My Healthcare Journey with a Detroit Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Karla Mitchell

 

Since I was a child, I was programmed to believe, if you get sick, go to the doctor to get medicine. Later in life, I realized that a pharmacy is a business, BIG business. The industry doesn’t make money by healing, but in writing more and more prescriptions. I remember seeing my grandma take like 12 different pills each day. One for this, one for that. She still died of several cancers. Let’s face it, Black people haven’t always been treated the best in America’s healthcare system.

For this reason, we need to know that there are other options out there. One option is naturopathy or naturopathic medicine. It uses natural remedies like, herbology, nutrition, acupuncture and other non-invasive techniques to promote self healing. It has been around for a very long time, and I was amazed to know there are great naturopathic doctors right here in the city of Detroit.
 

Dr. Karla Mitchell of HAUS of Healthy Living

I found out about Dr. Karla Mitchell of HAUS of Healthy Living. HAUS is an acronym for Health Achieved Using the Simplicity of Healthy Living. She has been in the naturopathic health industry for 18 years. Her philosophy is that you are your own healer, and she is just a facilitator on your healing journey. Her own cervical cancer diagnosis was the sole inspiration for becoming a naturopathic doctor. She alone was able to reverse the diagnosis without medical intervention. Ever since, she’s made it her business to use natural approaches to effectively address commonly diagnosed conditions that range from acute to chronic. I was especially impressed when I found out that she was able to help nine women with fertility issues successfully birth children. That is pretty amazing.  

Open Mind

Walking into the office I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I did notice that it was a very comfortable feeling. It smelled like aromatherapy, and had a very calming atmosphere. I was greeted by a nice young lady, and then introduced to Dr. Karla. I honestly did not know what to expect. Once I filled out the assessments, and let her know my top health concerns, she explained to me the whole process of how everything worked. I was so shocked to find out that she did not use blood tests or X-rays. So I thought to myself, how can she accurately tell me if anything is wrong? I was a bit skeptical. Then I realized that I had to be open-minded, and unlearn what I’ve been taught all of these years so-to-speak. She explained to me that she had ways to tell when the body is not happy or needed to improve in certain areas.

She used a series of tests. One test was done by sending a sample of my hair, saliva, nails and urine to a lab to be tested to see how they react to different things. This test indicates what might be wrong in the body. It takes two weeks to receive the results. Another test was an alternative medicine technique used in Eastern medicine, called Iridology. Iridology is the study of colors, patterns and characteristics of the iris of the eye used to determine a person’s health. Different parts of the iris represent different parts, organs and functions of the body. You can visibly see when things are wrong. The other test was a meridian check. In traditional Chinese  medicine, meridians are strings connecting points on the body that are like passageways for energy to flow. They are connected to organs, extremities and collaterals. The final test she used was sort of like an energy scanner for the entire body that read signals from your hand. The whole time I was asking myself how accurate this test could be.

So Emotional

Was I shocked?? Absolutely. Not only were the tests spot on, but there was something I did not mention to her that she brought up to me. The reason I did not bring it up was because most doctors do not ask. She told me that the test indicated that I was holding onto a lot of grief, sadness or heartbreak. Once she said that, my eyes watered.

Our emotional state affects our health too; grief, sadness and anger, all affect our health. To have a health professional tell me this showed on my assessment was a wake up call. It has definitely made me more aware of the fact that I need to address some things and find out a way to heal and let things go. Everything else on the test  was spot on. From the vitamin and mineral deficiencies, to the food I am allergic to. 

After going over my findings, normally I’d be ready to faint from anxiety of the results. This time was different. When Dr. Karla was explaining the things that needed to be improved about my health, she said it in a way where it wasn’t a bad thing. I asked her why she sounded so optimistic during such a gloomy conversation. She told me she doesn’t get down because she doesn’t doubt that things will improve. Our body is one big chemistry problem. The answers are here. Our bodies were made to heal themselves. We just have to figure out what we are missing. 

ONE thing I was impressed about Dr. Karla, was when she told me my body was lacking certain vitamins and minerals. Her first instinct wasn’t to start prescribing me supplements. She said first, let’s get your body back in balance. When that is corrected, you may start absorbing the vitamins and minerals better. Let’s not start just giving you things without getting to the root of the problem. I was blown away.

Wow, the goal is to actually address the issue, and not to just keep me on a prescription? It was a relief. I have learned so much just from one visit. I can’t wait for my two week follow up appointment. This was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had for a healthcare visit. I can’t wait to keep you updated on the results and my healthcare journey with a naturopathic doctor.

Written and Experienced by Lauren Mari, a savvy lifestyle influencer, beauty enthusiast and youtube vlogger inspiring women to embrace their inner beauty. She is also a licensed Michigan Realtor® and can be found @accesslauren on Instagram.