FAQ

Conventional/western medicine is trained to treat disease following a specific protocol regarding diet and medicines where most individuals are given the same treatment modality. Cost is often driven by insurance companies and governmental agencies. The “why” do I have…” is rarely investigated or addressed. Lab indices must be out of range for you to have a diagnosis. Once diagnosed, treatment per protocol can then be prescribed. The practitioner makes the decisions; the patient is expected to follow them.

Functional medicine looks at causes, or "what's behind" the symptoms experienced—addressing the "why?". We believe the body can heal itself, once provided with the proper tools to do so. Functional medicine evaluates and connects the dots of the whole person: mind, body, and spirit, addressing both preventive and root cause resolution of disease. Treatment is tailored for each individual based on their particular issue/s and needs. The client and practitioner have a partnership regarding treatment decisions to determine the best course of action and support along the way.

I take the time to get to know you and your health history as I don’t have a set number of patients, I have to see in a day for reimbursement standards.

I provide suggestions for support in the areas of nutrition, lifestyle, supplements, and possible additional functional tests, but you determine what you are willing to do. You are the decision maker—NOT me. I may review ALL of your lab indices and explain to you what they mean and what your body is telling you.

When was the last time your practitioner explained what %monocytes are? And yet it is part of a Complete Blood Count (CBC) that provides information as to what is going on in your body. I may suggest eating certain foods while cutting back or avoiding others, but my recommendations will be PERSONALIZED.

I won’t be giving you the same diet that perhaps hundreds have received from their practitioner. I may suggest specific supplements—nutrients that your body may be lacking or deficient in.

Medications certainly have their place, but why not start with something that doesn’t have pages and pages of possible side-effects? I may suggest deeper functional testing—tests that may determine what is going on in your gut—something that a colonoscopy won’t pick up on, or genetic testing, so we can personalize things according to YOUR genes. I also do most of my documentation outside of our visit—not during—so I can focus on YOU.

You will be asked to complete a lengthy health assessment as I want to know the story of YOU, from basically conception to current day. I pour over this information and begin formulating an idea as to what might be going on underneath those nagging symptoms and be prepared for our initial visit. I will ask additional questions, so I thoroughly understand what is going on with you and what you are feeling and experiencing. A thorough health history can unravel 80% of what’s going on. From there, I begin putting the pieces of the puzzle together and you will determine what you feel is the area/s to address first. We will then establish goals and action plans as to how you will accomplish your goal for health improvement. Follow-up sessions are generally two-four weeks later and will continue thereafter until you have reached your desired level of improvement.

Anywhere from 20-90 minutes.

I have been doing online telehealth sessions prior to COVID. People like that they don’t have to get dressed up or go out, especially in our MN winters! It has been great when clients want to show me food from their fridge or cupboard. You can’t do that in an office visit! But I will meet at a coffee shop or a public library if a face-to-face visit is desired, however, an additional travel fee will be added to the cost of the session.

I provide you with an MSQ—a form that you rate your various symptoms on. The goal is that your scores will decrease from visit to visit. It will also provide information in areas that may need to be addressed. A variety of other checkoff forms may also be provided regarding gut health, water intake, etc. so you can see the progress made. Changes in symptoms will also be key. Redoing labs and functional tests are another way to monitor “internal” progress.

That depends on how ill you are and how well you want to be. Your symptoms didn’t just spring up overnight. Disease begins internally and generally takes years before symptoms begin to manifest.

This is not a quick fix. If that’s what you’re looking for, I am not the practitioner to work with. Generally, it takes several months—often longer—to get to where you’d like to be healthwise.

It all depends on what your health goals are. If we determine your gut may be affecting your health, then a stool test might be in order. If you have a strong family history of heart disease, thyroid issues, and diabetes, you may want to have genetic testing done.

You certainly can, however, I recommend products through my online pharmacy Fullscript. Why? Because they provide high quality grade supplements that are rarely found in a grocery, pharmacy or supplement stores. These products are manufactured according to the strictest quality standards, so I know you will get what the label says you are getting and that the products aren't contaminated with heavy metals, bacteria, pesticides, or animal excrement. They are also inspected and tested by third party programs. I put my trust in these high-quality products not only for myself but for my clients to provide the best possible health outcomes.  When it comes to supplements, you truly get what you pay for. I also personalize every supplement I suggest my clients take to ensure it is the best product for them.

I have, but this isn’t my area of expertise.

The body is designed to heal itself. It all depends on the health issues you are dealing with, how serious you are in following nutrition, supplement, and lifestyle recommendations and how well your body is at detoxifying, absorbing nutrients, etc. You should notice some changes within the first couple of weeks if not sooner. Sometimes you don’t realize how bad you were feeling until you start feeling better!

I can design a personalized menu for you that include recipes and shopping lists, based on your health needs, and food likes and dislikes. If you’d rather develop you own plan but are looking for new ideas or healthy recipes, I can provide you with clean eating recipes and a blank meal plan and you’re ready to rock and roll!

I specialize in weight management, diabetes, developmental disabilities, menu planning, lab value and functional testing interpretation and immunity. I’ve worked with individuals with gut disorders, thyroid issues, mold, COVID long-haulers and cancer. I continue to enhance my knowledge and skills as I take functional medicine courses weekly.

You will receive a Good Faith Estimate prior to your initial assessment as required by law, for all possible charges that could be incurred for this and any future appointments.

Not currently. I do however accept payment from a Health Savings Account (HSA).

Most insurance covers nutrition counseling if deemed necessary and preventative health is generally not covered. I don’t believe people should wait to become ill or someone else to determine when nutrition intervention and support should occur. I do offer a Superbill, which can be submitted to your insurance company after I have received payment. A referral from your provider and a diagnosis code is required for me to process this paperwork. There is no guarantee that your insurance company will pay for the services. You will want to check with them in advance.

Yes!

All my communication is through a HIPAA-secure site called Healthie. All you need is a login and password and you’re all set.