+ Why should I go to a naturopathic medical doctor?

1. You want a doctor who will treat all of you, not just your illness. Naturopathic medical doctors (NMD) are trained to treat the whole person. This requires taking the time to listen and understand the genetic, environmental, and behavioral/lifestyle factors that can affect your health. At your initial appointment, you’ll spend up to an hour or more talking with your NMD.

2. You want personalized treatment. NMDs understand there is no one-size-fits-all treatment that works for everybody. After your visit with an NMD, you’ll leave the doctor’s office with a treatment plan uniquely tailored to you, your health status, your health goals, and your lifestyle.

3. You want to treat the root cause of an illness, not just the symptoms. Sometimes having trouble sleeping, aches and pains, strange or hard to treat skin rashes, and indigestion or stomach discomfort are symptoms of an underlying illness. While these symptoms can be managed, it’s more important to understand and treat the root cause—which is the focus of naturopathic medicine.

4. You want to actively participate in managing your own health. A NMD will help you learn what your body needs to get well and stay healthy. Patients have the opportunity to feel empowered and hopeful when they understand and are actively engaged in managing their own health.

5. You have chronic pain and don’t want to use pharmaceutical drugs such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or highly addictive opioids to manage it forever. Pain that lasts six months or more is more complex than acute pain and requires a holistic, long-term approach to manage. NDs are trained to work with you to determine which combination of therapies will work best for you to heal or manage your pain safely so that you can resume daily activities.

6. You have tried all conventional medical options for diagnosing and treating a health condition. Certain chronic health conditions that have symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, or gastrointestinal distress can be difficult to diagnose and treat, and can benefit from a holistic approach. NMDs use diagnostic tools common in conventional medicine, such as detailed health, disease, and prescription drug histories, physical exams, and targeted laboratory testing and imaging. NDs also consider detailed diet history, lifestyle habits and choices, exercise history, and social/emotional factors to assess patients’ needs. These approaches can open doors to new treatment pathways and options.

+ What kind of training and education does a naturopathic medical doctor have?

Licensed naturopathic medical doctors combine knowledge of the body’s natural healing properties with the rigors of modern science to focus on holistic, proactive prevention and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment. By using protocols that minimize the risk of harm, naturopathic physicians help facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health.

Naturopathic medical doctors can order specialty functional medicine labs, such as those for assessing digestive impairment, hormone imbalances, heavy metal and/or environmental toxin exposure, nutritional deficiencies, and adrenal dysregulation. They will evaluate your lab results in combination with your clinical presentation, your health history, and lifestyle and environment factors that might be preventing you from having optimal health.

NMDs treat all medical conditions and can provide both individual and family health care. Among the most common ailments they treat are allergies, chronic pain, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, obesity, respiratory conditions, heart disease, fertility problems, menopause, adrenal fatigue, cancer, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. NDs are trained to utilize prescription drugs, although the emphasis of naturopathic medicine is the use of natural healing agents. Naturopathic doctors attend a nationally accredited four-year, graduate-level program. Enrollment requires a bachelor's degree and completion of medical school prerequisite classes, similar to conventional allopathic and osteopathic medical schools.

When seeking medical care from a naturopathic doctor, it is important to select a doctor who has a naturopathic medical degree earned from an accredited, four-year, in-residence, naturopathic medical college and is licensed or certified.

+ What should I expect from my first visit?

During your first visit, your licensed naturopathic practitioner will take your health history, ask questions about your diet, stress levels, lifestyle habits and exercise, use of tobacco and alcohol, prescription drugs and supplements you are taking, and discuss the reasons you sought out a naturopathic doctor. He or she might also perform a physical examination and order specialty tests, as needed. Based on findings, the doctor will work with you to set up an individualized health plan and condition management strategy. If necessary, the doctor will refer you to other health care practitioners.

Naturopathic practitioners understand conventional medicine and use many of its diagnostic tools and treatments in their practices. They also bring an array of treatments and insights into treatment plans and health management strategies that typically are not taught in conventional medical schools and might not be available from a conventional medical doctor. One example is the use of plant-based medicines (botanicals). Used correctly, these medicines along with lifestyle changes can improve many aspects of a patient’s health.

Be prepared for your naturopathic doctor to focus on understanding the root causes of health symptoms you might be experiencing as well as your overall health and wellness goals. This takes time. As a result, your first visit might last an hour or more and follow-up visits could last 30 minutes or more, although this varies depending on the individual.

For your first visit please bring the new patient forms and a copy of any recent lab work or medical records you would like to have reviewed.

+ What should I expect from my FMT consultation?

Your consultation will include FMT preparation, safety, effectiveness, and how to prevent recurrence. Additional follow-up appointments help ensure complete healing and recovery.

+ If I don't live in Idaho, can we still work together?

Absolutely! We offer virtual natural health consultations for those who are unable to make it to the office or don't live in Idaho.

+ How does a virtual natural health consultation work?

If you prefer a virtual consultation, choose this option when booking. You will be sent a link to your secure video appointment at the time of your booking and 10 minutes before you appointment begins. At the end of your virtual consultation you will be sent a copy of your Health Plan (e.g. your individual recommendations), a link to our online medicinary (if supplements are needed), and an electronic invoice.

+ Where do I purchase my supplements?

Any supplements not purchased through our medicinary may be purchased through Fullscript. Any supplements you purchase from this site are of the highest quality and will contain our dosing recommendations. Supplements in the United states are poorly regulated, and by purchasing the recommended supplements, you are ensured quality.

+ What is your cancellation policy?

Last minute cancellations can be very difficult to fill, please give us 24 hours advance notice of any cancellation. If you cancel less than 24 hours before your appointment, you will be charged a fee of $50.

+ What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept exact cash, check (with photo ID) and all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover).

+ What is the difference between a naturopathic medical doctor and a homeopath or herbalist?

Naturopathic practice includes the following therapeutic modalities: nutritional medicine, botanical medicine, naturopathic physical medicine (including naturopathic manipulative therapy), public health measures, hygiene, counseling, and homeopathy; all used to optimize an individual's health.

+ Are naturopathic medical doctors licensed in Idaho?

Naturopathic medical doctors are newly licensed in Idaho as of July 2020. Drs. Cory and Mollie Szybala maintain their licensure in Idaho. This means that they are able to order labs and prescribe medications but it does not mean that insurance covers their services.