Naturopathic Medicine: Helping to Balance ADHD, LD, and Autistic Spectrum Challenges Naturally

Those of you who have taken classes from me or worked with me one-on-one, you have heard me say, “Nothing stands alone.” The health and nutritional/chemical balance of our bodies has significant impact on learning and behavior. Dr. Tara Levy, ND of Tara Natural Medicine,  is warm and sensitive. She listens to her clients well and has a phenomenal amount of knowledge and awareness of how to assess and treat health imbalances naturally. I confidently refer to her often. She has recently moved her office to my neighborhood – thank you so much Dr. Tara!I asked her to share some of her thoughts about how health is related to learning and behavioral problems.  Her work is an excellent complement to HANDLE. I encourage you to read our interview and contact her office of caring professionals as the need arises.Sindy: How would you describe Tara Natural Medicine (TNM)? What is the philosophy of treatment at TNM?Dr. Tara: Naturopathic medicine is a system of primary health care that uses natural therapies to help a person maintain or restore optimal health.  We believe that health is not merely the absence of disease, but a state attained when the body, mind, and spirit are balanced.  The doctors of  Tara Natural Medicine follow several basic principles in working with patients:  Do No Harm, Treat the Whole Person, The Healing Power of Nature, Find the Cause, Prevention, and Doctor as Teacher.   These principles guide us in our work, and allow us to individualize our approach with each patient in order to be as effective as possible.Sindy: What kind of services do you offer at TNM?Dr. Tara: The naturopathic doctors at Tara Natural Medicine work as family practice doctors, but instead of using pharmaceutical medications and surgery as our primary modalities we use a variety of natural therapies including diet and lifestyle counseling, herbal medicine, vitamins and nutrients, homeopathy and natural hormones.  We work with adults and children for a variety of acute and chronic conditions.  Dr. Levy especially enjoys working with women and children, and Dr. Large focuses a lot of her work on chronic viruses and highly sensitive patients.  We also regularly refer to other practitioners, and within our office space here we have nutrition counseling and menu planning, osteopathy, skin care, psychotherapy, and various forms of bodywork.Sindy: How do you work with children who are having learning and behavioral issues?Dr. Tara: Children with learning and behavioral issues often are suffering from other imbalances in the body, which can be a contributing factor to their behavioral difficulties.   Imbalances may exist because of nutrient deficiencies or excesses, nervous system stimulation, digestive difficulties, or other systems that are not functioning optimally.  When working with these children we try to identify these imbalances through testing and obtaining a thorough history, and then use various therapies to help re-balance the system and correct the imbalances.  This approach works in tandem with various types of occupational therapy and HANDLE, as the body becomes better able to build new pathways when stressors are removed from the system.Sindy: Is there anything else you would like people to know about your work or the work at TNM?Dr. Tara: After eleven years in Concord, Tara Natural Medicine moved to a beautiful space in Lafayette in October 2010.  The new space allows the practice to bring in a wider range of providers with which collaborate, and truly provides a peaceful environment for healing.  Drs Levy and Large greatly enjoy working with the broader community, both other health care providers and the public, and often speak on a variety of health topics.  For more information, please visit our website at www.taranatmed.com or you can contact the office directly at 295-949-8604 or info@taranatmed.com.