FAQ.

Your first appointment will be scheduled and you’ll receive your Initial Visit Paperwork via mail. The paperwork is quite extensive – Dr. Carri wants to know just about every detail of every area of your health and well being. You’ll fill this in ahead of time and bring it to your first appointment where you’ll meet with Dr. Carri for 50 minutes, go through a thorough history, and start to piece the puzzle of your case together.

Dr. Carri will request copies of your medical records to see what you’ve already been tested for, what wasn’t tested, and if your numbers are “just okay” or “ideal” for health from a Functional Medicine viewpoint.

Visits 1-3 are usually all about the Detective Work – running the right tests to find the underlying cause of your health problems. Then a treatment plan will be put together specifically for you and specifically designed to FIX the cause. This is usually a combination of lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, stress management, sleep) and the right supplements/herbs. Sometimes acupuncture and/or chiropractic are recommended, too. Every case is a little different.

Dr. Carri will explain every step of the way to you in plain, simple language. She’ll give you copies of all your tests for your records. She will explain what’s going on in your body…what’s out of balance…and how to fix it…with an estimated time frame and cost. You can ask as many questions as you like during your visits.

​Functional Medicine doctors know that your diet is the foundation of your health...and usually your illness, too. A good Functional Medicine doctor will always prescribe dietary advice based on your particular case and your particular health goals. Now, most health problems cannot be fixed by diet alone, so we're warning you about that upfront. By the time most patients see a Functional Medicine doctor their problem is chronic and long-standing and this means multiple nutrient deficiencies and imbalances are going on. Relying on diet alone to fix that mess is just not realistic. Supplements must be used while diet is being addressed for the fastest road to health recovery.  And don't worry -- a good Functional Medicine doctor won't have you eat a bunch of weird foods, either! (To be perfectly honest, that's a pet peeve of ours. We think it's only fair that if we won't eat it or drink it when we shouldn't ask you to, either.)

​A direct referral from another happy, satisfied patient is the BEST kind of proof. But, what if you don't have a direct referral? What if you find us on the internet? You can read our various Case Studies from real patients we've treated. You could also call and ask if you can speak to any of our patients that had a health complaint similar to yours. Most good Functional Medicine doctors have a slew of patients that would be more than happy to chat with you about their experience with their doctor... and their clinic. Now is your chance to get the scoop .. so ask them anything and everything -- the good, the bad, and the ugly! Getting another patient's experience and unbiased perspective can be very revealing about the doctor and the clinic staff. Testimonials are also a good source of proof. Except, most licensing boards do not allow the use of testimonials by real doctors. So, you won't see any testimonials on our website -- we're simply following the rules and regulations set by our licensing boards. Otherwise, all doctors would start looking like ambulance chasing lawyers. (Apologies to you if you're a lawyer and take offense to that joke!)

​You're probably already super busy with your job... your children... their activities... and grocery shopping....cooking...eating...sleeping...your favorite television shows... plus your hobbies. If you're like most people, convenience is a prime necessity for your busy life. We have evening appointments and weekend appointments. We also have phone appointments and secure video appointments.

Let me give you an analogy first: If you were hungry and had to choose from two restaurants would you choose the one that was super busy? Or the one that was empty? Busy, of course, or you risk food poisoning, right? The reality is our office is really busy so you’ll have to wait usually a few weeks minimum before you can get in to see Dr. Carri for your first visit. An office that has a waiting list for new patients is always a good sign of a great Functional Medicine doctor. Be a patient patient – it will be worth the wait!

This is one of the biggest scams, and is NOT considered REAL Functional Medicine. When you're told you need to do a panel of tests before your first visit... or the doctor needs you to do all kinds of tests for a comprehensive workup before your first meeting...this is code for SCAM. Don't fall for it. We are all biologically different and unique. Running the same tests on everyone across the board is a generic, one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare. And, like a one-size-fits-all tee shirt, it rarely works. Plus, it's unethical. period. Functional Medicine is by its very nature personalized medicine -- like a custom tailored suit. Dr. Carri will sit down with you first and take your complete history before ever deciding which tests are appropriate for your case. And, she will also review all your past tests -- any and all tests run by your family doctor and specialists -- before deciding which tests are appropriate for your case.

Some doctors think they don't need to do any testing on you because they can figure out your case just from your symptoms and a detailed history or questionnaire. In my opinion...if you'r doctor's not testing...that means they're GUESSING. And, they're wasting your time and money. In order to find the underlying causes of your health problem, a certain amount of testing must be performed to see what's out of balance... and what's not. (By the way, doctors that do not test either don't know what to test or are not comfortable with interpreting the test results - this means they've never been fully trained in the Functional Medicine approach. You don't want that type of doctor). Or, it's entirely possible that they fundamentally cannot legally even run tests because they're not even a real doctor, or they're practicing outside their scope of practice! (Crazy, I know... but I've seen it happen!) I will always have a plan for testing you and I will explain the pros and cons of testing based on your individual case so YOU can decide whether or not you want to go ahead with testing. Tests can be expensive...I know that. But, in order for find the underlying cause and not waste any more of your time and money, oftentimes the best investment in your health is running the right tests. Again, when you're not testing...you're guessing.

Not exactly. Sure, most naturopathic doctors learn some Functional Medicine (and by some I'm being generous!). A recent review of the top naturopathic medical schools revealed that only about 0.8% of naturopathic training is devoted to Functional Medicine. 0.8%! So, don't fall for the trap that "all naturopaths are trained in Functional Medicine." To make sure your Functional Medicine doctor actually has proper training in Functional medicine, visit the website for the Institute for Functional Medicine at www.FunctionalMedicine.org. A quick search will reveal if your doctor is properly trained in Functional Medicine or not.  PLUS, you'll see the year they did their training. This will give you an idea of their level of experience with practicing Functional Medicine. (For example, if you search for my name, you'll see I received my Functional Medicine training back in 2004.)

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