Stepping out of the traditional model of healthcare (whether it’s completely or if you’re just looking to augment your traditional care with natural methods) can make some people feel uncertain about what will be expected of them and how they will be treated. I have listed a few guidelines below but also make myself available to each of my clients via email and cell phone if there are additional question/concerns. Working with you in learning to read your body’s signals, feed it according to what it needs, exercise it according to its fitness levels and then trust its healing abilities are my goals.
A successful patient will:
Be committed to change from the outset. Compliance with the treatment plan is essential for a good outcome.
Be flexible in how you can be treated. We are always looking to treat the underlying cause of illness so that your whole body becomes healthier; which means your treatment plan may include treating areas of the body that you don't think need support.
Be patient. While we usually get some margin of improvement within a few weeks, and in many cases within a few days, natural medicine (and conventional medicine) can take months to finish its action.
Ask questions. Most naturopaths feel it is an important part of their job to answer questions. After all, the better you understand what is going on, the more committed you will be to it. Do not stop in mid-treatment just because you are feeling better. Even if you are feeling better, you are not necessarily healed. And often the symptoms will come back 2-3 months after you stopped the treatment and we have to start at the beginning again.
Communicate. Please tell us if things are going as expected or not. We have many different ways to treat conditions and sometimes it takes us a few tries to get the right one for you. After all, each person has a different constitution, so what works for 70% of people may not work for you.
Be completely candid. Often there is an emotional component to illness. If we don't know that you lost
your job, had plastic surgery or suffered the loss of a child a few months before the condition started, we won't be as effective because the emotional and physical stress of these seemingly unrelated situations often contribute to the illness.
Stay in touch. Treatment will progress much more quickly if I know what is going on while it’s going on. For example, ff you are experiencing detox symptoms that are too uncomfortable for you, please contact me as soon as possible. Do not wait until your follow-up appointment!