Naturopaths
Rob's Story
At 42, Rob was always exhausted, which left him emotionally distant and strained his marriage with his wife, Martha. Once athletic, he had gradually gained weight and struggled with low libido—something he found embarrassing and avoided addressing. Their intimacy had dwindled, leaving Martha feeling undesirable and worried he had lost attraction to her, even though he hadn’t.
Rob resisted seeking help until his coworker and close friend, Dan, shared his own experience. Dan confided that he had struggled with erectile dysfunction and found little relief until seeing a naturopathic WorldLink provider. Dan explained how the provider focused on uncovering root causes through extensive testing rather than offering quick fixes, and how he offered confidential telehealth appointments from home after the first in-person visit.
Encouraged by Dan’s story and reassured by the privacy of telehealth, Rob made an appointment. The doctor was kind and understanding, reassuring Rob that low libido was a common issue in men—contrary to popular misconception. Bloodwork revealed low testosterone, low DHEAs, and insulin resistance. With tailored hormonal and naturopathic support, Rob’s energy, strength, and libido gradually returned. His relationship with Martha began to heal, and for the first time in years, Rob felt hopeful and excited about their future together.
Why Cosmetic Treatments Alone Aren’t Enough
If you are a naturopathic physician, you see the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases in your practice firsthand. Although naturopathy embraces the time and depth needed for patient-centered care, the demand for your expertise is growing as conventional treatments can fall short, leaving more patients seeking out naturopathic solutions.
Despite the intention to focus on fewer patients, the reality is that many naturopaths carry heavy caseloads, often far beyond what is manageable for in-depth, holistic care. For many practitioners, this growing demand and complex caseloads can lead to burnout. Chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, cognitive decline, and metabolic disorders persist and worsen, leaving even the most dedicated naturopaths feeling overextended and disillusioned when patients fail to progress as they had hoped. This situation can leave many practitioners asking, why aren’t my patients getting better?
One of the leading frustrations among naturopaths—and doctors in general—is low patient compliance with lifestyle changes. But consider this: do patients see the reward worthwhile? If a patient changes their diet, exercise, and sleep habits only to reap mediocre results, why should they feel motivated to continue? Patients will struggle to stick with new habits if significant efforts result in only minor improvements.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
At WorldLink Medical (WLM), we have witnessed that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) can often be a powerful addition to naturopathic care for managing chronic disease holistically and motivating your patients to implement long-term lifestyle changes. Naturopathy emphasizes treating the root cause, and hormones play a foundational role in supporting patients’ long-term health. While hormones may seem outside the usual scope, they are incredibly relevant in chronic disease prevention and management.
Naturopathy emphasizes treating the whole person rather than focusing on each organ system in isolation, as a typical provider, such as a cardiologist or podiatrist, would. With the understanding that all organs work together in concert, hormones are the perfect embodiment of treating the whole person. Rather than treating isolated symptoms, without much forethought, hormones work everywhere they are needed in the body, truly treating the whole person and addressing the root cause.
BHRT can also directly addresses the hormonal imbalances and insulin resistance associated with nearly every modern chronic condition today, including high blood pressure, diabetes, fatty liver, cognitive decline, heart disease, and PCOS (1, 2, 3, 4). Hormones like testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, cortisol, thyroid, and DHEA can play crucial roles in insulin sensitivity and chronic disease pathways, impacting not just menopausal relief but overall health for patients of all ages.
And while naturopaths receive more training in BHRT than MDs, the overwhelming majority of BHRT training programs fail to address critical nuances that can make the difference in a patient getting better or staying sick, such as the difference between optimal versus normal lab values, the importance of therapeutic dosing, and exactly how hormones impact chronic disease pathways–not just menopausal symptom relief–so that you can completely address the chronic diseases your patient struggle with.
At this time, naturopaths may practice in eight states. With the tools to apply BHRT effectively, naturopaths can potentially make substantial improvements in their patients’ energy, vitality, and longevity, addressing chronic disease from a truly holistic standpoint.
Naturopaths integrating BHRT also report reduced burnout, higher patient satisfaction, and improved financial stability. For many practitioners, seeing patients truly thrive brings unparalleled fulfillment—and BHRT is a powerful addition in making that happen.
So, What Are You Waiting For?
Enroll today in Part I of our CME-accredited BHRT training program and start transforming your practice!
References
- Zhao X, An X, Yang C, Sun W, Ji H, Lian F. The crucial role and mechanism of insulin resistance in metabolic disease. J Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Mar 28;14:1149239. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1149239. PMID: 37056675; PMCID: PMC10086443. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10086443/
- Freeman AM, Acevedo LA, Pennings N. Insulin Resistance. [Updated 2023 Aug 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507839/#:~:text=The%20metabolic%20consequences%20of%20insulin,type%202%20diabetes(T2D
- Cui Y, Tang TY, Lu CQ, Ju S. Insulin Resistance and Cognitive Impairment: Evidence From Neuroimaging. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2022 Dec;56(6):1621-1649. doi: 10.1002/jmri.28358. Epub 2022 Jul 19. PMID: 35852470.
- Zhao, H., Zhang, J., Cheng, X. et al. Insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome across various tissues: an updated review of pathogenesis, evaluation, and treatment. J Ovarian Res 16, 9 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-022-01091-0