Naturopathic Primary Care in San Diego With Medical Support
When changes in hormones, digestion, energy, sleep, or other aspects of your health start to overlap, it can be difficult to know which piece to address first. A naturopathic doctor in San Diego takes time to look at the bigger picture while keeping you connected to conventional medical care when you need it.
Our licensed naturopathic doctors work alongside physicians, family medicine providers, and nurse practitioners, so you can receive naturopathic care while staying connected to conventional medicine when appropriate.
If you want to take a closer look at what may be affecting your health, book an appointment online or call 760.230.1888.
What Is Naturopathic Primary Care?
California recognizes naturopathic medicine as a form of primary health care. So, a licensed ND in San Diego can evaluate patients, order certain laboratory testing and diagnostic imaging, and provide treatment within the profession’s legal scope.
That scope is different from an MD or DO. For some medications, procedures, and other aspects of care, your ND may coordinate with a medical provider. Hormone care is one area where California gives licensed NDs specific prescribing authority.
Naturopathic doctors don’t perform surgery or provide certain other procedures outside their scope, and we will involve another qualified provider whenever your care calls for it.
What Health Concerns Can You Discuss With a Naturopathic Doctor?
Naturopathic care can be helpful when symptoms seem connected, keep returning, or deserve more time and attention than a single issue-focused visit allows.
Your ND starts with what you are experiencing, then considers your medical history, lifestyle, testing, and other factors that may help shape the next step.
Women’s Health and Hormone Concerns
Hormone changes can affect sleep, energy, mood, menstrual cycles, sexual health, and how you feel day to day. Our naturopathic team works with women across different stages of life, and California-licensed NDs can independently prescribe natural and synthetic hormones when hormone treatment is part of the plan.
Digestive Health
Persistent bloating, reflux, irregularity, food reactions, and other digestive symptoms can have more than one contributing factor. Your ND can review your symptoms alongside your diet, medications, supplements, previous testing, and overall health to determine what deserves further attention.
Nutrition, Sleep, and Daily Habits
Nutrition, sleep, stress, supplements, and daily routines can all influence how you feel. These areas can be discussed as part of your naturopathic care, particularly when they are affecting your energy, digestion, weight, or overall well-being. Our holistic health services and wellness programs run through the same practice.
What Happens at Your First Naturopathic Appointment?
Your first naturopathic appointment is a chance to slow down and look at the full picture, not just the symptom that brought you in.
Your ND can review:
- Current symptoms and when they started
- Medical history and existing diagnoses
- Prescription medications and supplements
- Recent laboratory or imaging results
- Hormone, digestive, or other ongoing concerns
- Nutrition, activity, stress, and daily routines
- Your goals and questions for care
Depending on what you find, the next step may include testing, treatment within your ND’s scope, hormone care, changes to nutrition or lifestyle, or coordination with another provider in the practice.
We also offer IV hydration, infusions, and injections when appropriate. The specific options available depend on the treatment and the clinician providing your care. Our front desk can explain what is available when you schedule.
Who Provides Naturopathic Care at Healthtopia?
Our naturopathic doctors work within a broader medical practice, so naturopathic care doesn’t have to exist separately from conventional medicine.
Our team has connections to several established training institutions. Dr. Joy Hardison, MD, MPH, founded Healthtopia to bring conventional and integrative medicine closer together. She is also an adjunct professor at Bastyr University California, and our Sorrento Valley clinic operates inside Bastyr University Clinic.
We also support postdoctoral naturopathic training. Dr. Alyssa Burnham, ND, serves as Residency Program Director, while Dr. Alyson Freedman, ND, is completing her postdoctoral residency here.
Learn more about our approach.
MD, MPH
Dr. Joy Hardison
CEO, Emergency Physician, and General Practitioner
MD, MS
Dr. James Howard
COO, Emergency Physician, and General Practitioner
ND
Dr. Bridget Anderson
Chief of Staff and Naturopathic Doctor
ND
Dr. Alyssa Burnham
Residency Program Director and Naturopathic Doctor
Nearly 3,000 Patient Reviews Across Four San Diego Clinics
Choosing a naturopathic doctor is personal. Reviews can give you a better sense of how patients experience our providers, from the time they spend listening to the way they explain their recommendations.
Across our four San Diego clinics, patients have left more than 2,900 Google reviews, with individual location ratings between 4.8 and 4.9 stars.
Testimonials
What Does Naturopathic Care Cost at Healthtopia?
Naturopathic visits at Healthtopia are self-pay. A new patient appointment is $300, while return visits range from $100 to $200. Many health savings accounts can be used toward naturopathic services.
Our MD, FNP, and DNP providers accept insurance, including Medicare and most PPO plans, so conventional medical care is billed separately from naturopathic care.
Which San Diego Clinic Is Right for Me?
We offer naturopathic medicine in San Diego at all four of our clinics, so you can choose the location that works best for where you live or work:
Telemedicine may also be available for certain visits. Ask when scheduling whether your appointment can be completed virtually.
Start Your Naturopathic Primary Care in San Diego
You don’t need to arrive with a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Start with what you’re experiencing—changes in energy, digestion, hormones, sleep, or simply a sense that something isn’t quite right.
We’ll help you sort through what may be contributing, what deserves further evaluation, and whether naturopathic, conventional, or combined care makes the most sense.
Ready to take the first step? Book a naturopathic appointment online or call 760.230.1888.
FAQs About Naturopathic Primary Care San Diego
Why are naturopathic visits self-pay?
Naturopathic visits at Healthtopia are self-pay. A new appointment here is $300, while return visits range from $100 to $200. Many health savings accounts can be used toward naturopathic services. If you also see one of our physicians or nurse practitioners, those visits are billed through insurance when your plan provides coverage.
What should I bring to my first naturopathic appointment?
Bring your medication and supplement list, recent lab or imaging results, relevant medical records, and any questions you want to discuss. Having that information available helps your ND understand what has already been evaluated or tried.
Can a naturopathic doctor be my primary care provider in California?
Yes, California recognizes naturopathic medicine as a system of primary health care, but an ND’s legal scope is narrower than an MD or DO’s. An ND can handle many evaluations, laboratory orders, preventive concerns, and hormone care, while some prescriptions and procedures require another licensed medical provider.
What happens if I need something outside my ND’s scope?
We also have physicians, family medicine providers, and nurse practitioners, so care that falls outside naturopathic scope can involve another medical provider or an outside specialist when needed. That is one advantage of receiving naturopathic care within a practice that also provides conventional primary care and urgent care.
How long is the first appointment?
Your first appointment may be longer than a standard medical visit, because the point is to go through your history rather than one complaint. Expect to talk through nutrition, sleep, and daily routines alongside the symptoms that brought you in. Follow-up visits are typically shorter.