FAQ's

• How do I work with Dr. Andrea and her team? 

To start we suggest a free 15-minute consultation to make sure that we are a good fit for one another or you can dive right into the Foundational Pillar Course. This is the key starting point for anyone we work with. These foundations are what will get you ready to start tackling current health concerns and/or getting you to your best health. 

The next step would then be to set up your introductory appointment where we deep dive into what your health concerns and goals are to create a customized plan. After this appointment, you can sign up for our 6-month health coaching program or set up a la carte follow-up appointments based on your personal needs. 

It's our goal to help you achieve your best health and personal goals while guiding and teaching you life-long things to incorporate into your daily routine.

 

• What is the cancellation policy?

If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, we ask that you do so at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. If a reschedule or cancellation is submitted after that timeframe, you may be charged the full amount of your appointment fee and will not qualify for a refund.

 

• Can I use my Insurance for appointments or labs?

Due to the individualized nature of this approach, insurance typically does not cover these services. All of our appointments and lab tests are cash-pay, and payment is required at the time of service. However you can use an HSA/FSA card if you have either of these accounts, as well as credit, debit, and other major forms of payment. If you would like us to send you an itemized receipt after your appointment that you can try submitting to your insurance company on your own, let us know and we can send this to you upon request.

 

• Virtual vs In-Person Appointments

We offer in-person appointments at our office in Charlotte, NC, as well as virtual appointments via Zoom so that we are able to work with people in any location across the country. Please make sure that you double check which type of appointment you made, and if you need to reschedule or make any changes you can do so directly from the confirmation email that you receive from Practice Better. If you scheduled a virtual appointment, you will receive a Zoom link in your email confirmation and you also have access to this in your Practice Better portal. Please sign in a few minutes before your scheduled appointment time to make sure that you are able to login without any issues.

 

• Our Personalized Private Client Portal

We use a platform called Practice Better which will be your personal client portal, whether you are seeing us in person, virtually, or are a part of one of our health coaching programs. You will receive an email invitation from Practice Better where you can set up your own client portal once you have scheduled your initial appointment.

There is a Practice Better app that you can download on your phone which makes it convenient for you to access, or you can also login to the portal from the web browser on your phone, computer or another device. This portal is where you can schedule your follow up appointments, sessions with your health coach, access any recommendations / protocols that we provide for you, access lab results, or to send a message to a member of our team if you need assistance. 

 

• How long does it take to start feeling better or notice improvements?

Everyone’s health journey looks different, and how long it takes to see results is usually dependent on the time and effort that is put in, willingness to make the recommended lifestyle changes, other factors such as stress, and it also depends on how severe or how long an issue has been going on.  

Usually imbalances, toxicity, and other underlying root causes have been developing in the body long before we see symptoms, so we can’t expect to resolve all of our problems overnight. If you commit to making the changes and following the recommended steps, many people start to see positive changes in just a few weeks or less! However, true healing is a process, and the clients that see the most success are the ones who are patient with the process and really commit to a lifestyle of healthy habits and behaviors every single day, not just for a short period of time.

 

• Do you prescribe medications?

No. We do not prescribe or make recommendations about prescription medications or controlled substances. Your prescribing medical doctor will manage any medications. We use natural, noninvasive methods such as nutritional therapy, supplements, stress management, and lifestyle techniques to discover and address the root causes of your personal health concerns and promote optimal body function and your best health.

 

• What costs can I expect throughout this process?

Appointments: Our goal is to make functional health services as affordable as possible, so that as many people as possible have access to the benefits that it can provide. After your initial appointment, it is typically most beneficial to schedule follow up appointments every 4-8 weeks to make sure things are going well, answer any questions that you might have, and/or make any necessary adjustments to your protocol and recommendations. Once you have seen improvements and/or don’t need to check-in as often, many people choose to see Dr. Andrea every 3-6 months, or as often as needed to maintain your health goals or address new concerns as they arise.

Lab Testing: The only other costs that you can expect would be from any lab tests or supplementation that are recommended based on your unique needs and goals. While everyone’s needs are different, a comprehensive blood work panel can cost around $100-200, and more advanced specialty tests can range from $300-600, depending on the test. None of these tests are required in order to work with Dr. Andrea, she will discuss any options that may be beneficial for you, and together you can choose whatever will work best with your budget.

Supplementation: When it comes to supplement quality, usually the best, safest, and most effective supplements are more expensive than what you will find at your local drugstore, health food store, or on Amazon. Supplement quality is extremely important, and we are committed to only recommending supplements that are of the highest quality, third party tested for contaminants and toxins, and have the research to support their ingredients and formulations. We will provide any supplement recommendations via trusted online dispensaries like Fullscript, or directly through accounts with our favorite, most trusted supplement companies. 

We suggest that clients avoid purchasing supplements from Amazon or from drugstores/health food stores where the brands and ingredients are not regulated, and often contain harmful contaminants even if they seem “safe”. If you have a limited budget and need to stick within a certain pricepoint, please let us know and we will be happy to help you choose the most affordable options that will still be of the highest quality, and will provide you with the most benefits.

Our philosophy on supplements is “Less is More”, so we are always aiming to have you taking the least amount of supplements possible to help you reach your health goals. We find that many people are actually taking a long list of low quality supplements that are not effective or being absorbed properly, and are often a waste of money. By taking only the most beneficial supplements for you and getting rid of the rest, we find that we are actually able to help people save money on their supplements in the long run.

 

• Can Dr. Andrea replace my primary care physician?

Our services are considered to be functional health and wellness consultations and not medical visits, so this is intended to be adjunctive care to your traditional primary care visits. We are not diagnosing medical conditions or treating disease, our goal is to look at the ways that we can be improving your health, optimizing your body and cellular function, looking at the potential underlying causes of your health symptoms / concerns, bringing the body back into balance, and removing any interferences that may be preventing your body from operating at it’s best. You will still need to maintain visits with your primary care physician for any prescriptions that may be needed, standard medical visits, urgent or acute illnesses, physical examination, referrals to specialists, etc. 

 

• How do I know if Functional Medicine is for me?

The best way to see if functional medicine is right for you is to explore the website and sign up for an introductory consult, or start with the Pillar Course. We are beyond passionate about our clients and Functional Medicine is not only a passion but a lifestyle we take very seriously. We care for our patients deeply. Working with them over the months they are with us, they become like family to us. We are more than humbled and thankful to be a part of their journey into their best health.

 

• Our True Roadmap to Health

1. Identify the short and long-term goals that you have for your health
   • What has been standing in your way - what obstacles, challenges, and roadblocks have been in your way up to this point? 
2.  Assessment of your overall current state of health - symptoms, conditions, past/current diagnoses, what organs and systems are most affected and needing support right now?
   • Digestive Health 
   • Blood Sugar Stability
   • Lymphatic System
   • Liver/Gallbladder
   • Hormones and Women’s Health
   • Fertility
   • Thyroid Disease
   • Autoimmune Conditions
   • Chronic Symptoms - Skin issues, fatigue, brain fog, high cholesterol, weight gain, anxiety, depression
    
3. The Key Four Pillars to Optimal Health, Vitality, and Living Your Best Life
   1. Mastering the Foundations of Health
   2. Cleaning Up Your Environment and Reducing Your Toxic Burden
   3. Supporting Drainage and Detoxification Pathways
   4. Understanding the Role of Your Nervous System: Your Body’s Master Regulator - Managing Your Stress, Mindset, Emotions and Dissolving the Patterns That Are Keeping You Stuck
      • These Initial Three Steps are an important place for EVERYONE to start, whether you are just beginning your health journey or ready to take things to the next level. Before moving onto more complex protocols, supplements and lab testing, it is usually a waste of time and money unless you fully explore and bring these important principles and practices into your daily routine and lifestyle first. Once you have done that and have been able to successfully maintain a healthy routine, these are the next steps to really take your healing to a deeper, new level: 
4. Customized Detoxification and Lifestyle Plan
   1. Support mitochondria and cellular health/energy
   2. Digestive Health Repair and Reduce pathogenic overgrowth
   3. Support each organ system and pathway in the funnel - liver, gallbladder, kidneys, lymphatic system, lungs
   4. Detox from environmental toxins that create symptoms over time when they are stuck in the body and not eliminated properly - mold, heavy metals, pesticides/herbicides, industrial chemicals, radiation, and radioactive elements
5. Maintaining Your Results for a Lifetime, and Living a Life of True Health and Balance 

 

• Contacting Dr. Andrea and her team while working together 

You can easily connect with our team for any inquiries or assistance. Tihany, our dedicated Client Support Specialist, is here to provide direct support for you. You can contact her via email at [email protected]. Your questions and concerns are important to us, and we look forward to being in touch shortly.