The first appointment is all about you and collecting your health history, specifically surrounding your main concerns. We get quite detailed on the history of the concerns, in an effort to put a clear picture together on what may be contributing to symptoms. We often say disease or syndrome states are multifactorial, meaning there are many things contributing to your current state of health. We focus on both internal and external stressors to tease out what areas we need to support. We always assess other systems that may or may not be part of your symptom picture, with a large focus on digestion and the menstrual cycle, as well as lifestyle habits. The history helps us develop a strategy of what labs or imaging we need to be done and any necessary referrals. 

Once we’ve established where you’re at, step one is always setting the foundations for what is to come. The foundations often lie in lifestyle, as well as correcting deficiencies (dietary, yes, but also sleep for example!) Your first treatment plan will include a lot of detailed information on lifestyle, sometimes accompanied by a supplement recommendation- be it nutraceutical or herbs. Once labs are reviewed at the first follow-up, we move to step 2 with a more targeted and specific treatment plan developed based on the additional detail the lab results provide. Treatment suggestions will often include a combination of lifestyle recommendations (diet, sleep habits, stress management, exercise etc.) with herbal supplementation, nutraceuticals (vitamins), acupuncture, and/or Mercier Therapy. If we’re addressing skin concerns, microneedling or cosmetic acupuncture will likely be involved as well.