A's for your Q's

What is the difference between VIP Mentorship and Wellness Consultations?

VIP Mentorship involves monthly consultations to help a Mentee continue to adjust their treatment strategy, however, unlike with single Wellness Consultations, a Mentee has the privilege to private message me throughout the month in Membership to ask questions, get testwork reviewed, plus access to discounts throughout the month. VIP Mentorship is predominantly for helping patients manage very complex conditions, such as autoimmune disease management. Wellness Consultations can be chosen by these patients too, but it is more challenging for them to get enough momentum in their progress compared to being a Mentee.

Why do I need to apply and have a Discovery Call for VIP Mentorship?

VIP Mentorship is not only a big energy investment of the Mentee, but also of the Mentor, me. I can only take on a few new Mentees each month so that I can continue to give them high touch, quality care. Therefore, it is essential that an interested person is fully aware of the cost of Mentorship and what's entailed, as written in the Application, BEFORE they are granted a free Discovery Call with me. If it looks to be a good fit for my skills, you will be offered a Discovery Call. If I feel a described medical condition is beyond my skill-set to manage, I will decline working together at this time and do my best to give a quality referral instead.

Do you do virtual consultations?

Yes, I do offer virtual consultations through a HIPA and PIPEDA compliant business app called Practice Better. Virtual consultations are of course important for patients who do not live in Lethbridge, AB, but many who do live locally still love the option of a virtual visit in some situations. Currently, I can work virtually with anyone in the world with my training in Functional Medicine.

What other services are available besides in person services?

I have a growing collection of courses available to purchase, including a developing Gutsy Gals Starter Kit collection and my Design Your Stunning Life Workshop. There are also some free pdfs available. You can find all of these extra services in the HEALTHY STUFF section of this website, under COURSES & PDFs.

What services are most involved in fertility management?

I request purchasing the Comprehensive Bloodwork Package and Wellness Consultations for each person of the couple so that a treatment plan can be better developed and monitored.

Rarely do I only work with the woman in fertility cases since it takes two people being healthy to have a healthy baby. I work only with a women on their own for surrogacy and egg donation. In some fertility cases when autoimmunity is poorly managed, I strongly recommend VIP Mentorship to get best results.

Do you work with couples for fertility?

Yes, I prefer to work with both the man and woman when helping them conceive babies. It takes two people to make a baby, and the health of each partner is very important when aiming to have a healthy pregnancy and child.

Male fertility issues account for an estimated 40% of fertility struggles for couples. This is a staggering statistic that is unfortunately not addressed as often as is warranted AND is increasing! Most attention is focused on the woman’s health rather than also on the man’s. Men have cycles too, but for sperm development, and they are about 3 months long. Men’s cycles tend to be simpler to manage than for the more complicated cycles of women, and men generally respond quite well to herbs and nutrition once they are on board with needing treatment. I work with men with testicular issues, vasectomy reversal, autoantibodies, and much more.

Mostly, however, I end up working with the women at first before the men agree to do investigations into their quality of health. It is most common to hear that infertility mostly applies to women. While this is statistically considered accurate, the difference is not by a great percentage.

So, I like to work with both partners when possible.

For those couples doing IVF to conceive, it is still very important to nurture the health of both individuals before engaging in the procedures. Conception rates significantly increase when they do, research has shown.

Then, finally, if a woman is interested in egg donation or surrogacy, I do not need to work with couples, just her.  

To work with me, contact me to be sure how to proceed with your YOUnique case. Consultations are not generally done as a couple, but individually.

What is your success rate with fertility management?

This question requires some background. Please keep in mind that women in many different situations request my services; some with much more challenging circumstances than others. I may have a woman in her early twenties with only a few years suffering with PCOS (now named PMOS) that is fairly easy to treat versus a 39 year old with a history of severe endometriosis that is a much more challenging case. Each woman’s chances of success starting off are very different from each other. I’ve had some tough cases become successes, and others that seemed simpler that did not succeed. Plus, I do not regularly see easy cases. I’m often the practitioner someone sees after they think they’ve done everything else and are about to give up. Gratefully, I really enjoy that challenge! Even with those odds stacked against me, my clinical success rate for helping ladies become pregnant is currently around 75%. This is high, but I will tell you that it is that high in large part because of the incredible efforts women and men tend to put into implementing their treatment plans.  

What is your cancellation and no-show policy?

One missed appointment is forgiven. But, if it happens a second time, patients are subject to a $55 cancellation fee for missed appointments or cancellations less than 24 hours prior to the appointment, unless there is an emergency. If you can give us adequate notice of a cancellation, I can usually give the appointment time to someone else who would like it. Some day you may be one of those people!  

Do you direct bill insurance companies?

Most insurance companies in Canada cover all or at least a portion of the cost for Acupuncture treatments by an Alberta Registered Doctor of Acupuncture (DrAc), like myself. At the time of your visit, we can Direct Bill your insurance provider to learn if your treatment will be covered and to what extent. However, we will not be able to determine how much money you are allotted for treatments. If your insurance company does not cover Acupuncture services, you are responsible to pay the cost of treatments at time of service. My advice is to call your insurance provider prior to your visit to be sure of coverage.  

In Canada, at this time, insurance will not cover Momentum Consultations, Wellness Consultations or functional testing EXCEPT if you have a health spending account to submit to. We cannot submit these receipts on your behalf; you must do so.

In Canada, bloodwork is subsidized by the government. However, the patient will need to pay out of pocket for my review of results. Invoices for this service can be submitted to a health spending account with their insurance company, if available, otherwise, at this time, Functional Medicine services are not covered directly by insurance.