Functional Medicine is an approach to healing that seeks to address the body as a holistic ecosystem, recognizing the deep interconnectedness between all of its parts and its environment. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, functional medicine looks to uncover the root causes of disease by understanding how environmental toxins, nutrition, emotional health, and gut microbiome all influence human vitality.

It emphasizes the body’s innate capacity for regeneration and healing when provided the right conditions—conditions rooted in alignment with nature and the wisdom of biological systems. By fostering resilience in the microbiome, restoring balance to cellular communication, and focusing on nourishing both body and spirit, functional medicine creates a path for thriving in an increasingly disconnected world. At its core, this approach honors the body’s profound intelligence and its relationship to the earth, ultimately aiming to restore harmony within and without.

Functional Medicine is rooted in the principle of INCREASING & SUPPORTING the cellular processes of the body. Essentially, to restore function of all aspects of health via individualized nutrition, customized supplementation and lifestyle modifications. 

Needless to say, Functional Medicine is not for everyone as only patients who are willing to implement these changes will succeed through the functional approach. Unlike the Western medicine system where there is a pill or surgical band-aid solution to your symptoms, Functional Medicine works on the premise that you create the health you desire through daily habits and new behavioral patterns that make cellular changes. ANd let’s be honest, not everyone is ready or willing to “put in the work” to express functional health. But more on this another time.

The Western Medicine approach is one that enables poor lifestyle choices with their synthetic pharmaceuticals and surgical approach to address symptoms. Most pharmaceuticals work by blocking or suppressing biochemical function of the body. The intention is NOT to improve function but rather to sedate and numb symptoms. 

Standard blood work and physical examination is merely tracking for catastrophic out of range values. This only allows for finding chronic disease at the end stages, giving minimal hope for change to occur. And the patient jumps on to the poly-pharmacy merry-go-round, starting them on a variety of pharmaceuticals, each suppressing different symptoms and biomarkers. If the patient is lucky (and has strong will), some lifestyle and nutritional changes can make a small impact at this stage. 

In cases where no diagnosis is made OR no biomarkers appear to be out of range, a pharmaceutical is still prescribed to address the symptom without any REAL objective physiological measure. And of course, this pharmaceutical is intended to block biochemical function in the body to suppress the symptom. 

Functional Medicine looks at the holistic picture of what the person is expressing, connecting the through line between symptoms, lifestyle, behaviors and beliefs. The functional medicine process is based on supporting physiological function - to upregulate, activate and repair function. The individualized and personalized approach of this medicine, recognized that rarely ever is there only 1 physiological imbalance responsible for any expressed symptom. That is to say, the same symptoms can have a number of different root causes - there is no one size fits all.

Functional Medicine is an upstream approach to healing, following the thread from symptom to biomarker,to behavioral pattern, to patient history. Getting functional with your health means to unwind the tapestry of your being and weave a new tapestry from biology to beliefs.

Functional labs differ from standard lab work in their focus and approach. While standard lab tests typically check for diseases or abnormalities using reference ranges based on population averages, functional labs aim to understand how well specific systems in the body are working and how they contribute to overall health and wellness. Standard Conventional lab work is intended for symptom management rather than addressing root cause of symptoms as is Functional Lab work. This approach can provide deeper insights into underlying issues, especially for conditions like anxiety, stress, and trauma.

Functional labs like NutrEval, DUTCH Plus, and GI Effects offer a deeper dive into specific physiological systems that can influence mental health. By identifying imbalances or deficiencies in nutrients, hormones, or gut health, these tests provide actionable insights that can support targeted interventions. This approach can be particularly helpful for addressing underlying factors contributing to anxiety, stress, and trauma, potentially leading to more effective and personalized treatment strategies.

Advanced, comprehensive lab work that far exceeds conventional testing is utilized to explore all systems of the patient's body at the deepest level possible to restore optimal function. Blood, urine, stool and saliva testing identify critical imbalances with significantly greater precision and sensitivity than standard allopathic labs. Physician-grade prescription supplements and targeted nutritional strategies are employed to restore balance and optimize all biomarkers, treating the root cause of mental health issues and helping you reach your fullest human potential.

Each session is 90 minutes to ensure that we provide you with enough time to process and integrate information during our session.

Coverage is dependent on the specific of your insurance plan - in some cases, a portion of the cost is covered by insurance. The portion of coverage varies dependent on your insurance carrier.

The bulk of my practice focuses on Hormonal, Gut & Nutrient Testing. These tests address the highest amount of

However, there are rare cases that are minimally responsive to the treatment protocols provided by these tests. In those cases, we do further investigation via any of the following tests:

• Environmental Toxin Test: Organochlorine pesticides, Plasticizers/ Preservatives, Alkylphenol, Parabens, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Acrylic Metabolite, Other pesticides/herbicides, Other Metabolites

• Mycotoxin Test: Aflatoxins, Tricothecenes, Chaetoglobosin A, Citrinin, Dihydrocitrinone, Enniatin B1, Fumonisins B1, Fumonisins B2, Fumonisins B3, Gliotoxin, Mycophenolic Acid, Ochratoxin A, Patulin, Sterigmatocystin, Zearalenone

• Food Sensitivity Testing: DAIRY and EGGS modified, GRAINS Raw and Modified, BEANS Modified, NUTS and SEEDS Raw and Modified, VEGETABLES Raw and Modified, FRUIT Raw and Modified, FISH and SEAFOOD Raw and Modified, MEATS Modified, Gluten & Gluten Associated Cross Reactive Grains/Foods, HERBS Raw, SPICES Raw, GUMS, BREWED BEVERAGES and ADDITIVES

• Blood Brain Barrier Permeability

• Pathogen Associated Immune Reactivity

• SIBO Breath Test

Every individual’s healing journey is uniquely their own, but in general, the body requires a dedicated window of about three to six months to reset and restore balance. Some may find their healing occurs more swiftly, while for others, it may take a bit more time. During this sacred window, the key to unlocking your body's innate regenerative capacity is through true partnership with your treatment plan and recommendations. It is during this time that the foundations of healing are laid, and it’s crucial to stay attuned and engaged with the process.

This is where your presence, your commitment, and your deepening self-awareness come into play. No one else can walk this journey for you. It is up to you to honor the process, to stay connected with your body, and to trust in your ability to heal. By consciously embracing the plan, you allow the intelligence of your body to do what it knows best—return to balance.

At the end of this healing phase, we will come together again to reflect on your progress, perhaps conducting further lab work to affirm that we are moving in the right direction. If there is more work to be done, we will adjust and fine-tune the approach, always honoring your body's rhythm.

When the healing has reached completion, the results are often transformative. Many find themselves feeling not only better than they have in years but often better than they ever thought possible—liberated from the burdens that once weighed them down, and filled with a sense of vitality, clarity, and joy that everyone deserves in their life. This is the freedom that comes when we align with the natural wisdom of the body.

You can email Dr. Maritza directly at dr.maritza@thewayyin.com or book a free 20 minute call here.