About the Center
Front row: Dr. Remy Coeytaux, Dr. Wunian Chen
Back row: P.J. Dodson, Dr. Raghu Ballal, Dr. Tracy Meyers, Karmen McKiver
Integrative Health Center of Chapel Hill is home to medical and therapeutic practitioners committed to an integrative, individualized, whole-person approach to medical care, health and healing.
Medical doctors offer expertise in family medicine, women’s health, primary care, pain management, headache specialty care, chronic adult disease management, acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy, and ayurveda. A highly-experienced naturopathic doctor, compounding pharmacist and nutritionists are also available to see clients at the Center.
Mind/body therapists offer a wide-range of healing modalities such as massage, craniosacral therapy, integral therapy, and physical therapy.
Experienced counselors offer individual and family psychotherapy, integrative mind/body therapy (combining counseling and body work), clinical hypnosis, and relationship counseling.
The Center is also committed to providing opportunities to learn self-care skills through classes in its beautiful studio. Individual and group classes in T’ai-Chi, Qigong, and Yoga are ongoing.
What Is Integrative Medicine? Integrative medicine is an established medical discipline that focuses on combining the best of Western scientific medicine with complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture, herbalism, nutrition, and mind-body strategies. It brings a broad approach to the understanding and scope of medical care by incorporating, when appropriate, complementary therapies that can optimize healing results, foster preventative health, and improve one’s efforts at health maintenance. To accomplish this, a doctor must have an appreciation for the interconnectedness of mind and body as it relates to healing and well-being. Integrative medicine is committed to a partnership relationship between practitioner and patient, empowering people to be active participants in their own care. Integrative medicine focuses on treating the whole person–body, mind and spirit.
What is Complementary Therapy?
Complementary therapy is an umbrella term for a number of disciplines that are used in tandem with standard medical practice. Collectively, these therapies include acupuncture, massage, ayurveda, clinical hypnosis, mind-body therapies, stress reduction techniques, and energy-based therapies, among others.
The public’s interest and use of complementary therapies has been on the rise for years. Along with increased use, there has been increased interest in their effectiveness by the public, by researchers and medical practitioners. More and more doctors are studying complementary therapies, referring patients out to skilled practitioners for these therapies, or learning techniques themselves and incorporating them into their medical practice. They are also paying attention to the connections between one’s mind and one’s body, something that many healing therapists have been focused on for many years.
In summary, the Integrative Health Center brings integrative doctors and healing therapists together under one roof. Here at the Center, one finds practitioners who are open-minded and knowledgeable about different healing disciplines; professionals who are interested in learning from each other; and providers who work individually or collaboratively to meet patients’ medical and healthcare needs. The Center provides a relaxing, inspiring environment in which patients can feel fully cared for and supported for both routine and more complicated concerns.
By attending to the whole person and respecting the interconnectedness of one’s body and mind, our doctors, practitioners, and class instructors believe they can help you achieve significant improvement in your overall health and well-being.
The practitioners at the Center adhere to the principles of integrative health care:
- Customized integration of medical, nutritional, and therapeutic resources to meet your health care needs
- Individualized partnership between you and your health care providers
- Collaborative, innovative team approach to patient care when needed
- Attention to healing your whole self: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
- Balanced use of conventional, complementary and alternative therapies
- Recommendations for gentler, non-invasive procedures and techniques
- Guidance with lifestyle choices to maximize health, healing and longevity
- Mindful, heart-centered presence and support for all levels of your being
At Integrative Health Center you can:
- Consult with an integrative medicine specialist for overall medical guidance and questions about the safety and validity of alternative treatments
- Establish a relationship with a family physician or internist for annual check-ups, sudden medical concerns, diagnostic testing, Paps, etc.
- Consult with a compounding pharmacist
- Consult with a nutrition specialist to maximize your health, manage a chronic illness, prepare for surgery, complement medical treatments for cancer, etc.
- Receive acupuncture treatments for pain or health maintenance
- Consult with an experienced traditional Chinese Medicine doctor on Chinese herbal therapies or an ayurvedic medical doctor
- Schedule two or more providers to meet with you at the same time, such as a physician and an acupuncturist
- Choose from a variety of body therapies to help you heal and stay healthy