Find the Best Functional Medicine Practitioner in San Francisco
Functional medicine doctors help their patients identify the root cause behind an illness and achieve results quickly and sustainably. If you’re searching for a functional medicine doctor or practitioner in San Francisco, you may be overwhelmed by all the options.
You have friends telling you about their favorite doctors. Google is targeting you with health-related ads based on your search history. And too many resources simply list practitioners and their contact information – that’s not helpful!
From a trusted functional medicine practitioner in San Francisco, here’s how to get started with your functional medicine search.
1. Assess Your Goals
Before pursuing any method of healthcare treatment, pause for some self-reflection. Think about your current health situation:
How do you feel on a daily basis?
Why are you dissatisfied with your health?
What are your goals for pursuing treatment?
How do you want to feel after working with a functional medicine doctor?
These questions will guide you as you learn more about functional medicine in San Francisco and make decisions about which provider to work with.
Also, most practitioner will ask you similar questions during your first appointment or consultation. Instead of coming up with answers on the spot, write down your basic health information so you can refer to it easily.
2. Learn How to Research New Doctors
Finding functional medicine practitioners can be a daunting process. Maybe this hurdle has stopped you from pursuing treatment altogether!
Remember that once you get over this initial “hurdle,” you’re already on your way to receiving the help you need and feeling your best.
Start with a simple Google search: “functional medicine in San Francisco” or “Functional health and healing.” Or, if you know someone who sees a functional medicine doctor, ask for recommendations. Finally, the IFM website is a goldmine of functional medicine resources.
Functional medicine is widely practiced across the United States, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a doctor near you. If you’re unable to find a clinician in a convenient location, don’t give up! Many functional medicine doctors offer their services virtually, so there’s an option for everyone.
3. Create a Healthcare Checklist
Once you find a functional medicine doctor, it’s important to make sure that they’re a good fit for you. Consider these aspects of functional medicine in San Francisco:
A credible practitioner. Don’t believe the myth that functional medicine doctors have zero credentials or any formal level training. Most functional medicine practitioners start off as traditional doctors or medical practitioners and then receive additional training in functional medicine. At Functional Health and Healing, Clare Cattarin has MSN, FNP, IFM-CP, and S-CP credentials. (Read more about Clare’s training right here). It’s important to select a functional medicine practitioners that has adequate training and experience.
Patient-centered care. One core difference between traditional and functional medicine is a patient-centered approach. Many traditional doctors are frustrating to work with, as patients struggle to get in for appointments, are rushed through appointments, and don’t get to build a quality doctor-patient relationship. Functional medicine practitioners like Clare Cattarin keep their practices smaller and treat each patient uniquely.
Types of services provided. Refer back to your health goals list and compare it with the services provided by functional medicine doctors in San Francisco. For example, if you’re looking for help with gut health, make sure your potential functional medicine partner offers nutrition coaching and gut health services.
Positive reviews. There’s no better way of gauging the quality of a functional medicine doctor than hearing directly from patients! Most functional medicine practitioners have testimonials or reviews displayed on their websites like our testimonial page. It’s empowering to hear from other patients who have also walked through health problems and have experienced healing through functional medicine.
Finances. Functional medicine is now more affordable than ever. However, it’s a good idea to look into payment plans and insurance coverage. Most functional medicine doctors have multiple payment options available on their websites. Even better, they work hard to avoid surprise bills and may submit superbills to insurance companies
4. Schedule a Consultation
If you find a functional medicine doctor that checks all the boxes, the next step is to schedule a consultation. Most doctors provide a free consultation call. Our practice has an online assessment where you can tell us more about your unique health situation.
Take advantage of these free resources to learn more about a functional medicine practice, share your health situation, and see if you would be a good fit.
The Next Step? Your First Visit
If you decide to pursue treatment with a functional medicine practitioner in San Francisco, you’ll start by scheduling an initial consultation.
At your first appointment with Functional Health and Healing, we’ll dive into your personal health history and current lifestyle habits. Nutrition, exercise, environmental toxins, mental health, and genetics are some of the key factors we examine. The goal is to see if we’re a good fit for each other.
From there we recommend a full heal assessment plus diagnostic testing to gauge information about possible imbalances, allergies, infections, and other health complications that may be causing your health problems.
Once we identify the root cause behind your health problems, we’ll attack that health issue at the source. We’ll craft nutrition, lifestyle, and stress management plans that are 100% unique to you. Our professionals will work alongside you to help you achieve your health goals and get back to feeling better again.
Functional Medicine in San Francisco
Functional Health and Healing provides empowering, comprehensive care that gets to the root cause of your disease and helps you see results quickly. Read more about our practice and begin your free consultation on our website.
