How can micronutrient and lifestyle therapy help with depression?

A number of benefits are available from participating in this type of therapy. Dr. Elle is a Naturopathic Practitioner and Educator who can provide support to balance the body, alleviate symptoms, achieve and maintain mental wellness. These enhanced strategies for issues such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, unresolved childhood issues, grief, stress management will help the mind-body actually balance and heal, not just mask the symptoms. Many people also find that Dr. Elle can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, grief and forgiveness of the past, as well as coping skills for the hassles of daily life. The benefits you obtain will depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn.

It is important to understand that you will get better results if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of this specialized therapy is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Only you can heal yourself. No one else can heal you or do the work for you. Therefore, beyond the work you do in the sessions with Dr. Elle, she will suggest things you can do to support your process of healing – such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, eating certain foods, detoxifying, exercising, meditating, and taking action toward your goals. People seeking help from Dr. Elle are ready to make positive changes, and are open to new perspectives and take responsibility for their lives.

What about medication vs. micronutrient and lifestyle therapy?

Dr. Elle does not use conventional medication or drug therapy. She is not a primary care medical doctor, does not write prescriptions for pharmaceuticals or medication, and uses only non-drug therapies and remedies. Dr. Elle is a Naturopathic doctor, Homeopath, Energy Medicine practitioner, and Holistic Nutritionist. The only known side-effects to her therapies and recommendations are health and happiness.

A trip to your MD with a case of depression/anxiety will likely get you a prescription for one or multiple drugs. SSRI’s (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressant, used for both disorders; better known as Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Luvox, Paxil and Zoloft.

The global antidepressant market has an estimated growth to approximately 13.4 billion dollars by 2021. Antidepressants are prescribed at a rate of 400 times what they were 20 years ago. We really need to get to the bottom of what is going on – what ARE these drugs doing for people – are antidepressants the promising answer for everyone? A 2010 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that in many cases: for someone who experiences what is known as mild or moderate anxiety or depression; SSRI’s are no more effective in treatment than a placebo pill. That’s actually rather frightening, considering millions of people are taking an over-prescribed drug that may not even be working for them, and if the drugs aren’t helping, you may feel as if you’re destined to experience this, for life (not to mention the toll that these drugs take on your body).

The answer for many mild to moderate cases of anxiety and depression should not be to pop a prescription pill and expect to feel like a ray of sunshine – we need to explore the root cause of what is going on. As hard as it is to read between the lines of anxiety and depression, there are different modalities in which you can support your body, mind and spirit.

There is a time and a place for Western Medicine, and for many cases of severe anxiety and depression, medications may be life-saving. However sometimes it may serve the benefit of questioning a simplistic diagnosis after discussing your condition for only a short time with a rushed practitioner.

If you are looking to get to the root cause of your anxiety and depression, and get on track to thrive and be vibrant, Dr. Elle can offer some promising solutions which have been shown to positively improve both disorders.

Do you take insurance, and how does that work?

People frequently ask us whether or not naturopathic medicine is covered by insurance and, if it isn’t, “Why not?” We hope that this information will be thought-provoking and will inspire you to take a serious look at your health care choices and consider naturopathic medicine as an option for you, if you have not already done so.

Because Dr. Elle does not believe that her time spent with her clients as well as the therapies and remedies that she chooses to use should be dictated by and severely limited to those that benefit the bottom line of an insurance provider, therefore Mind Your Body LLC does not accept insurance. All fees are private pay. Sliding scale is offered on an as-needed basis. We can provide you with the proper statements and receipts so that you can submit them to your insurance carrier for reimbursement. Please check with your insurance provider for information on reimbursement of your costs for seeing a naturopath.

Is naturopathic medicine really that different from orthodox medicine?

The answer is an emphatic, resounding “yes”!

• A naturopathic doctor looks at you as a whole, unique human being. Orthodox medical doctors generally address only your immediate complaint and typically do not link it with the rest of your health, and certainly not with the mind-body connection.
• Naturopathic medicine is based on the principle of “Vis Medicatrix Naturae”, the healing power of nature. We believe in each organism’s ability to heal itself. When, for one reason or another, the organism is not able to do this effectively, we use the most natural and least toxic stimulus possible to lead the body in that direction. As naturopaths, our goal is to work with the organism’s inherent healing process rather to against it. Certain herbs and nutrients are effectively used as antibiotics, antifungals, anti-inflammatories, etc., without the severe and dangerous side-effects routinely experienced by those taking pharmaceuticals.
• Naturopaths believe that, for healing to occur, one must live according to the laws of nature. We encourage you to eat well, exercise, and live in harmony with the environment. This is quite different from a conventionally trained physician who may see someone who is obese, depressed, has received two coronary bypass surgeries, takes three different antidepressants, but never tells their patient to stop smoking or give up cookies and donuts, and to put their iPhones down and go for a walk with a friend or loved one, including the four-legged furry kind.

Are naturopaths really doctors?

Again, a resounding YES!

Naturopathic physicians attend four years of naturopathic medical school at a minimum. We use the same textbooks as in orthodox medical schools, but many of us also go on to become certified herbalists, homeopaths, and nutritionists, which is very different than what orthodox medical school teaches.  Naturopaths are licensed in Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, Connecticut, Arizona, Washington D.C., and Alaska and we hope that number of licensed states will increase.  However, naturopathic doctors can practice in nearly every state, even if that state does not offer licensure.

See the Principals of Naturopathic Medicine below.

Are our sessions confidential?

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between any practitioner and client, or doctor and patient.  Success requires a high degree of trust with highly sensitive subject matter that is usually not discussed anywhere but with the practitioner during a session. Every practitioner should provide you with a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone.  This is called “Informed Consent”.  Sometimes, however, you may want to share information or give an update to someone on your healthcare team (your Primary Care Physician), but by law we cannot release this information without first obtaining your written permission.

Most state law and professional ethics require practitioners to maintain confidentiality except for the following situations:

• Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.
• If the practitioner has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threated to harm another person.

Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is a holistic approach to healthcare.

Naturopathic doctors are the general practitioners of natural medicine who deliver healthcare following these naturopathic principles:

• Identify and treat the root cause of illness and imbalance
• Provide natural therapies and remedies that will heal and balance with the least amount of force, side effects and symptom suppression
• Encourage the body’s natural ability to heal itself
• Teach healthy lifestyle choices in order to prevent disease
• Individualize treatment to unify and balance physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

You can expect healthcare that treats you in a way conventional medicine does not — as a whole and unique person with your own individual health needs. Treatment plans take a global approach to address the root of your health concerns. Very often there is an associated cause for conditions that, at first, appear unrelated, such as the connection between your gut and depression/anxiety, or arthritis and systemic inflammation caused by improper nutrition.

Naturopathic medicine encompasses many different therapeutic tools to provide you with a well-rounded and comprehensive treatment plan. Different treatments enhance each other when used together and having many tools available means that your treatment can adapt to your changing needs. Therefore ND’s can fully maximize the benefits that you receive.