Highlights from an interview with Dr. Cheryl Hamilton, founder of the Health and Healing Center
Why did you become a naturopathic medical doctor? My grandparent’s health struggles triggered my interest in finding a better way to age, which led to my undergraduate degree in food science and nutrition. While working as a health coach, I realized I didn’t have the knowledge base to effectively evaluate the validity of the recommendations made by the self-help and supplement industry.
I decided to further my education, and that’s when I found naturopathic medical schools. I liked how the curriculum focused on biochemistry and physiology to support finding and treating the cause of the disease while treating the whole person with a variety of modalities that included, but weren’t limited to pharmaceutical drugs and surgery.
Toward the end of my medical training, an emergency room doctor friend commented that naturopathic doctors are the worst business-minded professionals because they actually help patients attain health and decrease dependence on medicine.
I have come to greatly appreciate the full meaning of that comment. For example, because we’re not dependent on the insurance industry for claim reimbursement, we’re able to spend adequate time to listen to patients as they voice their concerns while doing our thorough intake. Best of all, our treatment recommendations are based on what is best for the patients rather than what the insurance industry pays for.
What is your philosophy of health attainment? The days of prescribing a “pill for the ill” to manage disease are gone. Many times we must start with the basis of health — the health of the gastrointestinal tract and the microbiome and nutrient absorption. Medical knowledge is exploding in this area, providing wonderful insight for total health attainment. We now know that what we eat and how we think affects the health of our microscopic body buddies and they, in turn, affect our health and thoughts!
It’s enlightening to understand how interconnected everything is, which is why I really enjoy working with patients as part of a health-care team that focuses on reducing dependence on medical care. That’s why I established the Health and Healing Center where the doctors and health-care professionals specialize in helping those invested in their health to obtain vibrant whole health.
When you’re ready to claim your health and feel fabulous, give us a call. Our knowledgeable doctors and licensed health practitioners are ready to help you start your journey to wellness! Our health education programs include detoxification, weight control, aging young, stress reduction, and preconception health. Schedules can be found on our website, healthandhealing.center. The phone number is 928-515-2363, and the center is located at 1237 N. Rhinestone Drive, Prescott.
