Integrative Medicine
A new way of practicing medicine is changing how we get and stay well.
Dr. Julie Reardon is a different kind of physician. Leaving behind the broken, disease management model of medicine in this country, she is blazing a new trail working directly for patients who wish to take personal responsibility and control of their own health.
Dr. Reardon at her AzCIM graduation ceremony receiving a hand-carved walking stick which she keeps in her office. It was gifted to her as a symbol of her educational journey – both already undertaken and that still yet to come – from her mentor, Dr. Andrew Weil.
Dr. Reardon, aka Doctor Julie, thrives on de-mystifying the medical diagnosis and finding a balanced approach using all of the tools from her arsenal – diet and lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements, and medications when necessary. She brings a gentle ear combined with the discrimination of a trained scientist the lay the foundation for healing.
A critical ability to hear her patient’s stories and the truth of how they’re feeling is important. Medical science has now demonstrated how the stories that we live and that we tell ourselves are powerful influences on our overall health. They are as important to our health as the lifestyles we choose.
Dr. Reardon consciously chose to leave behind the predominant way of practicing medicine after many years of seeing her patients and fellow physicians alike being managed by the healthcare system. She has moved to a place of self-empowerment utilizing the treasures of modern science and traditional, common sense wisdom combined with the best of complementary and holistic practices.
She is a Fellow of the University of Arizona’s Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (AzCIM), a ground-breaking program established by Dr. Andrew Weil. This program is the first ever and most comprehensive and rigorous academic curriculum in integrative medicine. AzCIM also co-founded the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine, along with Duke University and the University of Massachusetts. The Consortium now has 46 member institutions engaged in clinical, educational, and research programs in this comprehensive new way of looking at the healing process of the human body.
Dr. Reardon implements this program’s philosophy, the principles of functional medicine addressing the underlying causes of illness, and more in designing the ultimate customized wellness and medical treatment plans for her patients.
“For me, the power and responsibility of the physician is a Divine gift. I listen to my patients for what they need. Sometimes they want more ‘yang’ – in the form of knowledge, leadership, or confidence; and sometimes they need more ‘yin,’ as in gentle listening, patience, and dare I say it – love.”
Defining Principles of Integrative Medicine
- Patient and practitioner are partners in the healing process.
- All factors that influence health, wellness, and disease are taken into consideration, including mind, spirit, and community, as well as the body.
- Appropriate use of both conventional and alternative methods facilitates the body’s innate healing response.
- Effective interventions that are natural and less invasive should be used whenever possible.
Integrative medicine neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically. - Good medicine is based in good science. It is inquiry-driven and open to new paradigms.
- Alongside the concept of treatment, the broader concepts of health promotion and the prevention of illness are paramount.
- Practitioners of integrative medicine should exemplify its principles and commit themselves to self-exploration and self-development.