Dr. Teray's office, to me, is the definition of a safe space. I've dealt with issues of depression…read moreand anxiety for as far back as I can remember. I've been on medication, I've seen general practitioners, I've seen my fair share of psychiatrists and therapists, I've read plenty of self-help books--you get the idea. But these things never worked out for me. A couple years ago, seemingly by magic, I was in a great place, had things under control, and was very happy with my life. And for some reason, that stopped, and I was no longer happy, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what I was doing differently.
Things started to get really bad, and my life felt like it was falling apart--my job and my relationship began to suffer because of this and I knew I had to do something. I decided to give Berkeley Naturopathic Medical Group a call, without a specific doctor in mind. When I told the receptionist that I was looking for help with anxiety and depression, she stopped me mid-sentence and said "You should see Dr. Teray. She's amazing. She just left our group to start her own practice. Here is her contact information."
Dr. Teray and I started with a phone consultation, where she asked me some questions about my goals and so forth, what I was looking for and why it was important to me, to see if we would even be a good fit. I liked this, because the truth is that N.D. care can be expensive, and I appreciated the opportunity to feel out the connection before making a commitment. I was really struck by the way she worded some of her questions--for example, "Why is being happy important to you?"--which really required me to think about my answers. I decided to sign up with her for 12 sessions, which we completed over about 8 months. The original idea was 6 months--a session every other week--but as we neared the end we decided to push some appointments out based on my progress.
It's amazing to me to think back on where I was when I started with her, and how far I've come with her help. We did a blood panel and she prescribed me some supplements and vitamins which I still take today. I cannot believe how much they help me. Our sessions felt similar to therapy, but more proactive, and with a more holistic approach to mind, body, and spiritual well being.
I am so, so, so grateful to Dr. Teray for helping me remember how to be happy again. I definitely benefited from all 12 sessions. I wasn't expecting an overnight miracle cure; these are issues I've battled for well over a decade, and they needed to be handled with tact and some delicacy. Dr. Teray did just that. She did not expect me to upturn my life and make immediate radical changes; our pace was perfect, gave me time to incorporate and practice new strategies into my day-to-day, and I now feel well equipped to handle what comes my way. And, if it happens that I find myself needing a little extra help, I know exactly who I'll call.