Unique Verve — Local services in Boston

Natalie had given me wonderful facials for years, but I am writing this review because she enabled me to experience a dramatic improvement in my overall health and sense of well-being through application of her functional medicine expertise. I had had a stressful year and attributed my palpitations, chronic waking up between 2-4 am, ongoing hot flashes (10 years after menopause), higher than desirable blood sugar, and periodic bouts of itchy skin — as well as the fact that I never seemed able to lose the 5-10 pounds I wanted to lose - to “getting older,” having stressful work, my mother passing away after a long period of decline, and other external factors. I had spoken about each issue to my doctors - and had had a complete cardiac evaluation - with the result being that I was told I really had nothing to worry about. So I was going along assuming that I should just accept the fact that - at 61 - I was going to have physical discomforts and not great sleep. I kept working out to stay relatively fit, but I felt as though I was never 100% healthy and energetic.

After Natalie’s thorough, customized assessment I learned that my internal biochemistry was in disarray - I had a clinically high level of mercury (after a misguided sense that sushi was always healthy), genetic impairments that were preventing me from absorbing multiple key vitamins and minerals, elevated blood sugar due more to internal imbalances and overloads than to what I was eating, a very high sensitivity to gluten (despite not being allergic to it), and a liver that needed me not to rely on 1-2 glasses of wine each night to alleviate stress. Natalie developed a nutrition and supplement plan for me, explaining the science behind each recommendation and providing me with relevant research articles, and gave me many tips about how to make my life more healthy. After ten weeks, carefully following Natalie’s recommendations, I feel so much better it is hard to explain. I have very few palpitations and hot flashes, and my skin is no longer itchy. I wake up at night but always go back to sleep easily and never have arrhythmias or an accelerated heart rate at night. My transient dizziness is gone, I feel more inherently stable and grounded, and the weight fell off me without effort. I have not yet been retested but feel confident that my mercury level is no longer high.

Natalie both inspires and teaches - without being judgmental or insensitive. She is phenomenal at this work, in part because she is clearly passionate about it. I feel certain that i will live a longer, healthier, happier life because of the guidance and support she has provided. I cannot thank Natalie enough, or recommend her...

I've never felt moved to write a Google review before. I'm doing this just because Natalie is that good. ("Good" isn't a good enough word. She's amazing.) I have seen her for facials for a number of years and always appreciated her scientific approach, her dedicated research skills, and her ability to sift through all the latest technologies and products in a critical way, selecting only the best for her clients. She's also technically gifted--great at massage and application of products (I often fall asleep during treatments, because she's so relaxing and gentle). Just from those visits, my skin noticeably improved (texture, elasticity, and redness).

I'm a pretty skeptical person, so when she said she was starting to offer functional medicine consultations, I unsure if it was for me. She didn't push it at all though (this is something I appreciate about Natalie as well--she never over-sells). Eventually, because I trusted her skills and her scientific mind, I decided to take a leap.

I went for a consultation with generalized symptoms--nothing conventional medicine could help with, mostly relating to inflammation.

I went through the whole functional medicine program. Natalie was very patient with my over-burdened scheduled and inability to completely conform to each of her recommendations. She kept adapting to my needs while also making clear which of her recommendations was most important. She provided lots of information, including primary source articles from science journals, which I appreciated (I imagine the amount of information could be too much for some people, but I think she adapts to each client). I took her recommendations to heart and was eventually able to make major lifestyle changes.

About three months later I learned that I had cleared a chronic infection; my systolic blood pressure was down ten points; my joint inflammation was completely gone; I no longer had recurring headaches; and my skin was less sensitive. I also lost over twenty pounds, which wasn't something I was trying to do, but it happened as a positive side-effect. (I actually continue to lose weight.) The changes were almost unbelievable.

I'm not saying functional medicine is a cure-all. I still manage sensitivity issues, and I'm sure my routine will have to adapt as I age, but I am so glad I found Natalie to help me through all this. I have never had such positive results from a health and wellness routine, and I have tried many (whole 30, cleanses, elimination diets, fasts). I trust Natalie completely and recommend her fully, without...

I started working with Natalie for functional medicine since January/February. For 2+ years I was dealing with severe gastrointestinal issues. I had many other symptoms I wanted to address, but my GI issues were the most impactful and detrimental to my daily life. I went to multiple doctors who simply were unhelpful. At one point I was told I have IBS and basically there was not much to do about it and I need to just manage my symptoms. I felt incredibly frustrated and refused to accept this as my new life going forward. When Natalie reached out about starting to work with clients for functional medicine, I was hesitant to venture outside of traditional medicine despite its disappointments. However, having known Natalie for years (I've been seeing her at least once a month for 4+ years for my facials), I know she puts an insane amount of effort and diligence into anything she pursues. I am so incredibly happy I decided to work with her to heal my body.

From day one of the functional medicine journey, Natalie truly listened and carefully assessed my entire medical history (which is pretty extensive). Doctors are faced with a combination of being overloaded with patients, trained to treat acute symptoms, and bombarded by paperwork from insurance companies. It felt strange to feel fully heard and I wish all healthcare experiences were what Natalie gives. It's only been 4-5 months and I'm not "cured", but my symptoms have vastly improved way beyond what I expected when I first started. I am no longer constantly uncomfortable and in pain. She not only helped my GI symptoms, but also my energy, brain fog, etc. I finally feel that my body and mind are returning to normal and it is a freeing experience of relief.

Healing your body with functional medicine is a team effort. It requires personal effort to change your own habits and lifestyle, but I couldn't ask for a better teammate in guidance, knowledge, and support...