Natural healing is about taking control of your life and being responsible for everything that goes in and out of your body, mind and soul.”
~Richard SchulzeWe have a greater chance of dying at the dinner table than from a gun, an automobile, or a nuclear weapon. Man kills himself with his knife and fork.” ~Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu
Payment
Why can’t I sign up for services via the client portal?
For security purposes, Healthie does not permit purchasing of products or services via the client portal. Such purchases should be made while using a reliable desktop computer (or related device).
Do you offer a sliding scale or payment plans?
Via our online client portal, holistic services that exceed $300 are typically have two listings: one for pay-in-full and the other is for installment payments. We see clients by appointment only and payment is due prior to appointment as we do not accept insurance.
Periodically, we offer free clinics or low-cost opportunities at holistic fairs in the Ark-La-Tex area, so please consider joining our mailing list to learn about these opportunities.
Do you offer free consultations?
As of Sept. 23, 2024, we no longer offer free or discounted pre-consultations except at our free on-site clinics or similar community-based events. Please thoroughly review our website or attend one of our welcome orientation to get your questions answer. New and potential client orientations are announced via our mailing list here.
What are your fees?
Our fees vary based on service. Fees – for all available services – are posted here. Please note that some services are only available to current clients – see also: “Do you accept insurance…?”
Do you accept insurance?
As unlicensed holistic health providers, we cannot accept traditional insurance and thus operate as a self-pay practice.
Unless on a payment plan, full payment is due at the time of sign-up and in some cases, after the first initial appointment.
However, if not on a payment plan, clients pay for their visits/treatments/sessions at each appointment.
Clients with outstanding accounts may be denied future appointments until his/her account is brought into good standing.
Appointments
Do you offer holistic services to children?
With the exception of a special camps or related program, we typically do not offer services to children unless their parent or legal guardian is actively engaged in a paid holistic nutrition plan with us. Even in those cases, we only do so on a case-by-case basis.
I signed up with your organization months (or years) ago. Am I still an active client?
Free clients are typically not deemed as active clients since they tend to be more sporadic in their approach to improving their health.
Active clients are those who are currently signed up for a paid holistic package (or service) that has not been fulfilled.
Clients signed up on the holistic package route, he/she is considered active if they maintain continuous enrollment (and payment) without any unexcused absences for scheduled sessions.
For those who take the service route, once your session has been completed, you are no longer considered an active client, and thus your online client account may be disabled after 30, 60, or 90-days depending on our available seats (via a various online platforms).
What is a “personalized nutrition protocol” and why do I need it?
Holistic nutrition/herbalism clients are typically asked their primary and secondary complaints. This knowledge along with your past health history, current health state, and personal preferences is used to completed a personalized nutrition protocol that is unique to you.
A personalized nutrition protocol – also known as a holistic protocol – is a written assessment offering recommendations in the areas of diet/nutrition, lifestyle/exercise, minerals, vitamins, and other dietary supplements. In most cases, we also provide future recommendations, especially as it relates to future lab tests to discuss with your medical team. Nevertheless, such protocols are revised as needed and are unique to your situation and circumstances – see also: “What is your process?” for more details.
Clients with outstanding accounts may be denied access to their full protocol until his/her account is brought into good standing.
Can I hide or disguise my face during a telehealth session?
We’d hope you wouldn’t want to. 😃 A virtual session is still considered a face-to-face meeting except conducted via an online platform.
If safety or privacy is a concern, telehealth appointments are handled within a private and secure client management application that you access via the web on your portable device or web browser on your PC/Mac. As holistic health practitioners aren’t required to do so, our online client portal, Healthie, is HIPAA-compliant.
Where do we meet for “in-person” appointments?
For those opting for an in-person and you live in/around the Shreveport-Bossier City area, you can visit with us at our temporary office housed within New Awakening Mental Health located at 8575 Fern Avenue, Suite 106. Clients are only seen at this location by appointment only. Please no walk-ins.
Bloodwork
How much do blood test costs?
Through our third-party laboratory partner, Ulta Lab Tests, blood chemistry test fees* range from $62 to $380 when discounted, which applies to the collection and laboratory analysis, which might also include a test fee plus an $8 standard draw fee* or a $68 premium draw fee* depending on the local collection facility.
We charge an order fee (or a non-client convenience fee), which allows non-clients to obtain blood tests without having to have a working relationship with us. Please note that the order fee is an extra fee for using our service to conveniently purchase blood work and lab tests without the need for a physician. However, our order fees (>$200) do not constitute a working client-practitioner relationship. Only by signing up for the appropriate bloodwork analysis services via our secure client portal and paying all appropriate fees is such a relationship established.
In lieu of an order fee, we may also provide a separate consultation fee, which would be the same as our regular fees plus an 8% processing fee (as imposed by our laboratory partner).
*Fees can vary and are based on costs as of 9/23/2024.
How much blood do they draw?
Only one vial of blood is taken.
What type of blood tests do you analyze?
At present, we analyze basic to advanced blood chemistry panels only.
Do you run blood tests?
Yes, through partnership with a third-party service provider.
Can you take my blood?
No, since we are not licensed medical professionals; therefore, we utilize third-party laboratory partners who collect your blood specimens at a Quest Diagnostic service center near you.
Lifestyle Changes
Can I never eat out again?
Eating out in moderation is fine. Life happens so there may come a time when grabbing a quick bit to eat at a local restaurant is your only option. That’s understandable. The key is to honestly assess your actions over a period of time: How often are you eating out? Where are you eating out? What’s the quality of the food served there? When are you able to sit down and eat a healthy, nutritious meal? These are the type of questions we’ll ponder together.
Do I have to drink water (all the time)?
I’m sure you’ve heard the popular saying to drink 8 glasses of water a day but who said it had to be plain water? Certain diseases and disorders put one at risk of dehydration but drinking too much water can be just as harmful and taxing on your kidneys (and liver). The key is the type of water your drink, how much you drink, and when you drink. (Tip: You really shouldn’t drink water or milk with your meal yet people do it all the time.) 😉
How much exercising is required? What if I hate exercising?
Just as we do with nutritional changes, we extend advice to our holistic nutrition/herbalism clients in ways to add some form of movement to that daily regimen. It doesn’t need to be a full-blown workout at the same time every day unless that’s your style (and your schedule allows it). Research shows that 20 minutes a day is really all you need anyway and that overexercise is more harmful that no exercise. So no you don’t need to join the nearest fitness club, we can explore what you already do to that would help get your heart pumping and those juices flowing.
Will I have to start eating a ton of fruits and vegetables right away?
Unless your health condition is extreme, we will in no way automatically expect to become a vegetarian unless that’s one of your health goals.
We only extend advice to our holistic nutrition/herbalism clients. Here we’ll assess your health condition and your desired goals, we may suggest that consider adding seasonal fruit to your diet if feasible. Keep in mind, some people already eat fruits and vegetables but maybe not in the best quality or quantity. There will be no need to make immediate changes to your diet as they could overwhelm you in the long run.
Vitamins & Supplements
Do you sell or offer CBD products?
At this time, we do not offer CBD products; however, we can include CBD recommendations with your personalized nutrition protocol. CBD recommendations are fully extended to our holistic healthcare package clients (Levels 3+).
Do I really need to share any and all of my prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs? 😨
First off, this is a no-judgment zone, so there is no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed. The answer is Yes.
It’s imperative that you share any and all drugs taken including prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), dietary supplements, herbal remedies, as well as illegal substances too. Since we provide herbal, homeopathic, and dietary supplement recommendations, we surely need to know if anything you are currently taken could cause an adverse reaction and we can’t do that without knowing your drug intake (and your health history).
This is also true as it relates to diseases and illnesses that you’ve been diagnosed with because certain herbs, nutrients, and medicines could be contraindicative to one another, to your current prescriptions, or to your current medical conditions. As a precaution, we actively refer to the latest editions of the AHPA’s Botanical Safety Handbook and Herb, Nutrient, and Drug Interactions by Mitchell B. Stargrove, along with seeking advice through membership in both public and private holistic wellness organizations locally and abroad.
When a case is beyond our scope, we will suggest that the client instead see a more seasoned holistic practitioner or a licensed medical professional.
Do you provide nutritional supplements?
For a reduced cost, our clients can explore and purchase practitioner-grade nutritional/dietary supplements through online virtual either through FullScript and/or Wellevate – both of which are online virtual dispensaries.Please note that some of our recommendations may be readily available at local health food store but at a much higher (retail) price. Yet clients are not required to purchase from us and at present, we do not profit from any sales made through these partnerships. We will strive to update this such that change.
Alternative Health
My doctor has dismissed, ignored, or belittled my interest in holistic health, what should I do?
Unfortunately, this is the norm. Of course, holistic wellness is a threat to medical doctors, which is why it’s referred to as “woo-woo” science or quackery. On the other hand, the pandemic caused some doctors to rethink traditional medical offerings as more of them are moving into alternative health via the integrative medicine field. Simply put, integrative medicine clinics are where licensed medical doctors offer billable holistic techniques alongside other areas of expertise. Per PerMed Central – an online research database run by the U.S. National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM), integrative medicine is defined as:
Practicing medicine in a way that selectively incorporates elements of complementary and alternative medicine into comprehensive treatment plans alongside solidly orthodox methods of diagnosis and treatment.
In the Shreveport-Bossier area, there are a few integrative medicine doctors such as Dr. Nicole Cotter, who focuses on integrative arthritis consultations, and Dr. Karen Pendleton of Pair O’Docs, a lifestyle medicine doctor. The choice for who you see is totally up to you! 👍
If I choose to work with you, what is your general process?
Unless otherwise stated, all sessions are provided 100% online through a secure video conferencing platform within an online client engagement portal application.
It’s important to know that as contemporary and alternative health providers, we are not licensed medical professionals and thus do not bill traditional insurance. Services must be paid in full either before or at the time of your session.
Payment is due at the time of service unless a payment plan is in place.
Some services like energy work and private yoga, will have fewer steps but for holistic nutrition and herbalism consultations, we typically follow these steps:
- Pre-Consultation: Here’s where we meet virtually to see if we can work together. This is typically a low-cost, 20-minute consultation.
- Initial Intake: This is our first holistic appointment in which we meet virtually and discuss your health complaints and review your intake form. It is only after the initial intake that extensive research is done on your health conditions along with a thorough assessment of your health history/intake forms.
- Holistic Plan/Protocol: An initial holistic protocol is typically provided during the initial intake (or within a few days). On occasion, clients may share new information during the initial (or even follow-up sessions) that may warrant additional research before a full nutritional protocol can be provided.
- Follow-Up Session(s): The average holistic package has two follow-up appointments in which clients report an update on their progress and if needed, we offer adjustments or alternatives to your nutritional protocol. In some cases, prior to your session, we will send you an update form.
- Close-Out: By this point, your goal has been met and or you’ve made great progress, carrying on alone with full faith that your goal will be met in due time/divine timing. If you are interested, you can pursue other services we may offer. Otherwise, we’ll extend an exit survey and wish you luck in your future endeavors.
For additional details, read more here.
Is there a physical exam or any medical tests to be run?
“Exams” are limited to pulse, tongue, and/or face evaluations. If you participating in a telehealth or phone appointment, then such questions may be asked of you during your initial holistic health session.
Whenever tests – such as blood, urine, allergy, and similar tests – are needed, clients should utilize their insurance in partnership with their current medical team for having tests conducted. Always request printouts of your lab results, which we can use to provide a bloodwork analysis. As an FYI, holistic ranges are quite different form traditional medical ranges as it relates to identifying potential illnesses early on. With holistic health, we go by what’s known as optimum health ranges, which can sometimes identify health issues long before problems show up in traditional test results.
Ultimately, any tests needed should be conducted through one’s licensed healthcare provider especially since such testing is usually covered by traditional insurance.
Are you (and your team) medical doctors? Do you write prescriptions?
No, we are not medical doctors and do not uphold ourselves as such. We identify as unlicensed complementary and alternative health providers. Simply put, we are holistic wellness coaches and nutritional consultants. We do not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease nor do we write or prescribe prescriptions. We are not licensed medical professionals. We’ve written a blog post identifying the differences between doctors and [natural] healers available here.
Per the Louisiana law (exemption, RS 37:1742.1), we serve as unlicensed vendors meaning “Any person who provides information or makes recommendations regarding lifestyle modifications, food, dietary supplements, or homeopathic remedies, for a consulting fee….” Herbal therapeutics do not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Therefore, we are not replacements or substitutes for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. However, we can and do work alongside your existing medical team (if desired) to offer holistic guidance.
However, as trained holistic wellness professionals, we are able to offer access to practitioner-grade vitamins, minerals, and supplements via one of our online virtual dispensaries. Currently, our FullScript is only accessible to active holistic nutrition clients.