Whether you have booked in already and are waiting for your first consult, or are still considering naturopathic medicine, welcome to the world of holistic healthcare!
Your first naturopathic appointment can be an enlightening and empowering experience, as it opens the door to a holistic approach to health and well-being. The field of complementary and alternative medicine can be quite diverse, and with this, it may be confusing as per what to expect from working with me. My ultimate goal is to get you feeling better, and with that, making sure you understand your own health picture as we know it. If you're curious about what to expect during your initial appointment with a naturopathic doctor, here is the overall structure of your first consult with me:
1. Thorough Intake and Assessment
As a major pillar of naturopathic medicine itself is getting to the root cause of illness, we spend the bulk of our first appointment together completing a detailed health intake. I am interested in the total picture of your health in its entirety- not just bits and pieces.
We spend more than half of the appointment together understanding your health history, daily habits and illness timelines, so be prepared to answer questions that extend past current medical diagnoses. I will definitely be asking about your sleep patterns, energy levels, exercise routines, and emotional well-being.
2. Review of Your Health Goals
After the intake, I usually get patients to list three health goals, and we develop a strategy together to address these things. Patients come in to the office for so many different reasons and goals come in all shapes and sizes- so this helps me get an understanding of what is the most important to you right now. I want you to feel involved in the care I am providing, and understanding your goals and motivations really help me to provide useful, tangible treatment strategies for you that are realistic in your life.
3. Treatment Plan: Next Steps
After intake is complete, I am laying out a combination of three things:
Lab testing- if necessary. Either we are sending you for labs right away or considering tests in the future- I am putting together recommendations for tests if necessary.
These can include LifeLabs testing the same as your family doctor would do, but also can include saliva, hair, urine and additional blood tests if need be.
Nutrition/Lifestyle changes. I am often suggesting 2-3 tangible things you can do right now for your situation. Sometimes it is a specific way of eating, sometimes it is changing up timing of meals or adding walks in on the days you are working from home- basically I am providing foundational nutrition or exercise changes between now and your next appointment.
Supplements. I am also recommending supplements based on your concern and your goals. Sometimes these are very acute, 2-3 week recommendations and in other cases might be 3-month protocols. If you are already taking supplements, we will also clean up your current regimen if need be. Majority of things I recommend can be found at your local health food store or supplement shop.
Other things to Note:
Acupuncture can also be a part of your plan if necessary. Acupuncture has many uses and may be suggested depending on your concern. There are certain health concerns where acupuncture really shines (namely fertility, peripheral neuropathy, and musculoskeletal concerns) and I detail what would be involved with acupuncture if it is a modality we choose.
At any time during your appointment, you are encouraged to ask questions. I want to make the experience as clear and as informative as possible, so we understand why we are doing the things we are doing, and you feel fully involved in your own health decision making!
What should I do in prep for the Initial Appointment? While 75 minutes seems like a long time, it does fly by when talking about your entire health history. To make the most out of our time together, I suggest you bring the following:
Copy of recent lab tests or imaging- within the past year
Updated list of medications
Updated list of supplements
Any specific questions you may have about your specific concern (it is completely ok to write them down!)
More questions? I am happy to meet you online or in-person! To book in your initial visit or complimentary 15-minute discovery call, you can do so via this link:
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