By
Melbourne Functional Medicine
Medically reviewed by:
Looking for a functional medicine practitioner, but aren't sure where to start? Fortunately, due to the high demand for functional medicine practitioners trained in advanced functional medicine treatment, more practitioners are training in the functional medicine approach, so access to practitioners is increasing.
However, of course, you want to make sure you find someone that's right for you - as partnering with the right practitioner to care for your health determines the results you'll get. Finding your perfect health partner will require some time and effort on your part, as every functional medicine practitioner has their own individual practices and methods.
So if you're interested in functional medicine and want to find a practitioner, there are a few steps you can take.
Searching for a functional medicine practitioner in your city or country is the first step. You can either Google ‘functional medicine’ and your condition or location, or ‘functional medicine near me’. You could also try honing in further with terms like 'functional medicine nutritionist' or 'functional medicine doctor', depending on your needs.
If you're happy to work with a functional medicine practitioner further afield, many practitioners offer telehealth, so you can work with a practitioner anywhere in the world.
The next option is to look for a certified functional medicine practitioner on an accredited site, such as the Institute of Functional Medicine’s practitioner directory or Functional Medicine University's directory that lists all functional medicine practitioners who have gone through their training.
As functional medicine is practiced slightly differently depending on the practitioner, it's worth investigating each practitioner’s approach, along with reading their testimonials and reviews to understand what your experience and outcomes might look like.
The best way to find this out is to look at reviews either on their website, or on Google reviews.
Typing in the business name + reviews e.g. "Melbourne Functional Medicine reviews' will often deliver the goods.
Once you're interested in knowing more about your shortlisted practitioner, arrange a phone call to discuss your case and see if they're suited to help you.
Speaking with the healthcare team or functional medicine expert to get all your questions answered on their approach is a good step to take before partnering with someone, to make sure you’re aligned in their approach and typical treatments. In our clinic, we offer free discovery calls to see if we're the right fit to partner on your health journey, where we seek to understand your needs, then walk you through what the experience will be like.
When you speak with a potential practitioner, be sure to ask about their training and experience in functional medicine. Ask about the specific conditions they treat and how they integrate functional medicine into their practice.
Once you've found a practitioner you're comfortable with, make an appointment for an initial consultation. This is an opportunity for the practitioner to learn more about your health history and current concerns. It's also a time for you to ask questions and learn more about how functional medicine can help you. Each practitioner will practice differently, and so in our clinic, we work with patients for six months, while offering the initial consultation as a taster session to see if it feels right in practice.
If you're ready to get started with functional medicine, why not get started today. With the right functional medicine expert at your side, you can get your health back in your hands and on the road to recovery.
