What to expect from your first visit?

First, it might help to understand my motivation in becoming a naturopathic doctor and then founding Gyaan Wellness.

Simply put, I wanted to create a space for patients to feel heard, safe and be empowered through education. I had worked and volunteered in the healthcare system for years and it taught me a lot. From seeing patients being stifled by “only 1 complaint per visit”, to being shuffled from doctor to doctor and not getting better.

I saw patients regularly who were in the early stages of developing diseases, but not being given the education about diet and lifestyle that could prevent it from progressing.

Unfortunately, the public healthcare system is not set up that way. Sadly, family doctors are overworked and do not have the time to devote an hour to each patient. That is why I love naturopathic medicine so much.

The first visit is 1 hour long, which allows me (or any naturopathic doctor) to dive into a patient’s medical history, family history, diet, lifestyle, and the issues that brought them in.

All this information helps my detective/medical brain figure out how everything is connected, and to treat the whole person, instead of just their symptoms. Once we come up with a treatment plan, we would schedule follow up visits based on when I expect to see improvement. We can even schedule them for regular intervals if the patient needs more hands-on treatment such as acupuncture.

Follow-up visits can range from 30-45 minutes, depending on whether the patient needs acupuncture or not.

Treatment plans can include any of the following:

·      Diet changes (foods to include/avoid & nutrient quantities to aim for)

·      Lifestyle changes (recommendations about amounts and types of physical activity, breathing exercises for mental health)

·      Supplements (vitamins, herbs, nutraceuticals)

·      Getting blood work done (to help with diagnosis or identify nutrient deficiencies)

·      Acupuncture (manual treatment done in clinic)

·      Discussion about sleep hygiene (how to optimize it for better sleep)

If you’re wondering what you need to book an appointment, here are some tips:

·      Take a list of any & all medications you are taking including name & dose (this helps the naturopathic doctor give you recommendations that don’t interact with these medications)

·      Take a list (or pictures of the bottles) of all the supplements, and vitamins you are taking

·      Request a FREE-15 minute consult to figure out if naturopathic care is right for you

·      If you’re confused about your blood test results, take those with you and the naturopath can explain what they mean!

·      Check your extended health care coverage/insurance to see how much of the visit’s cost is covered (it can range from 0-100% coverage)

If you’re worried about finding a licensed naturopathic doctor that is in good standing with the regulatory college, you can search them up here on Ontario’s public directory: https://cono.alinityapp.com/client/publicdirectory