Interested In Working With Dr. Shook As A Consulting Client?
If you have been struggling to find a skilled and knowledgeable practitioner that understands that thyroid problems are more than just your hormone levels, and that most people have needs beyond just taking a thyroid hormone replacement or medication, then this could be a very important day for you.
We realize that you want to feel better.
From experience, we know that you have likely been to several other doctors, maybe even tried other functional, integrative, or medical physicians only to not get the results that you want and need.
To be very forward with you, finding a skilled practitioner that understands the thyroid and autoimmunity is very, very difficult. We do our best to help everyone, but make no mistake, it is complex and difficult work.
Each person has unique genetics and environemental factors that are responsible for their state of health.
Even among practitioners that focus on working with thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity, there can be large differences in training and understanding.
One key aspect of improving your health is that you have to be your own advocate.
The first thing to understand is…
There are four common approaches we see people and their doctors take, that NEVER work (and that you should be aware of)!
#1 - Treating by symptoms alone. Let me illustrate the flaw in this thinking by using thyroid symptoms as an example. Most of my clients are on thyroid medications, but they still have symptoms! Why is that? It is because there are 24 possible ways that we currently understand, that your thyroid chemistry can break down and cause low thyroid symptoms. All of the symptoms are the same, but there are 24 different ways the thyroid physiology is breaking down! This occurs throughout the rest of your body chemistry too! The fact is you have no idea what your problem is without the proper testing.
#2 - Thinking that diet alone will solve your problems. Diet is a very important aspect of your health, and it is an essential tool that should be utilized to help you, but there are several other causes of thyroid problems and autoimmunity that have to be considered. Beware of practitioners that only use dietary support, it’s not a complete approach.
#3 - Questionable alternative treatments. When practitioners recommend things like colonics, liver cleanses and liquid diets, you need to ask questions and do your own research. Many of these alternatives can be dangerous if not done correctly and with supervision.
#4 - Looking for the magic supplement. Supplements are just that, a supplement to everything else you should be doing, not the only method of supporting your body. Be on the lookout for practitioners that only want to load you on supplements… they are important for most people, but only as one part of a comprehensive plan, and they should not be taken forever!
So now that you know what to consider, and can evaluate the approach and recommendation of your practitioner with a more critical eye, let’s cover…
Three Important Signs You Have Found A Practitioner That Can Help…
#1 - They take a logical and science-based approach to evaluating your problems. In our office, we follow a three-step system:
- Detect – we use reliable and repeatable testing to evaluate the cause of your symptoms. This is a critical step.
- Remove – we implement a plan to remove the offending food, chemical, or infection that was detected.
- Repair – we focus on repairing the systems of the body that were damaged as a result of the food, chemical, or infection detected.
#2 - They prioritize the biochemistry and systems of your body that need support. In our office, we take an approach to repairing your bodily systems beginning with foundational chemistry first. If we were building a house, #1 would be the foundation, #2 the floors, #3 the walls, and so on. This is a general framework, not an absolute approach taken with every person.
- Autoimmunity
- Inflammation
- Anemia
- Blood Sugar
- Liver/GI Tract/Methylation
- Adrenals
- Sex Hormones (Testosterone / Estrogens)
#3 - They have personal experience with Functional Medicine (and they practice what they preach). This is one of the most important steps. When you work with someone that has been through a journey of healing too, they can better understand what it takes to get better: testing, diet, supplementation and lifestyle changes.
If this approach sounds reasonable to you, then we may be able to help you start investigating the cause of your problems.
Are we a good fit for one another?
Our office is different, in that we do not accept every person that calls our office requesting an appointment… it’s not personal, we only accept people as clients that we believe we can help.
If for any reason we do not feel our office is a good fit for you, we will discuss that with you and try to give you the best direction possible.
There are a few things that I can tell you upfront, if you are not willing to change your diet, take temporary supplementation, and change your lifestyle, then we will not be able to help you.
If you can’t give up your soda, sweet tea, fast food, and are not willing to do whatever it takes to improve your health, then we can not help you.
We are inundated with appointment requests, and this demand highlights the epidemic of people suffering. Due to the time consuming nature of this type of consulting, Dr. Shook only works with people that are highly motivated to get better.
If you are not committed to your health, and to getting better, then our office may not be a good fit for you at this time.
If you make an appointment and are not serious about doing whatever it takes to improve your health, then you will take the appointment of someone that is in dire need, and that may have to wait for an appointment.
So please, if you are not committed to getting better, and are not willing to make changes to your diet and lifestyle and get the required testing, then just know in advance, that we can not help you.
There is no quick fix to supporting thyroid function or autoimmunity. It takes commitment, a positive attitude, and willingness to change if you want the best chance to improve your health.
NEW CLIENT PROCESS:
Determining if we can accept your case:
If you would like to become a consulting client, all you need to do is click here and complete the form.
The process to determine if you are a candidate for consulting with Dr. Shook takes four steps and two appointments.
#1 The first step is to request an appointment by completing the Application or Care From. We want you to be successful with care in our office, so we ask a lot of questions to try and set reasonable expectations from the beginning. If we identify that our model of care will not benefit you, we will let you know before scheduling an appointment.
#2 If Dr. Shook thinks he may be able to help you, the second step is to schedule your appointment through our online calendar, then complete the administrative and health forms emailed to you. The forms need to be compelted no later than 5 days from the day you scheduled your appointment online. For example, if you scheduled an appointment with our office today, you would need to have your forms completed within five days from today's date (please note, this is not business days). We require intake forms be returned in a five-day time frame even if your appointment is one or two months out.
Dr. Shook reviews every case before an appointment, and this is why you are required to return your intake forms within five days from the date you scheduled. If your forms are not returned within 5 days from the day you scheduled your appointment, we will have to release your appointment. We only allow rescheduling one time.
#3 The third step is an initial appointment through our secure telehealth video software, or by phone. During this first appointment, you and Dr. Shook will discuss your case in detail. At the appointment's conclusion, if Dr. Shook believes he can help you, and if you feel confident and comfortable in Dr. Shook, he will determine the dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and diagnostic tests you need to consider.
Dr. Shook's goal is to identify causative factors driving your symptoms so the best strategy possible can be developed to help you regain control of your health.
After the initial appointment, Dr. Shook will send you recommendations to review before the "Recommendations Review Appointment" so that you can make a note of any specific quesitons you have about his proposed plan.
#4 The fourth step is the recommendations review appointment with Dr. Shook. This thirty-minute appointment is at no additional charge. It is a necessary part of developing an individualized plan for you that takes into consideration and places a high value and priority on your opinion about your care.
We work with you in a partnership, and will help you start on the path to improving your health wherever you can begin.
Dr. Shook will give you his best recommendation and do everything possible to customize a plan based on your unique needs.
What's Included:
60-minute pre-appointment review of your records 60-minute initial appointment/case review Recommendations on the dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and laboratory testing you need to consider to achieve the best outcome 30-minute recommendations review appointment to discuss Dr. Shook's recommendations, and help you determine your starting point
Frequently Asked Quesitons:
Consultation Process
Interested In Working With Dr. Shook As A Consulting Client?
If you have been struggling to find a skilled and knowledgeable practitioner that understands that thyroid problems are more than just your hormone levels, and that most people have needs beyond just taking a thyroid hormone replacement or medication, then this could be a very important day for you.
We realize that you want to feel better.
From experience, we know that you have likely been to several other doctors, maybe even tried other functional, integrative, or medical physicians only to not get the results that you want and need.
To be very forward with you, finding a skilled practitioner that understands the thyroid and autoimmunity is very, very difficult.
Even among practitioners that focus on working with thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity, there can be large differences in training and understanding.
One key aspect of improving your health is that you have to be your own advocate.
The first thing to understand is…
There are some common approaches we see people and their doctors take, that NEVER work (and that you should be aware of)!
1. Treating by symptoms alone. Let me illustrate the flaw in this thinking by using thyroid symptoms as an example.
Most of my clients are on thyroid medications, but they still have symptoms!
Why is that?
It is because there are 24 possible ways that we currently understand, that your thyroid chemistry can break down and cause low thyroid symptoms.
All of the symptoms are the same, but there are 24 different ways the thyroid physiology is breaking down!
This occurs throughout the rest of your body chemistry too!
The fact is you have no idea what your problem is without the proper testing.
2. Thinking that diet alone will solve your problems. Diet is a very important aspect of your health, and it is an essential tool that should be utilized to help you, but there are several other causes of thyroid problems and autoimmunity that have to be considered.
Beware of practitioners that only use dietary support, it’s not a complete approach.
3. Questionable alternative treatments. When practitioners recommend things like colonics, liver cleanses and liquid diets, you need to ask questions and do your own research.
Many of these alternatives can be dangerous if not done correctly and with supervision.
4. Looking for the magic supplement. Supplements are just that, a supplement to everything else you should be doing, not the only method of supporting your body.
Be on the lookout for practitioners that only want to load you on supplements…
...they are important for most people, but only as one part of a comprehensive plan, and they should not be taken forever!
So now that you know what to consider, and can evaluate the approach and recommendation of your practitioner with a more critical eye, let’s cover…
Three Important Signs You Have Found A Practitioner That Can Help…
- They take a logical and science-based approach to evaluating your problems. In our office, we follow a three-step system:
- Detect – we use reliable and repeatable testing to evaluate the cause of your symptoms. This is a critical step.
- Remove – we implement a plan to remove the offending food, chemical, or infection that was detected.
- Repair – we focus on repairing the systems of the body that were damaged as a result of the food, chemical, or infection detected.
- They prioritize the biochemistry and systems of your body that need support.
In our office, we take an approach to repairing your bodily systems beginning with foundational chemistry first. If we were building a house, #1 would be the foundation, #2 the floors, #3 the walls, and so on. This is a general framework, not an absolute approach taken with every person.
- Autoimmunity
- Inflammation
- Anemia
- Blood Sugar
- Liver/GI Tract/Methylation
- Adrenals
- Sex Hormones (Testosterone / Estrogens)
- They have personal experience with Functional Medicine (and they practice what they preach). This is one of the most important steps. When you work with someone that has been through a journey of healing too, they can better understand what it takes to get better: testing, diet, supplementation and lifestyle changes.
If this approach sounds reasonable to you, then we may be able to help you start investigating the cause of your problems.
Are we a good fit for one another?
Our office is different, in that we do not accept every person that calls our office requesting an appointment… it’s not personal, we only accept people as clients that we believe we can help.
If for any reason we do not feel our office is a good fit for you, we will discuss that with you and try to give you the best direction possible.
There are a few things that I can tell you upfront, if you are not willing to change your diet, take temporary supplementation, and change your lifestyle, then we will not be able to help you.
If you can’t give up your soda, sweet tea, fast food, and are not willing to do whatever it takes to improve your health, then we can not help you.
We are inundated with appointment requests, and this demand highlights the epidemic of people suffering.
Due to the time consuming nature of this type of consulting, Dr. Shook only works with people that are highly motivated to get better and does not work with people on a per visit basis.
If you are not committed to your health, and to getting better, then our office may not be a good fit for you at this time.
If you make an appointment and are not serious about doing whatever it takes to improve your health, then you will take the appointment of someone that is in dire need, and that may have to wait for an appointment.
So please, if you are not committed to getting better, and are not willing to make changes to your diet and lifestyle and get the required testing, then just know in advance, that we can not help you.
There is no quick fix to supporting thyroid function or autoimmunity. It takes commitment, a positive attitude, and willingness to change if you want the best chance to improve your health.
Determining if we can accept your case:
If you would like to become a consulting client, all you need to do is click here and complete the form.
The process to determine if you are a candidate for consulting with Dr. Shook takes four steps and two appointments.
1. The first step is to request an appointment.
Once you request an appointment Dr. Shook’s staff will contact you within one to two business days to help with scheduling and to send you intake forms.
If you have questions, Dr. Shook’s staff will help you so that we can both determine if starting the process of becoming a consulting client is a good fit.
We want you to be successful with care in our office, so we ask a lot of questions to try and set reasonable expectations from the beginning.
2. The second step is to return your forms filled out completely, no later than 5 days from the day you called in and scheduled your appointment.
For example, if you called and scheduled an appointment with our office, you would need to have your completed intake packet completed and back to us within five days (please note, this is not business days).
We require intake forms be returned in a five-day time frame even if your appointment is one or two months out.
After you get your forms, follow the instructions on completing the new client intake packet, they must be filled out completely with no blanks; every question is relevant and important to our assessment.
Dr. Shook reviews every case before an appointment, and this is why you are required to return your intake forms within five days from the date you called in and scheduled, not 5 days from the date of your appointment.
If your forms are not returned within 5 days from the day you called in and scheduled your appointment, we will have to release your appointment, and you will have to call back and reschedule (this can only be done one time and then we require that your intake packet is returned to our office and that your appointment fee is prepaid prior to scheduling.)
Our office is very busy, and just like you, our time is precious.
3. The third step is an initial appointment either in the office or with Dr. Shook via Skype, Facetime or phone.
During this first appointment, you and Dr. Shook will discuss your case and see what needs to be done next.
If Dr. Shook believes that he can help you, then after this appointment he will review your case and determine the testing that you need to best evaluate your health.
You will receive written testing recommendations that will be reviewed on the next appointment.
The appointment to review your testing recommendations is no additional charge.
4. The fourth step is to a follow-up appointment with Dr. Shook for a review of your testing recommendations. There is no additional charge for this appointment.
Dr. Shook will give you his best recommendation and will do everything possible to customize a plan based on your unique needs.
Consultation Process
Interested In Working With Dr. Shook As A Consulting Client?
If you have been struggling to find a skilled and knowledgeable practitioner that understands that thyroid problems are more than just your hormone levels, and that most people have needs beyond just taking a thyroid hormone replacement or medication, then this could be a very important day for you.
We realize that you want to feel better.
From experience, we know that you have likely been to several other doctors, maybe even tried other functional, integrative, or medical physicians only to not get the results that you want and need.
To be very forward with you, finding a skilled practitioner that understands the thyroid and autoimmunity is very, very difficult.
Even among practitioners that focus on working with thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity, there can be large differences in training and understanding.
One key aspect of improving your health is that you have to be your own advocate.
The first thing to understand is…
There are some common approaches we see people and their doctors take, that NEVER work (and that you should be aware of)!
- Treating by symptoms alone. Let me illustrate the flaw in this thinking by using thyroid symptoms as an example. Most of my clients are on thyroid medications, but they still have symptoms! Why is that? It is because there are 24 possible ways that we currently understand, that your thyroid chemistry can break down and cause low thyroid symptoms. All of the symptoms are the same, but there are 24 different ways the thyroid physiology is breaking down! This occurs throughout the rest of your body chemistry too! The fact is you have no idea what your problem is without the proper testing.
- Thinking that diet alone will solve your problems. Diet is a very important aspect of your health, and it is an essential tool that should be utilized to help you, but there are several other causes of thyroid problems and autoimmunity that have to be considered. Beware of practitioners that only use dietary support, it’s not a complete approach.
- Questionable alternative treatments. When practitioners recommend things like colonics, liver cleanses and liquid diets, you need to ask questions and do your own research. Many of these alternatives can be dangerous if not done correctly and with supervision.
- Looking for the magic supplement. Supplements are just that, a supplement to everything else you should be doing, not the only method of supporting your body. Be on the lookout for practitioners that only want to load you on supplements… they are important for most people, but only as one part of a comprehensive plan, and they should not be taken forever!
So now that you know what to consider, and can evaluate the approach and recommendation of your practitioner with a more critical eye, let’s cover…
Three Important Signs You Have Found A Practitioner That Can Help…
- They take a logical and science-based approach to evaluating your problems. In our office, we follow a three-step system:
- Detect – we use reliable and repeatable testing to evaluate the cause of your symptoms. This is a critical step.
- Remove – we implement a plan to remove the offending food, chemical, or infection that was detected.
- Repair – we focus on repairing the systems of the body that were damaged as a result of the food, chemical, or infection detected.
- They prioritize the biochemistry and systems of your body that need support. In our office, we take an approach to repairing your bodily systems beginning with foundational chemistry first. If we were building a house, #1 would be the foundation, #2 the floors, #3 the walls, and so on. This is a general framework, not an absolute approach taken with every person.
- Autoimmunity
- Inflammation
- Anemia
- Blood Sugar
- Liver/GI Tract/Methylation
- Adrenals
- Sex Hormones (Testosterone / Estrogens)
- They have personal experience with Functional Medicine (and they practice what they preach). This is one of the most important steps. When you work with someone that has been through a journey of healing too, they can better understand what it takes to get better: testing, diet, supplementation and lifestyle changes.
If this approach sounds reasonable to you, then we may be able to help you start investigating the cause of your problems.
Are we a good fit for one another?
Our office is different, in that we do not accept every person that calls our office requesting an appointment… it’s not personal, we only accept people as clients that we believe we can help.
If for any reason we do not feel our office is a good fit for you, we will discuss that with you and try to give you the best direction possible.
There are a few things that I can tell you upfront, if you are not willing to change your diet, take temporary supplementation, and change your lifestyle, then we will not be able to help you.
If you can’t give up your soda, sweet tea, fast food, and are not willing to do whatever it takes to improve your health, then we can not help you.
We are inundated with appointment requests, and this demand highlights the epidemic of people suffering, Due to the time consuming nature of this type of consulting, Dr. Shook only works with people that are highly motivated to get better and does not work with people on a per visit basis.
If you are not committed to your health, and to getting better, then our office may not be a good fit for you at this time.
If you make an appointment and are not serious about doing whatever it takes to improve your health, then you will take the appointment of someone that is in dire need, and that may have to wait for an appointment.
So please, if you are not committed to getting better, and are not willing to make changes to your diet and lifestyle and get the required testing, then just know in advance, that we can not help you.
There is no quick fix to supporting thyroid function or autoimmunity. It takes commitment, a positive attitude, and willingness to change if you want the best chance to improve your health.
Determining if we can accept your case:
If you would like to become a consulting client, all you need to do is click here and complete the form.
The process to determine if you are a candidate for consulting with Dr. Shook takes four steps and two appointments.
1. The first step is to request an appointment. Once you request an appointment Dr. Shook’s staff will contact you within one to two business days to help with scheduling and to send you intake forms. If you have questions, Dr. Shook’s staff will help you so that we can both determine if starting the process of becoming a consulting client is a good fit. We want you to be successful with care in our office, so we ask a lot of questions to try and set reasonable expectations from the beginning.
2. The second step is to return your forms filled out completely, no later than 5 days from the day you called in and scheduled your appointment. For example, if you called and scheduled an appointment with our office, you would need to have your completed intake packet completed and back to us within five days (please note, this is not business days). We require intake forms be returned in a five-day time frame even if your appointment is one or two months out. After you get your forms, follow the instructions on completing the new client intake packet, they must be filled out completely with no blanks; every question is relevant and important to our assessment.
Dr. Shook reviews every case before an appointment, and this is why you are required to return your intake forms within five days from the date you called in and scheduled, not 5 days from the date of your appointment. If your forms are not returned within 5 days from the day you called in and scheduled your appointment, we will have to release your appointment, and you will have to call back and reschedule (this can only be done one time and then we require that your intake packet is returned to our office and that your appointment fee is prepaid prior to scheduling.)
Our office is very busy, and just like you, our time is precious.
3. The third step is an initial appointment either in the office or with Dr. Shook via Skype, Facetime or phone. During this first appointment, you and Dr. Shook will discuss your case and see what needs to be done next. If Dr. Shook believes that he can help you, then after this appointment he will review your case and determine the testing that you need to best evaluate your health. You will receive written testing recommendations that will be reviewed on the next appointment.
The appointment to review your testing recommendations is no additional charge.
4. The fourth step is to a follow-up appointment with Dr. Shook for a review of your testing recommendations. There is no additional charge for this appointment.
Dr. Shook will give you his best recommendation and will do everything possible to customize a plan based on your unique needs.
Consultation Process
Interested In Working With Dr. Shook As A Consulting Client?
If you have been struggling to find a skilled and knowledgeable practitioner that understands that thyroid problems are more than just your hormone levels, and that most people have needs beyond just taking a thyroid hormone replacement or medication, then this could be a very important day for you.
We realize that you want to feel better.
From experience, we know that you have likely been to several other doctors, maybe even tried other functional, integrative, or medical physicians only to not get the results that you want and need.
To be very forward with you, finding a skilled practitioner that understands the thyroid and autoimmunity is very, very difficult. We do our best to help everyone, but make no mistake, it is complex and difficult work.
Each person has unique genetics and environemental factors that are responsible for their state of health.
Even among practitioners that focus on working with thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity, there can be large differences in training and understanding.
One key aspect of improving your health is that you have to be your own advocate.
The first thing to understand is…
There are some common approaches we see people and their doctors take, that NEVER work (and that you should be aware of)!
1. Treating by symptoms alone. Let me illustrate the flaw in this thinking by using thyroid symptoms as an example.
Most of my clients are on thyroid medications, but they still have symptoms!
Why is that?
It is because there are 24 possible ways that we currently understand, that your thyroid chemistry can break down and cause low thyroid symptoms.
All of the symptoms are the same, but there are 24 different ways the thyroid physiology is breaking down!
This occurs throughout the rest of your body chemistry too!
The fact is you have no idea what your problem is without the proper testing.
2. Thinking that diet alone will solve your problems. Diet is a very important aspect of your health, and it is an essential tool that should be utilized to help you, but there are several other causes of thyroid problems and autoimmunity that have to be considered.
Beware of practitioners that only use dietary support, it’s not a complete approach.
3. Questionable alternative treatments. When practitioners recommend things like colonics, liver cleanses and liquid diets, you need to ask questions and do your own research.
Many of these alternatives can be dangerous if not done correctly and with supervision.
4. Looking for the magic supplement. Supplements are just that, a supplement to everything else you should be doing, not the only method of supporting your body.
Be on the lookout for practitioners that only want to load you on supplements…
...they are important for most people, but only as one part of a comprehensive plan, and they should not be taken forever!
So now that you know what to consider, and can evaluate the approach and recommendation of your practitioner with a more critical eye, let’s cover…
Three Important Signs You Have Found A Practitioner That Can Help…
- They take a logical and science-based approach to evaluating your problems. In our office, we follow a three-step system:
- Detect – we use reliable and repeatable testing to evaluate the cause of your symptoms. This is a critical step.
- Remove – we implement a plan to remove the offending food, chemical, or infection that was detected.
- Repair – we focus on repairing the systems of the body that were damaged as a result of the food, chemical, or infection detected.
- They prioritize the biochemistry and systems of your body that need support.
In our office, we take an approach to repairing your bodily systems beginning with foundational chemistry first. If we were building a house, #1 would be the foundation, #2 the floors, #3 the walls, and so on. This is a general framework, not an absolute approach taken with every person.
- Autoimmunity
- Inflammation
- Anemia
- Blood Sugar
- Liver/GI Tract/Methylation
- Adrenals
- Sex Hormones (Testosterone / Estrogens)
- They have personal experience with Functional Medicine (and they practice what they preach). This is one of the most important steps. When you work with someone that has been through a journey of healing too, they can better understand what it takes to get better: testing, diet, supplementation and lifestyle changes.
If this approach sounds reasonable to you, then we may be able to help you start investigating the cause of your problems.
Are we a good fit for one another?
Our office is different, in that we do not accept every person that calls our office requesting an appointment… it’s not personal, we only accept people as clients that we believe we can help.
If for any reason we do not feel our office is a good fit for you, we will discuss that with you and try to give you the best direction possible.
There are a few things that I can tell you upfront, if you are not willing to change your diet, take temporary supplementation, and change your lifestyle, then we will not be able to help you.
If you can’t give up your soda, sweet tea, fast food, and are not willing to do whatever it takes to improve your health, then we can not help you.
We are inundated with appointment requests, and this demand highlights the epidemic of people suffering.
Due to the time consuming nature of this type of consulting. Dr. Shook only works with people that are highly motivated to get better and does not work with people on a per visit basis.
If you are not committed to your health, and to getting better, then our office may not be a good fit for you at this time.
If you make an appointment and are not serious about doing whatever it takes to improve your health, then you will take the appointment of someone that is in dire need, and that may have to wait for an appointment.
So please, if you are not committed to getting better, and are not willing to make changes to your diet and lifestyle and get the required testing, then just know in advance, that we can not help you.
There is no quick fix to supporting thyroid function or autoimmunity. It takes commitment, a positive attitude, and willingness to change if you want the best chance to improve your health.
NEW CLIENT PROCESS:
Determining if we can accept your case:
If you would like to become a consulting client, all you need to do is click here and complete the form.
The process to determine if you are a candidate for consulting with Dr. Shook takes four steps and two appointments.
#1 The first step is to request an appointment by completing the Application or Care From. We want you to be successful with care in our office, so we ask a lot of questions to try and set reasonable expectations from the beginning. If we identify that our model of care will not benefit you, we will let you know before scheduling an appointment.
#2 If Dr. Shook thinks he may be able to help you, the second step is to schedule your appointment through our online calendar, then complete the administrative and health forms emailed to you.
The forms need to be compelted no later than 5 days from the day you scheduled your appointment online. For example, if you scheduled an appointment with our office today, you would need to have your forms completed within five days from today's date (please note, this is not business days).
We require intake forms be returned in a five-day time frame even if your appointment is one or two months out.
Dr. Shook reviews every case before an appointment, and this is why you are required to return your intake forms within five days from the date you scheduled.
If your forms are not returned within 5 days from the day you scheduled your appointment, we will have to release your appointment. We only allow rescheduling one time.
#3 The third step is an initial appointment through our secure telehealth video software or by phone. During this first appointment, you and Dr. Shook will discuss your case in detail.
At the appointment's conclusion, if Dr. Shook believes he can help you, and if you feel confident and comfortable in Dr. Shook, he will determine the dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and diagnostic tests you need to consider.
Dr. Shook's goal is to identify causative factors driving your symptoms so the best strategy possible can be developed to help you regain control of your health.
After the initial appointment, Dr. Shook will send you recommendations to review before the "Recommendations Review Appointment" so that you can make a note of any specific quesitons you have about his proposed plan.
#4 The fourth step is the recommendations review appointment with Dr. Shook. This thirty-minute appointment is at no additional charge. It is a necessary part of developing an individualized plan for you that takes into consideration and places a high value and priority on your opinion about your care.
We work with you in a partnership, and will help you start on the path to improving your health wherever you can begin.
Dr. Shook will give you his best recommendation and do everything possible to customize a plan based on your unique needs.
What's Included: 60-minute pre-appointment review of your records 60-minute initial appointment/case review Recommendations on the dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and laboratory testing you need to consider to achieve the best outcome 30-minute recommendations review appointment to discuss Dr. Shook's recommendations, and help you determine your starting point
Frequently Asked Questions
Consultation Process
Interested In Working With Dr. Shook As A Consulting Client?
If you have been struggling to find a skilled and knowledgeable practitioner that understands that thyroid problems are more than just your hormone levels, and that most people have needs beyond just taking a thyroid hormone replacement or medication, then this could be a very important day for you.
We realize that you want to feel better.
From experience, we know that you have likely been to several other doctors, maybe even tried other functional, integrative, or medical physicians only to not get the results that you want and need.
To be very forward with you, finding a skilled practitioner that understands the thyroid and autoimmunity is very, very difficult. We do our best to help everyone, but make no mistake, it is complex and difficult work.
Each person has unique genetics and environemental factors that are responsible for their state of health.
Even among practitioners that focus on working with thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity, there can be large differences in training and understanding.
One key aspect of improving your health is that you have to be your own advocate.
The first thing to understand is…
There are some common approaches we see people and their doctors take, that NEVER work (and that you should be aware of)!
- Treating by symptoms alone. Let me illustrate the flaw in this thinking by using thyroid symptoms as an example. Most of my clients are on thyroid medications, but they still have symptoms! Why is that? It is because there are 24 possible ways that we currently understand, that your thyroid chemistry can break down and cause low thyroid symptoms. All of the symptoms are the same, but there are 24 different ways the thyroid physiology is breaking down! This occurs throughout the rest of your body chemistry too! The fact is you have no idea what your problem is without the proper testing.
- Thinking that diet alone will solve your problems. Diet is a very important aspect of your health, and it is an essential tool that should be utilized to help you, but there are several other causes of thyroid problems and autoimmunity that have to be considered. Beware of practitioners that only use dietary support, it’s not a complete approach.
- Questionable alternative treatments. When practitioners recommend things like colonics, liver cleanses and liquid diets, you need to ask questions and do your own research. Many of these alternatives can be dangerous if not done correctly and with supervision.
- Looking for the magic supplement. Supplements are just that, a supplement to everything else you should be doing, not the only method of supporting your body. Be on the lookout for practitioners that only want to load you on supplements… they are important for most people, but only as one part of a comprehensive plan, and they should not be taken forever!
So now that you know what to consider, and can evaluate the approach and recommendation of your practitioner with a more critical eye, let’s cover…
Three Important Signs You Have Found A Practitioner That Can Help…
- They take a logical and science-based approach to evaluating your problems. In our office, we follow a three-step system:
- Detect – we use reliable and repeatable testing to evaluate the cause of your symptoms. This is a critical step.
- Remove – we implement a plan to remove the offending food, chemical, or infection that was detected.
- Repair – we focus on repairing the systems of the body that were damaged as a result of the food, chemical, or infection detected.
- They prioritize the biochemistry and systems of your body that need support. In our office, we take an approach to repairing your bodily systems beginning with foundational chemistry first. If we were building a house, #1 would be the foundation, #2 the floors, #3 the walls, and so on. This is a general framework, not an absolute approach taken with every person.
- Autoimmunity
- Inflammation
- Anemia
- Blood Sugar
- Liver/GI Tract/Methylation
- Adrenals
- Sex Hormones (Testosterone / Estrogens)
- They have personal experience with Functional Medicine (and they practice what they preach). This is one of the most important steps. When you work with someone that has been through a journey of healing too, they can better understand what it takes to get better: testing, diet, supplementation and lifestyle changes.
If this approach sounds reasonable to you, then we may be able to help you start investigating the cause of your problems.
Are we a good fit for one another?
Our office is different, in that we do not accept every person that calls our office requesting an appointment… it’s not personal, we only accept people as clients that we believe we can help.
If for any reason we do not feel our office is a good fit for you, we will discuss that with you and try to give you the best direction possible.
There are a few things that I can tell you upfront, if you are not willing to change your diet, take temporary supplementation, and change your lifestyle, then we will not be able to help you.
If you can’t give up your soda, sweet tea, fast food, and are not willing to do whatever it takes to improve your health, then we can not help you.
We are inundated with appointment requests, and this demand highlights the epidemic of people suffering. Due to the time consuming nature of this type of consulting, Dr. Shook only works with people that are highly motivated to get better and does not work with people on a per visit basis.
If you are not committed to your health, and to getting better, then our office may not be a good fit for you at this time.
If you make an appointment and are not serious about doing whatever it takes to improve your health, then you will take the appointment of someone that is in dire need, and that may have to wait for an appointment.
So please, if you are not committed to getting better, and are not willing to make changes to your diet and lifestyle and get the required testing, then just know in advance, that we can not help you.
There is no quick fix to supporting thyroid function or autoimmunity. It takes commitment, a positive attitude, and willingness to change if you want the best chance to improve your health.
NEW CLIENT PROCESS:
Determining if we can accept your case:
If you would like to become a consulting client, all you need to do is click here and complete the form.
The process to determine if you are a candidate for consulting with Dr. Shook takes four steps and two appointments.
#1 The first step is to request an appointment. Once you request an appointment Dr. Shook’s staff will contact you within one to two business days to help with scheduling and to send you intake forms. If you have questions, Dr. Shook’s staff will help you so that we can both determine if starting the process of becoming a consulting client is a good fit. We want you to be successful with care in our office, so we ask a lot of questions to try and set reasonable expectations from the beginning.
#2 The second step is to return your forms filled out completely, no later than 5 days from the day you called in and scheduled your appointment. For example, if you called and scheduled an appointment with our office, you would need to have your completed intake packet completed and back to us within five days (please note, this is not business days). We require intake forms be returned in a five-day time frame even if your appointment is one or two months out. After you get your forms, follow the instructions on completing the new client intake packet, they must be filled out completely with no blanks; every question is relevant and important to our assessment.
Dr. Shook reviews every case before an appointment, and this is why you are required to return your intake forms within five days from the date you called in and scheduled, not 5 days from the date of your appointment. If your forms are not returned within 5 days from the day you called in and scheduled your appointment, we will have to release your appointment, and you will have to call back and reschedule (this can only be done one time and then we require that your intake packet is returned to our office and that your appointment fee is prepaid prior to scheduling.)
Our office is very busy, and just like you, our time is precious.
#3 The third step is an initial appointment through our secure telehealth video software, or phone. During this first appointment, you and Dr. Shook will discuss your case in detail. At the appointment's conclusion, if Dr. Shook believes he can help you, and if you feel confident and comfortable in Dr. Shook, he will determine the dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and diagnostic tests you need to consider.
Dr. Shook's goal is to identify causative factors driving your symptoms so the best strategy possible can be developed to help you regain control of your health.
After the initial appointment, Dr. Shook will send you recommendations to review before the "Recommendations Review Appointment" so that you can make a note of any specific quesitons you have about his proposed plan.
#4 The fourth step is the recommendations review appointment with Dr. Shook. This thirty-minute appointment is at no additional charge. It is a necessary part of developing an individualized plan for you that takes into consideration and places a high value and priority on your opinion about your care.
We work with you in a partnership, and will help you start on the path to improving your health wherever you can begin.
Dr. Shook will give you his best recommendation and do everything possible to customize a plan based on your unique needs.
What's Included: 60-minute pre-appointment review of your records 60-minute initial appointment/case review Recommendations on the dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and laboratory testing you need to consider to achieve the best outcome 30-minute recommendations review appointment to discuss Dr. Shook's recommendations, and help you determine your starting point
Frequently Asked Quesitons
Consultation Process
Interested In Working With Dr. Shook As A Consulting Client?
If you have been struggling to find a skilled and knowledgeable practitioner that understands that thyroid problems are more than just your hormone levels, and that most people have needs beyond just taking a thyroid hormone replacement or medication, then this could be a very important day for you.
We realize that you want to feel better.
From experience, we know that you have likely been to several other doctors, maybe even tried other functional, integrative, or medical physicians only to not get the results that you want and need.
To be very forward with you, finding a skilled practitioner that understands the thyroid and autoimmunity is very, very difficult.
Even among practitioners that focus on working with thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity, there can be large differences in training and understanding.
One key aspect of improving your health is that you have to be your own advocate.
The first thing to understand is…
There are some common approaches we see people and their doctors take, that NEVER work (and that you should be aware of)!
1. Treating by symptoms alone. Let me illustrate the flaw in this thinking by using thyroid symptoms as an example.
Most of my clients are on thyroid medications, but they still have symptoms!
Why is that?
It is because there are 24 possible ways that we currently understand, that your thyroid chemistry can break down and cause low thyroid symptoms.
All of the symptoms are the same, but there are 24 different ways the thyroid physiology is breaking down!
This occurs throughout the rest of your body chemistry too!
The fact is you have no idea what your problem is without the proper testing.
2. Thinking that diet alone will solve your problems. Diet is a very important aspect of your health, and it is an essential tool that should be utilized to help you, but there are several other causes of thyroid problems and autoimmunity that have to be considered.
Beware of practitioners that only use dietary support, it’s not a complete approach.
3. Questionable alternative treatments. When practitioners recommend things like colonics, liver cleanses and liquid diets, you need to ask questions and do your own research.
Many of these alternatives can be dangerous if not done correctly and with supervision.
4. Looking for the magic supplement. Supplements are just that, a supplement to everything else you should be doing, not the only method of supporting your body.
Be on the lookout for practitioners that only want to load you on supplements…
...they are important for most people, but only as one part of a comprehensive plan, and they should not be taken forever!
So now that you know what to consider, and can evaluate the approach and recommendation of your practitioner with a more critical eye, let’s cover…
Three Important Signs You Have Found A Practitioner That Can Help…
- They take a logical and science-based approach to evaluating your problems. In our office, we follow a three-step system:
- Detect – we use reliable and repeatable testing to evaluate the cause of your symptoms. This is a critical step.
- Remove – we implement a plan to remove the offending food, chemical, or infection that was detected.
- Repair – we focus on repairing the systems of the body that were damaged as a result of the food, chemical, or infection detected.
- They prioritize the biochemistry and systems of your body that need support.
In our office, we take an approach to repairing your bodily systems beginning with foundational chemistry first. If we were building a house, #1 would be the foundation, #2 the floors, #3 the walls, and so on. This is a general framework, not an absolute approach taken with every person.
- Autoimmunity
- Inflammation
- Anemia
- Blood Sugar
- Liver/GI Tract/Methylation
- Adrenals
- Sex Hormones (Testosterone / Estrogens)
- They have personal experience with Functional Medicine (and they practice what they preach). This is one of the most important steps. When you work with someone that has been through a journey of healing too, they can better understand what it takes to get better: testing, diet, supplementation and lifestyle changes.
If this approach sounds reasonable to you, then we may be able to help you start investigating the cause of your problems.
Are we a good fit for one another?
Our office is different, in that we do not accept every person that calls our office requesting an appointment… it’s not personal, we only accept people as clients that we believe we can help.
If for any reason we do not feel our office is a good fit for you, we will discuss that with you and try to give you the best direction possible.
There are a few things that I can tell you upfront, if you are not willing to change your diet, take temporary supplementation, and change your lifestyle, then we will not be able to help you.
If you can’t give up your soda, sweet tea, fast food, and are not willing to do whatever it takes to improve your health, then we can not help you.
We are inundated with appointment requests, and this demand highlights the epidemic of people suffering.
Due to the time consuming nature of this type of consulting, Dr. Shook only works with people that are highly motivated to get better and does not work with people on a per visit basis.
If you are not committed to your health, and to getting better, then our office may not be a good fit for you at this time.
If you make an appointment and are not serious about doing whatever it takes to improve your health, then you will take the appointment of someone that is in dire need, and that may have to wait for an appointment.
So please, if you are not committed to getting better, and are not willing to make changes to your diet and lifestyle and get the required testing, then just know in advance, that we can not help you.
There is no quick fix to supporting thyroid function or autoimmunity. It takes commitment, a positive attitude, and willingness to change if you want the best chance to improve your health.
Determining if we can accept your case:
If you would like to become a consulting client, all you need to do is click here and complete the form.
The process to determine if you are a candidate for consulting with Dr. Shook takes four steps and two appointments.
1. The first step is to request an appointment.
Once you request an appointment Dr. Shook’s staff will contact you within one to two business days to help with scheduling and to send you intake forms.
If you have questions, Dr. Shook’s staff will help you so that we can both determine if starting the process of becoming a consulting client is a good fit.
We want you to be successful with care in our office, so we ask a lot of questions to try and set reasonable expectations from the beginning.
2. The second step is to return your forms filled out completely, no later than 5 days from the day you called in and scheduled your appointment.
For example, if you called and scheduled an appointment with our office, you would need to have your completed intake packet completed and back to us within five days (please note, this is not business days).
We require intake forms be returned in a five-day time frame even if your appointment is one or two months out.
After you get your forms, follow the instructions on completing the new client intake packet, they must be filled out completely with no blanks; every question is relevant and important to our assessment.
Dr. Shook reviews every case before an appointment, and this is why you are required to return your intake forms within five days from the date you called in and scheduled, not 5 days from the date of your appointment.
If your forms are not returned within 5 days from the day you called in and scheduled your appointment, we will have to release your appointment, and you will have to call back and reschedule (this can only be done one time and then we require that your intake packet is returned to our office and that your appointment fee is prepaid prior to scheduling.)
Our office is very busy, and just like you, our time is precious.
3. The third step is an initial appointment either in the office or with Dr. Shook via Skype, Facetime or phone.
During this first appointment, you and Dr. Shook will discuss your case and see what needs to be done next.
If Dr. Shook believes that he can help you, then after this appointment he will review your case and determine the testing that you need to best evaluate your health.
You will receive written testing recommendations that will be reviewed on the next appointment.
The appointment to review your testing recommendations is no additional charge.
4. The fourth step is to a follow-up appointment with Dr. Shook for a review of your testing recommendations. There is no additional charge for this appointment.
Dr. Shook will give you his best recommendation and will do everything possible to customize a plan based on your unique needs.
