Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Chronic health conditions share many underlying features. The same principles we employ for complex situations can be used for simpler ones, often with much faster results. Our task is to look for the root or roots of your condition, always seeking to identify what is out of balance in the body, and finding ways to address those imbalances in a comprehensive manner without merely suppressing symptoms. People with complex chronic illness are often more sensitive than those without, often reacting in unexpected ways to the recommendations of their health practitioners. My work has given me a profound respect for the ways in which the little things can make a big difference, no matter how complex or seemingly simple the situation at hand.

It is entirely up to you how much information you would like to send me in advance of our first meeting. That said, it is often extremely valuable for me to review the history of your problem, including older laboratory results, prior treatment approaches, etc., especially if you have been struggling with this problem for a long time or if you have already seen a variety of health professionals in your attempt to solve it. I am a detective at heart and sometimes find clues in the past that can help move things forward.

No. Each person is a unique individual. In my experience, there is no one-size fits all protocol that can be helpful to each person, even if they have the same condition or set of symptoms. That said there are certain principles that guide my approach to each problem and my understanding of which things may be helpful to do in which order, as well as which things it may be wiser to avoid altogether.

No. I find it disconcerting when health practitioners insist that their own approach is the only approach that could ever work. As a coach and consultant, I will always encourage you to cultivate and refine your own deepest instincts. I believe that skill is a fundamental and oft-overlooked piece of true health. Unfortunately, many people override their misgivings about a course of action if a doctor or other expert is the one who recommended it; or they take a possibly promising idea off the table if someone respectable critiques it; or they assume that if something worked for someone else it is bound to work for them. As a coach and consultant, I may ask you to look closely at how you make decisions about your or your child’s health.

I will often make suggestions for both routine and specialty laboratory testing but as a consultant and a coach I do not order labs. It is always up to you to either ask your doctor to order lab tests that you wish to have or, in states that permit the direct to consumer purchase of laboratory tests*, to follow some simple instructions and place the order on your own. As a consultant, I can help you understand which tests may be covered by insurance if ordered by your doctor, which tests may be an out of pocket expense regardless of who orders; and I can help you understand your options. [* Some states, such as Maryland and New York, restrict the direct to consumer sale of lab work; other states, such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have restrictions around some but not all direct to consumer tests. If you live in one of those states, you may need a doctor’s authorization for any laboratory testing. In other US states, you are free to order lab tests on your own behalf].

Yes. I have been consulting around methylation profiles and functional nutrigenomics for more than a decade. More people and more health professionals are becoming familiar with the need to support MTHFR mutations, and that’s great. However, there is much more to methylation than that SNP. In addition, there is a lot of false and fear-based information about MTHFR mutations.

Yes and no. If you are looking to implement a specific detoxification protocol, then I am probably not the right practitioner for you. I may be able to point you to qualified or licensed practitioners in different disciplines or to different resources. I am also happy to discuss with you some pros and cons of the different things you are considering. My own approach involves optimizing the body’s natural ability to release what it is holding while rectifying certain imbalances. This is not to say that other forms of detoxification cannot be helpful or necessary at times. However, detoxification is demanding, especially if the body is already in a depleted, imbalanced, and nutrient poor state. Some people are so eager to detoxify that they misjudge the severity of key deficiencies and this rarely turns out well.

If you have been in the world of chronic illness for very long, you have probably encountered the phrases ‘tough nuts’ and ‘non-responders’ used to describe people, often children, who don’t seem to improve as easily as others. Where a problem is complex, people may find themselves attempting different protocols and treatments, visiting multiple specialists, and feeling lost when something that has worked for someone else does not make a difference in their situation (or worse it backfires). I don’t believe in ‘non-responders’. In my experience, there is always a rational intelligible explanation for a situation even if that explanation is difficult to identify or unwind. For that reason, I always enjoy working with ‘tough nuts’ and ‘non-responders.’ And if I am unable to help, I am sometimes able to find you someone who can.

I am committed to a truly bio-individual approach. I suggest an immune tolerant diet of whole foods to everyone, but people will have different requirements depending on their genetic and other predispositions, lifestyle, life phase, biochemical strengths and weaknesses, digestion, food allergies and sensitivities, and specific nutrient deficiencies or excesses. During our time together, I may make suggestions based on my observations of your situation, or encourage you to keep making improvements to your diet. However if you would like to implement a specific diet plan (such as GAPS, SCD, Paleo, etc.), or are looking for recipes, there are people better suited to help you do that.

Yes! I love collaborating with other health practitioners by phone, email, Skype, or in person. Many of my clients work with me this way.

The Documenting Hope Project is an exciting research initiative and pilot recovery project. You can learn more about the project and my role as Program Director at www.DocumentingHope.com or see the Documenting Hope section of this website. My ability to accept new clients may be limited once the program is fully underway. Work with existing clients can continue.