The only reason I'm no longer a patient at Whole Health Naturopathy is that I moved too far away…read more Otherwise, I never would have left.
Dr. Rosinbum was my naturopath, and I believe I was actually her very first patient. I can say without hesitation that she changed my life.
When I first walked through the doors of WHN, I was an absolute disaster. My health was a mess, and I was confused, scared, frustrated, and desperately looking for answers. During that initial appointment, Dr. Rosinbum sat with me for HOURS. She listened. She was patient. She took the time to explain things I didn't understand and never made me feel rushed, dismissed, or like I was wasting her time.
As a transgender man, I've historically approached healthcare providers with a healthy amount of hesitation, caution, and, frankly, defensiveness. With good reason. Transgender people are far too often mistreated, misdiagnosed, disrespected, or made to feel like an inconvenience simply for existing. Unfortunately, that's a reality many of us know all too well.
That experience changed at WHN.
From the moment I met Dr. R, I felt comfortable. She looked me in the eye, listened to what I had to say, and demonstrated a genuine interest in me as a person, not just a patient. I was never misgendered or treated inappropriately by a single staff member. Quite the opposite. Everyone I encountered was warm, welcoming, helpful, and genuinely lovely.
And I want to emphasize that because it matters.
Dr. R isn't just knowledgeable about naturopathic medicine. She has also taken additional steps to educate herself about the unique healthcare needs of transgender patients. That combination of knowledge, compassion, and willingness to understand her patients made an enormous difference in my experience.
I also think it's important to understand what naturopathic care actually involves. It isn't necessarily the right approach for someone who wants to walk into an appointment, be told what to do, and walk out without participating in their own healthcare. The value of this approach, at least in my experience, is the partnership between patient and provider. You're actively involved in your health journey. You discuss options, develop a plan together, evaluate what's working, and make adjustments along the way.
Dr. R involved me in every step of my care. She educated me about the tinctures, supplements, and prescriptions available to me, explained my options, and took my concerns seriously. I wasn't simply handed instructions and sent on my way. I was empowered to understand my own body and become an active advocate for my health.
And perhaps that's the greatest gift she gave me.
I never felt like a number, a chart, or a faceless person attached to an insurance reimbursement. I mattered. My health, happiness, and overall well-being mattered. She invested in me, genuinely cared about my progress, and taught me how to invest in myself.
More than a decade later, my health is on track, I understand my body far better, and I know how to advocate for myself in healthcare settings. Those are lessons that have stayed with me long after I stopped being a patient.
I will forever be grateful to Dr. Rosinbum and the entire WHN team for the care, dignity, respect, and compassion they showed me during a time when I desperately needed all of those things.
Healthcare should never make you feel invisible. You should be heard, respected, educated, and included in decisions about your own well-being.
That's exactly what I experienced at Whole Health Naturopathy.
I cannot recommend Dr. Rosinbum and the entire staff at WHN highly enough. If you're looking for a healthcare provider who sees you as a whole person rather than just another appointment on the schedule, I encourage you to give them a chance.
