What exactly do you do in your health and wellness practice?

I help patients who struggle with chronic and autoimmune conditions find optimal health through an integrative, patient-centered approach—blending ancient Chinese medicine with modern systems-based medicine.

In my on-site clinics in NYC and Millbrook, NY, I employ the use of acupuncture, Chinese medicine, aromatherapy, lifetstyle and nutrition support and other modalities in my treatments. Chinese medicine is a powerful modality to help get to the cause of your symptoms and treat the whole body, bringing it into greater balance and health. Acupuncture is also extraordinarily relaxing and puts the body into an alpha wave brain state, which is a very receptive state. This state allows deep relaxation as well as suggestions of improved health to go deeply within.

If you are not local, or, if you choose to supplement your in-person visits with health consulting, I work over Skype or telephone. In either case, I help you to figure out what is causing your symptoms and what you can do to ameliorate or reverse your dis-ease. Approaches can include dietary and lifestyle changes, botanicals and supplements, stress reduction techniques to help get your cortisol levels (and life!) back in balance, mindset shifts to help you stay accountable and to see where you’re getting stuck (this is where my advance accreditation in coaching comes in handy!). I might also recommend certain lab tests to check for other imbalances. I put you back in charge of your health. But you don’t have to do this alone—I’ll be there to guide and support you. This is an empowering experience and one that can change your life forever.

What are your qualifications?

In addition to being a Doctor of Chinese Medicine for 16 years, I am also an advanced certified coach, Reiki master, hypnotist, and have studied many aspects of functional and integrative medicine. I have a long professional history of working with women from childbirth and infertility to menopause and chronic illness—and I have a “toolkit” that is equally deep!

For the resume’ stuff: I graduated from NYU, summa cum laude, and then went on to become a certified childbirth educator and labor support doula and taught others to do this, as well. I had my own Childbirth Wellness Center in NYC for years. To expand my skills, I went to a rigorous 4 year graduate program in Chinese medicine and received my MS degree. I received my Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese medicine to further incorporate TCM and integrative medicine into western practices. I have been practicing for 16 years. In between all of those things, I became a coach because I found that mindset was key to changing lifestyle and creating habits that supported good health. I now combine all of these skills in my practice.

Why does this touch you personally and how does that show up in your practice?

Through my own experience with autoimmune disease, I found that most Western medical docs don’t begin to touch on the cause of chronic or autoimmune conditions. It was through my own research and study that I discovered what I could do to alleviate or reverse my symptoms. Now, I am on a crusade to help patients find the causes of their illness, not just band-aid treatments with steroids, pain killers, and other pharmaceuticals such as chemo medications. Using food as medicine is one of the cornerstones of my life and medical practice.

I personally learned the importance of lifestyle and dietary changes. In my practice, I work extensively with these as well as acupuncture (when in person),  brain retraining, visualizations, affirmations, meditation, and energy work. This work bridges the inner and outer—a true mind/body/spirit approach which I feel is the best way to heal. After all, if you don’t have the right mindset to change things in your life, you’ll just end up back in the doctor’s office.

Can you tell me a little bit about your “story?”

After many visits to specialists, and 6 years of debilitating joint pain, fatigue, chronic migraines, muscle pain, visual disturbances, and increasingly frustrating brain fog, I was finally given two diagnoses of autoimmune diseases: Sjogren’s syndrome and Hashimoto’s. I was so frustrated over the years because even as a health care provider, I still couldn’t get to the root of my symptoms. Although some people who suffer from autoimmune disease also have clinical depression, I was not depressed—just frustrated. Still, I was offered anti-depressants. Aside from that, the only things my doctors could offer me for my other symptoms were NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like Advil) or steroids. I was, in fact, told that steroids would be my best friend and that my conditions were irreversible.

Not this girl.

I relied on my Western medicine doctors to find the answers—when honestly, the answers were right in front of me. In fact, right on my plate. Literally.

My “healthy diet” was actually injuring my body.

Why doesn’t Western medicine address these issues the way you do?

Because autoimmune disease is not its own “category” in Western medicine. We go to specialists for each autoimmune or chronic condition. If you have a thyroid problem, you see the endocrinologist; if you are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, you see a rheumatologist. Western docs are trained to find “one disease and one cure.” They don’t really look at how the body systems interact with each other. I knew there was a cause for my feeling so lousy, so after my diagnosis, I dove into research. It took me only hours to realize that most autoimmune disease is on what I call a “continuum,” meaning, it’s related and often caused by the same thing: inflammation.

When I was first diagnosed, I asked my doctor if I should change my diet and he said, “Try cutting back on alcohol and losing some weight.” Not helpful. I didn’t drink all that much, and I’d been trying to lose weight for years, going on all kinds of low calorie/low fat/smoothie/vegetarian/high protein (you name it) diets and the weight wouldn’t budge. I exercised. I ate whole foods, lots of veggies, legumes and nuts, locally raised and organic animal protein. There were many years of being a vegetarian. What I ate was mostly organic, without preservatives, and nothing artificial entered my body.

So, I dug deeper and discovered many healing diets like the paleo diet, the A paleo diet (autoimmune paleo) the FODMAPS diet, elimination diets, and so on. I saw a functional medicine doctor. I soon realized that my sensitivity to certain “healthy” foods was causing a lot of inflammation in my body—which started the cascade of symptoms and further inflammation.

Do you dislike Western doctors?

Not at all! (In fact, I am married to one and my first husband was also a Western doctor!) However, I think their approach doesn’t work in most chronic and autoimmune conditions. Most docs haven’t been trained in nutrition and diet, or a systems-based approach to medicine, which are key to making a difference in the way you feel. I also am not a fan of pharmaceuticals. When they are necessary, they are a miracle and can save lives and I have a deep respect for that. However, band-aiding symptoms (and often causing more problems) with pharmaceuticals often makes us sicker, not well. I’d love to work hand-in-hand with your medical doctor, if he or she is open to it.

Okay, so why you?

I am both healer and ally. For one thing, I know how frustrating and exhausting it can be to deal with chronic health issues. I’ve been on both sides—as patient and doctor. I was diagnosed and am healing myself from two autoimmune diseases. “There’s nothing you can do about it” and I do not get along. It took me a long time to find a doctor who understood that I wanted to heal and not just put a band-aid on my symptoms. And honestly, even then, I felt kind of alone. I want to help you through the process so that you feel both empowered and guided—not just given a list of things to do and left on your own to figure it out. You’re going to have questions once you leave my office or hang up the phone. I will answer them, or help you find the answers.

I wanted someone there for me to answer my questions, to hold my hand a bit while still empowering me to make my own choices. That’s why I created several options for my patients—to set you up for success! You need help in between appointments to stay focused, to get your questions answered, and to help guide you through the lifestyle and dietary changes you need to employ. I want to help support you all the way through!

Some fun facts, cuz you’re dealing with a person, not just a doctor in a white jacket:

• I have two insanely fabulous daughters and a wonderfully sweet son.
• I am remarried to my true soul mate who sets my teacup out for me every morning and cooks me some mean food every night! (I do cool stuff for him, too!)
• I love dogs.
• My first “real” non-babysitting job was when I was 15 years old. (I love to work.)
• I love gardening and I may have more than 100 hydrangea plants. Maybe.
• I’m fairly obsessed with taking photos of nature and people in unusual settings.
• I was a vegetarian for 15 years—now eat meat (locally sourced and organic!)
• I believe in and support small farmers.
• I studied with a shaman for two years.
• I love Soul Cycle. I mean, love. I mean, am addicted to.
• I’m trained in hypnotherapy.
• I’ve owned two wellness centers.
• I am on fire about helping people get well.
• While I love the city, I also need to be outside. I am outside as much as humanly possible.
• I have boundless energy—to the point where I used to work so hard that I made too big a withdrawal from my reserves and my health—thus the starting place of my autoimmune diagnoses. This energy is a wonderful thing to have back after being tired for so long.
• I love to write. And speak. And study. (AKA, I want to live a thousand lifetimes.)
• I am highly empathic.
• I love quiet days at home studying, reading, and watching the snow fall or listening to the brook.
• People and I get along very well.

How can I begin working with you?

I would love to share with you my 25 years of experience helping people find permanent relief through Chinese and Integrative Medicine, as well as all of my other modalities!

You can visit me at one of my clinics, in New York City or Millbrook, NY, or we can work together via Skype or telephone. To take the first step in living a healthier, more balanced, and less stressful life, email me at Teri@TeriGoetz.com or call me at 917-626-6861.

Together, let’s discover the cause of your disease and help you heal.