FAQ

I was trained by one of the pioneers in the field of functional medicine Dr. Dan Kalish. He is well respected in this field and has been practicing for over 25 years. We typically meet once a week to review labs so my clients have the added advantage of getting his input. The Kalish Method addresses the 5 most chronic health issues in today’s society:

1. Weight gain
2. Fatigue
3. Depression and other brain/mood imbalances
4. Hormone imbalances
5. Digestive system imbalances

These issues that are typically not well treated by conventional medicine practitioners who attempt to address the symptoms and not the root cause. The Kalish Method is a lab-based natural health protocol that tests and identifies the dysfunction of the 3 main body systems, neuroendocrine (hormones), digestive system, and detoxification system. The lab tests are used to determine the required natural support needed to restore proper function and bring the body back to a healthy more resilient state.

A large percentage of my focus is on using the power of the mind to heal the body. I teach meditation and highly encourage meditation and other meditation-like practices in your wellness plan. These practices trigger the body’s natural healing response, strengthen the immune system and enable your capacity to respond to mental/emotional, environmental and physical stress. You will learn exactly how these practices contribute to your healing and to maintaining a lifetime of health and vitality.

Your adrenal profile results will determine what stage of adrenal burnout you are in. My goal in addressing adrenal fatigue is two-fold; first to restore proper function to the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis and second, to nurture the tired adrenal glands back to health. I am looking to restore normal physiological levels of hormones as well as restoring the natural rhythm of their release. There is an art to doing this. The body does not release cortisol once a day and supplying the right dosages at the right time is key to restoring proper function.

Many clients notice energy and brain fog lift within the first two weeks, however this varies with each individual and others may take longer. By the time people come to see me they typically have been having symptoms for a number of years and the minimum program is about 6 months and could be as long as 12 months. Remeber, your body didn’t fail overnight. Years of stress and illness can take its toll and it takes a proper amount of time to repair. In general it takes about 1 month for every year you were sick. How well you adhere to the plan will determine how soon you begin to feel well.

Remember the difference between Functional Medicine and traditional medicine is that we are interested in uncovering the root cause to your health issues. So the initial consult is much longer than your traditional doctors visit. At a minimum it will take 1 hour but could be as long as 2 hours. We will discuss your personal health history and lifestyle. Based on this information Dr. Kat will recommend the appropriate lab tests that can be done in the privacy of your own home. Each person will be given educational material on health and nutrition and a resource guide describing simple and sustainable lifestyle principles (diet, sleep, stress management) for you to incorporate with the goal of keeping you in balance throughout your life. You will gain knowledge about how your body works so you are able to keep yourself well.

The number of labs recommended will depend on your individual situation including the number of issues you struggle with and the length of time you have been experiencing them, but the range is 1-4 lab tests. To get a good understanding of the health of your body systems I highly recommend 3 foundational labs.

Although it is recommended to take them all at once to get a more complete picture of your current health status it is not necessary. Having as much information as possible at the beginning of your program allows me to more fully understand the source or root cause of the issues you are experiencing. That being said my goal is to help you where you are and the last thing you need is another stress! We can design a program and plan that will test and treat the most important body system first so that you can stagger the tests. You can also inquire about a payment plan where you pay a certain amount each month until the tests are paid in full.

The laboratories I use are from small lab companies that specialize in Functional Medicine lab tests and are only able to sell test kits to licensed practitioners. Larger national labs and local hospital based labs are not helpful for these types of highly specialized tests.

The accuracy of your lab findings and the quality of the professionals performing the lab tests is the key to you uncovering what’s going on. Quality is not equal across all lab companies. Many times we see “normal” test results from regular lab companies and our lab tests find many “functional” problems. The lab companies I use have the highest testing standards and the most consistent lab results year after year. These are not replacements for regular medical tests, these tests are only used to detect “functional” issues rather than medical problems and aren’t meant to diagnose or recommend protocols for diseases. We are attempting to detect problems with the functioning of organ systems prior to the onset of a disease.

Depending on the type of test, the samples required are saliva, urine or stool. All tests are completed by the client through easy test kits that are self-administered in the comfort of your own home. I do not do any blood tests.

Depending on the lab test, the cost is $200-500 per lab kit and you can always start a program by ordering a single test.

The supplements I recommend are of the highest quality and manufactured from credible companies well versed in functional medicine. They have been formulated to achieve the best results in the right specified dosages. If you want to do your own research on different supplements, you are welcome to do so but I do not provide any other recommendations nor advice on other specific blends or brands. If you purchase other supplements from other manufacturers, please research carefully. Not all ingredients are equal.

Payment is due at time of the consultation. If paying by credit card, the card number is required to be on file with my office prior to the consultation. Checks are accepted if received prior to the consult.

If finances are an issue you can pay in monthly installments where you will be billed a certain amount of what you owe at the beginning of each month until your balance is paid in full.

If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, please notify my office a minimum of 24 hours before your scheduled time or you may be charged for that appointment. As a courtesy, my office will email you to confirm your appointment one day in advance.

We do not bill insurance companies; it is up to each individual to determine whether their insurance plan provides coverage for consultations, supplements and lab tests.

Per your request, we will provide a superbill to you that lists CPT and diagnosis codes that you may submit to your insurance company. Our superbills provide the codes for consultations and lab tests. Most insurance companies will not reimburse for supplements. Please note that we cannot guarantee reimbursement.

For couples can do a joint consultations of 1 hour to cover both people. For children of existing clients the initial consultation fees are waived. Please contact us for more details.

Depending on the results of your lab tests, I will use different dosages and combinations of DHEA, pregnenolone, and herbs, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals required for adrenal recovery.

These are natural, plant based products that support and balance the adrenal glands and are combined into customized wellness plans based on individual lab results.

The goal of the method that I use called the Kalish Method is to mimic the body’s natural reproduction of its own hormones and therefore I only use products that naturally occur in the body to restore your internal production of adrenal or other sex hormones.

Initial programs range anywhere from 3-6 months depending on the degree of your health condition and how well you follow your wellness plan. Treating multiple issues can sometimes take 6-18 months.

While retesting isn’t required, it is recommended that a client retest at the 6 month mark to measure improvement and adjust protocols if needed. Once a client has achieved their desired health results, we recommend annual testing to ensure your body systems continue functioning at their best. The goals is not to have you on the supplements indefinitely, retesting will helps us determine when you are ready to stop using them.

I am happy to answer brief questions you may have about your protocol or symptoms via email. If it is a complex question which requires further back and forth communication, I will recommend scheduling a 15 min. Consult.

I am committed to responding within 48 hours.

In working with clients over the past few years I’ve noticed those that are successful have similar attitudes:

1. I am willing to invest in my health.
2. I want to live my life, not let my life live me.
3. “I can do this!” attitude.
4. Sincere excitement and gratitude for even the small improvements (I have noticed my energy and mood are much better).
5. Willingness to change their old patterns/behaviors.
6. Willingness to ask for help.
7. Surrendering the need to control the situation