Collaborative Care is a philosophy of integrative health care based on communication and working together. It is a more effective way to treat issues and reach specific health goals, because it provides a team of therapists who are actively communicating and working together for your care. The collaborative care approach takes integrative health care to the next level. By themselves, each of our 5 domains of care–acupuncture, bodywork, counseling, nutrition, and somatics–are evidence-based and effective. When combined through collaboration, they become even more effective! For example, when your acupuncturist is working with your bodyworker and your counselor, and they have all checked in with your somatics instructor, they are able to pool their expertise in order to really focus on what will best support your health. Each of our 5 domains of care are designed to complement each other, building together to create health. This is why we create treatment plans, to outline which therapies and how often you should receive them in order to move toward your health goals. The therapist you see for a first appointment can create that plan with you, or you can create it through a medical consult. Our medical consults are offered by an M.D. with deep expertise in the latest research into the effectiveness of integrative care. They are a great option when your health situation is a bit complicated, if you have a lot of medications to take into consideration, or you feel that you’ve had trouble finding a doctor who will listen to you. After your medical consult, the M.D. will lead the collaborative care process with your therapists, as well as communicate with your other doctors about your care. Collaborative Care is a game changer for creating health. It allows every treatment to build on the one before, across treatment modalities and among different therapists. Through collaboration, your treatment team is able to more effectively address your health issues and support your health goals.
