Francesca, 24

When I got my IUD removed after being on birth control for seven years, I didn't get my period for two years. I was convinced I was infertile. I went to my GP looking for answers and was basically told to go back on birth control. But that didn't make sense to me. I didn't just want to get a period because I was taking hormones again — I wanted to understand why my body wasn't having one on its own. And it wasn't just my period. I had hormonal acne around my chin that wouldn't go away no matter what I did, constant bloating and inflammation, anxiety, hair breakage, and just didn't feel like myself. Individually, every symptom seemed like its own issue. But I couldn't shake the feeling that they were all connected and that my body was trying to tell me something.

I saw so many different doctors, and the answer I kept getting was to go back on birth control. But I couldn't understand how that would actually get my period back or address the rest of the hormonal issues I was experiencing. It felt like a Band-Aid solution. So I started trying everything. I changed my diet, cut certain foods out and added others in, got facials for my acne, took probiotics and had test after test done — only to keep being told that everything looked “normal.” That was probably the most frustrating part. On paper, I was being told I was fine, but I knew I didn't feel like myself.

For the first time, my treatment felt completely specific to me. Dr. Holman looked at my symptoms, my test results and my history together, then gave me the herbs, supplements and treatment that actually made sense for my body. It completely changed the way I think about health. I realized that something can be considered “healthy” and still not be right for my body. After spending so long trying different things and wondering what was wrong, I finally felt like I understood what my body needed and why.

I'm still figuring things out, but I think that's one of the biggest things this experience has taught me: healing isn't linear. I know my body so much better now. I know what makes me feel good, what tends to trigger symptoms and, most importantly, I'm much better at listening when something feels off. I used to see a symptom and immediately want to make it disappear. Now I'm more interested in understanding what my body is trying to tell me and what it needs to get back into balance. Finding the right practitioner changed the way I approach my health completely.