A lot of people have never heard of naturopathic doctors or naturopathic medicine! If you feel like you are one of those people that's okay! I'm going to explain what this field is all about.
Naturopathic doctors use a natural approach that addresses the root cause of your brain health challenges to promote healthy living and to help you meet your health goals.
To illustrate a difference between a Psychotherapist and a Naturopathic Doctor (ND), a Psychotherapist will focus on mindset and altering thoughts to influence our bodies and lifestyles. However, an ND might look at how caring for our bodies can enhance our mindset through food, sleep, and other pathways. We focus on both the body and the mind!
My work focuses on brain health, and I'm not talking about a change in mindset or prescribing antidepressants (which I can't do anyways). I am talking about healing your brain health challenges at the root level so that you can feel good for a really, really long time.
In order for us to have great brain health, we have to optimize our mind and bodies at the same time so that we think, feel, and be our best. Only then will we see rapid improvement that is sustainable and long-term.
You might be thinking this all sounds great, but may be hesitant on whether or not it’s time to reach out to an ND. Here are five signs it’s time to book that consultation:
Sign #1: You want to understand the root cause of your suffering
Therapy can help to rewire your thinking, while medication can be great to help reduce the intensity of your difficult thoughts and emotions. However, if you do not get to the root cause of your issues, then no matter what coping mechanism you use, these negative feelings will resurface again because the real problem is not being addressed.
You need to ask yourself why you’re feeling anxious or why you’re feeling depressed instead of just immediately reverting to your regular coping mechanisms that do nothing for you in the long-term. A band-aid will not protect your gash against reality. An ND focuses on the root of the problem and will work with you to find a long-term solution to your current challenges.
Sign #2: Your body is not optimized
Sometimes we need to step outside of our mindsets, think outside of the box, and do things that aren’t in our comfort zone. This is how we grow.
Optimizing your body can look like eating healthy foods, moving your body, and making sure that you get enough rest. An ND is the perfect professional that can work with you and your body to help optimize your brain health. Your body is capable of amazing things if you give it the right support!
Sign #3: You know you need a long-term mental wellness plan
Maybe you have a set of coping mechanisms that you always use to avoid a total breakdown after a trigger or stressor. You find that these coping mechanisms were working for you, but then a challenge comes up or you go through a major transition in life, and then you find nothing working anymore.
This is a sign that you need to develop a long-term mental wellness plan that is filled with a list of initiatives and strategies to cope with pain and stressors no matter what challenges come up!
In my work, I usually have a few sessions with my clients to discuss what we can do to maintain all the growth and introspection we’ve done together to ensure that the progress holds up in the future. So when another challenge pops up again, they’ve gained the knowledge and tools they need to cope in a healthy way.
Sign #4: You’re working on your mindset and you still feel like crap.
What’s important to know is that you are not broken. You simply haven't found the right strategy that works for you yet!
Mindset work is important, but it cannot be your only focus. When stress, anxiety, and depression manifest through physical symptoms, that means that your body has to be cared for and optimized. ND's will look at both your mind and body so that you can feel your best as a whole.
Sign #5: You want a step-by-step strategy that actually works.
If you are sick and tired of being confused as to the best strategy to use to improve your brain health, then it's time to visit a Naturopathic Doctor. With all of my clients that I work with, I make sure that they are on a plan that will help them address the root cause of their brain health challenges. They are not confused about what to work on or where we are headed next because of this plan! The best part is that because of this strategy they achieve results FAST.
I offer a free 30 min consultation for more information on how we could work together to optimize your brain health. I am here to help you on your journey to heal your brain health so that you can step into the best version of yourself!