from within. We simply serve as guides and support you during this process. As integrative healthcare practitioners, NDs collaborate with other doctors you may be seeing to ensure the best care for you.

Follow-up Visit: approximately 45 minutes

During your follow-up visit we will review your progress, any labs or new information received and answer any questions you may have at this point. Your ND will have spent time reviewing your first visit and established a long and short-term plan that involves exercise, diet, and the appropriate naturopathic interventions. Often times a homeopathic medicine may be administered at this point to address your unique constitution or more specific details may be acquired for this purpose. Goals for prevention and long-term wellness will be discussed.

Continuity of Care: as needed

Naturopathic Medicine is a journey to wellness and a deepening knowledge of oneself and our bodies. During your first two visits a personal wellness plan will have been established for you in order to address your main concerns and to help restore and optimize your health.  Acute conditions such as influenza will resolve rapidly, but chronic conditions such as arthritis or depression respond better to on-going therapy. Patients with multiple health issues often require care lasting for weeks or months. After you become well, we encourage you to come in for a seasonal rebalancing. This allows us to continue to serve you by emphasizing our principle of prevention. We make you better health an ongoing priority.