MD, Dipl. Ac. NCCAOM
Chicago
(773) 935-6377
info@wellnessofchicago.com
www.wellnessofchicago.com
Dr. Howard’s Blog: Allergies
Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hypnosis,Energy Medicine

Services

Describe your services:
We help you do an “extreme health makeover” using advanced methods. We have computer testing (there are 14,000 items in our computer, and the testing is painless!) to find out what foods, chemicals, allergens, or infections are causing your problems. We use Preventive and Integrative Medicine; Traditional Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture and Herbs); Environmental Medicine (Allergies, Toxic exposures); ; Sound therapy (more advanced than ultrasound) for soft tissue injuries, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, allergies, and many other problems; Hypnosis; Weight Management; Healthy Aging; Skin Care (Wrinkle Prevention and Treatment) Laser Acupuncture, Light therapy, Brief counseling, Massage Therapy.

How does your healing modality work?
We are all interactive with our entire environment. By taking everything in a person’s system and surroundings into account, and making necessary changes, (just as you would in any ecosystem), health is possible. It also works through listening and interacting so that you are heard!

How do you see your services evolving over the next three years?
We will be doing even more testing to determine reactivity to many different things that may be causing illness: foods, chemicals, food additives, dyes, medications, emotional states. We will also be adding more to our Power of Suggestion CD series, with CD’s that help change core beliefs that affect health, and support more skillful states of mind and motivation.
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Benefits

What are the benefits/results people see?
Dramatic changes in quality of life: feeling good most of the time instead of bad most of the time. Relief from chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, sinus infections, fatigue, fibromyalgia, ADD/ADHD, menstrual disorders, menopausal symptoms; and chronic illnesses such as allergies, asthma and MS, repeated ear infections. Changes in mind, attitude and relationships that affect health.

Why do people come to see you?
People usually come to see us when they feel it is their “last resort”, they are at the “end of their rope” and no one can find out what is wrong with them. People who have made major changes in their health from their visits here bring their kids and often refer family members and friends. People who are “fairly healthy” also come to get into more “peak performance” with their health. People come to get rid of their “shoeboxes full” of medicines or supplements. People come to get tested for reactions to food and also to bring children who have ear infections or chronic sinus trouble, to find out what’s causing the problem.

Who is an ideal client?
An ideal client is anyone who wants to get the most efficient, best, fastest and least expensive return to health. Our clients are adults, children, and even babies as young as 9 months old who need to find out what’s making them sick, often through our painless testing for reactions to foods and other substances.

What makes you different/good at what you do?
I am fully educated as an MD and in Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as in Hypnosis. I have more than 25 years of experience practicing integrative medicine in a variety of settings, including the Public Health Service. I am the first woman physician to have had hospital privileges to practice acupuncture in the Chicago area (1985.) I also am educated in individual and family counseling.
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Philosophy/Approach

Describe your healing philosophy:
My philosophy is holistic and cooperative. I enjoy having a healing partnership with my clients. I believe that kindness, cooperation and listening are very important, as well as consideration of the whole person, and every aspect of their lives-physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. I also believe in the Chinese medicine concept, “treat the root”; that is, find out what is really causing a problem and deal with it, rather than just naming a set of symptoms and then giving a drug for them.

Describe your style or approach:
I believe in a constructive, creative, ecological approach to health. It gets better results than a “disease management” approach. An aquarium is a good example. If your aquarium has a dead fish and some blackened plants down in the corner, do you want someone who will scoop out the dead fish and plants and throw in some tetracycline, or someone who will take out the dead fish and plants, clean the aquarium, fix the oxygen bubbler, put in a better balance of plants, and some new fish? I am all for choice number two!

Why do you do what you do?
I think people deserve better health care than they are getting now in our health care system. I like seeing people’s lives improve as their health gets better. I like preventive work, and the “detective” aspects of good diagnosis. I like to help people receive the greatest health benefits with the best methods in the shortest time. I enjoy the challenge of helping people avoid the worst of the problems of mainstream medicine–more and more tests and surgery drugs-and I like helping them with less invasive, more effective methods.
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Education/Background

Education/Training:
MD, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
Acupuncture Certification, National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Years Professionally Practicing:
I have been practicing acupuncture since 1978 and Integrative Medicine since 1982.

Contributions/Publications:
I am a board member of the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine, and a former board member of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. I am author of The Power of Suggestion CD series, a set of hypnosis/guided imagery CD’s for health and improved states of mind. Visit www.WellnessOfChicago.com
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What to expect

Describe a typical session:
In a typical initial session we would discuss the person’s detailed history (we ask that people fill out our intake forms before the visit) do testing, make nutritional and lifestyle recommendations. We may do acupuncture, and prescribe herbs. In a typical follow-up session we would continue with acupuncture as needed, possibly discuss supplements, environmental precautions for allergy, do hypnosis for smoking, discuss cancer treatment and give integrative support (such as chemo support herbs)-in other words, a wide variety of things, depending on the individual needs of the person.

How long is a typical session?
Initial visits are one hour. Follow up visits are one half hour.

Describe your office or treatment room:
Our office is in a beautiful building on Marine Drive . It has a very quiet and pretty atmosphere, and all our clients say they like to be in our office. We are accessible, and have indoor parking for $6.00.

How should someone prepare for a session?
Be sure to fill out our intake forms, bring all medical records, supplements and any questions, and eat something. (We may do acupuncture even on the first visit, and it does not work to do acupuncture on an empty stomach. Also, after acupuncture visits, it is important to avoid heavy exercise, sauna or steam room, bodywork, or a heavy meal for at least two hours.
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Logistics

Office hours/days of the week:
Monday through Thursday, 8:30 to 1:00 PM and 3:30 to 7:30 PM .

Fee Range
Initial visit is $240.00 Follow up visits are $110.00.

Take Insurance?
We ask that our clients pay at time of service. However, we give a superbill that has all the information the client needs. It can be attached to your insurance form and turned in. Most insurance companies, such as BCBS or United Healthcare, reimburse for our services.

Cancellation Policy?
Our cancellation policy is that except for emergencies, clients must cancel at least 24 hours before the appointment or they will be billed for the appointment time.
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Closing Comments

What else might someone want to know about you?
I am a producer partner for the film, Journey to Peace. Visit www.JourneyToPeace.org
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