How an Integrative Medicine Doctor Transformed My Healthcare Expectations by Asking Me One Simple Question.

I’m sitting in the office, watching my new doctor as he reads over my medical history on his laptop. He squints over a passage here and there, asking me questions to make sure he’s got it right. 

I’m used to doctors looking at their computers. Heck, as a medical SLP I often have to stare at charts on a screen much longer than I’d prefer to. 

It's my first time being seen by an integrative medicine doctor, and so far it feels pretty standard. 

But it was what came next that surprised me. 

—We’ll come back to this story. But first, let me give you some background—

I’d grown to hate going to the doctor. I developed MAJOR white coat syndrome during the course of my pregnancy and the birth of my daughter. The large, impersonal OB practice I’d chosen for the occasion had been less than ideal, to say the least. 

Throughout my prenatal care, I rarely interacted with the same people. I felt like I was always being handled by strangers, having to re-explain myself at every single appointment. 

As if pregnancy isn’t exhausting enough on its own—

To top it off, I felt like no one I saw actually listened to me. They barely glanced up from their computers to even regard me. When they did, most of their comments were directed at my ever-expanding uterus. 

She can’t talk to you yet, I wanted to say. But I’m right here—

Their communication system was so broken, they dropped the ball on a pretty major issue—because no one bothered to contact me. When someone finally reached out—three weeks later!—they tried to play it off like it was NBD. 

Thank God, it all worked out in the end. But it got so bad I nearly switched providers at 32 weeks along. 

Just thinking of it now, I can still feel my blood pressure rising...

The whole experience left me feeling shaken and—I hate to say—somewhat doctor-averse. 

That was, until I was seen by an Integrative Medicine doctor. 

—Ok, back to the story—

I can feel myself actually shaking as I sit in the office, waiting to hear what he has to say. I feel the familiar dread of getting my blood pressure checked, knowing it’ll probably be sky-high between my uncontrolled anxiety and aforementioned white coat syndrome. 

I’m at a particularly fragile point in my life—trying to tread water in a life that feels like the ocean in a hurricane—and I truly need help. I feel exposed, like a raw nerve. I’ve drummed up the courage to reach out tentatively—scared that I’ll only be let down again. 

And then where will I turn??

He looks up from my chart. 

And smiles. 

“So, how are you feeling?” He asks, kindly. 

I take a breath. Then, I tell him the truth—That I’m struggling with postpartum, my demanding job, my mother’s health, my...everything. That I feel like I’m drowning in a sea of overwhelm and I can’t find the energy to swim to shore. 

I stop. Waiting. He’s looking at me. I brace myself for the usual platitudes and “take two of these pills and call me if you need”, one-size-fits-all kind of medical care I’ve gotten used to. 

But that’s not what happens. 

Instead, he starts a deep discussion with me about mental health. 

He asks me if I meditate, how much I exercise, gives me a handout with some herbs that have been shown to be effective in helping manage stress and anxiety. He provides a curated list of mental health professionals in the area. He teaches me a pranayama breathing exercise for managing anxiety.

He HELPS me. 

Because he LISTENS to me. 

We have a productive conversation that gets to the root of what I’m struggling with (which he also recognizes is bigger than just a physical ailment). And he provides several resources to help me move forward. 

Then, he asks me a question that actually renders me speechless— 

“What gets you out of bed in the morning? What makes you truly happy?”

I’ve never been asked something like this by a doctor before. 

For a moment, I don’t know how to answer. 

Then, I open my mouth and the words start pouring out. It’s as if the old me takes the wheel and I can suddenly feel what it’s like to be the best version of myself—the me I’m trying to remember how to be. 

He listens intently as I speak, nodding, hearing me. 

He gives me some time to make sure I’ve shared what I need with him.

Then, he takes what I’ve said and weaves it into a holistic, individualized wellness plan, based on my personal needs and goals. 

I was blown away. I’d come to accept that doctors didn’t really listen to me, so this departure certainly threw me off my rhythm—in a good way. 

I didn’t know it then, but I learned afterward—driven to learn more about my experience—that this type of care is what Integrative Medicine is all about. 

Let’s explore what distinguishes this medical model from the traditional one.

What is Integrative medicine and how is it different? 

Integrative medicine seeks to treat the whole person. It recognizes a person’s physical health and wellbeing can’t be separated from their emotional, spiritual, and even communal wellness. Integrative medicine practitioners believe a person’s health is an amalgam of all these factors. So they work to understand and account for all of these areas when providing treatment. 

Integrative medicine practitioners believe it’s crucial to work with their patients to gain a full understanding of anything impacting the healing process. They recognize “you are the expert on you” and work with patients’ self-knowledge to create individualized treatment plans that are specific and holistic. 

Integrative medicine draws from both conventional and alternative methods, believing both hold important insight and value for high-quality patient care. An integrative medicine practitioner won’t close the door on any potentially helpful approach, so long as it’s based in solid science and research. They’ll also take your personal preferences into account. 

Integrative medicine doctors prioritize less invasive, more natural treatments whenever possible. The focus of the IM model is on the prevention of illness and disease. Practitioners focus their energy on patient education and promoting healthy lifestyle habits. 

Modern healthcare has undertaken a shift to person-centered care. Integrative medicine is at the forefront of this transformation. The change is reflected in the very language medical providers now use to discuss patients and their issues. 

While some are quick to dismiss this trend as PC nonsense, they lack awareness of the negative impact of conflating a person with their diagnosis. 

In the past, medical parlance would designate someone a cancer patient or an autistic child. In contrast, today’s language of person-centered care refers to a person with cancer or a child with autism. 

The difference may seem small when taken at face value, but it’s not. The change transforms the verbiage of disability by acknowledging the diagnosis as secondary to the person who is experiencing it. 

A whole person can’t (and shouldn’t) be reduced to a diagnosis. Think about it—would you want your illness to literally define you?

Integrative medicine upholds the tenets of person-centered care by refusing to diminish a person into a medical diagnosis. Instead, IM works to understand people as a complex, holistic network of systems—each an important component of a whole. In this way, the IM model looks to dive deeper than surface symptoms, to understand and treat what lies beneath, and understand how the parts all fit together. 

Your integrative medicine doctor is just as likely to provide a referral to a mental health provider as another medical specialist. They’ll often provide info on dietary supplements and herbal remedies to assess how these work, before advocating more invasive interventions. 

My first experience with integrative medicine has stuck with me ever since, and it’s changed the way I look at (and for) medical providers. 

Now, I’ll always seek out integrative medicine providers, because I see the difference in the holistic care they offer, compared to the norm.  

I can still remember so clearly the shift I experienced after my first visit—

Leaving his office feeling more optimistic than I had in ages—with an action plan that I helped create—one that I believed I could actually follow and fold into my life.

And you know what? 

I did make those changes. And they did help. 

I write this today as a happier, healthier, and more well-adjusted version of myself than the one who walked into the doctor’s office that day. Exponentially so. 

And I know I couldn’t have gotten here alone. 

Are you an integrative medicine practitioner, focused on transforming healthcare for the better? You need a copywriter on your team who understands and values what you do. I love creating quality content to get your practice noticed online. Why not let me take some extra work off your plate? After all, you’re busy enough helping people get the care they need. Book a consult with me today and we can get started!