A happy belly absolutely leads to a calmer, joyful and more focused child. Women & Children First Functional Medicine (WCFFM) takes telehealth care beyond conventional medicine under the direction of Suzanne Tershak Tither, who is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Licensed Acupuncturist and highly trained Functional Medicine Provider.

Raised by two microbiologists, Tither was exposed to the Western germ theory at an early age. In college, she became fascinated with the holistic studies of body, mind, spirit and energy and with Eastern approaches to managing disease. She has worked in family practice, college health, pediatrics and fertility and reproductive endocrinology. Tither says, “Over decades of working with hundreds of patients, I have seen so much unnecessary suffering with all sorts of symptoms, but fortunately I also witnessed the resolution of these complaints using functional and integrative medicine strategies, sometimes simpler than you can even imagine.”

Functional medicine relies on testing rather than guessing. Tither states, “We are so accustomed to seeing our regular providers draw a small set of labs with no real feedback of the results. Instead, functional medicine dives deep by assessing hormones, the gut microbiome, nutrients, the presence of heavy metals, urine amino acids and more.” Blood, urine, stool and saliva sampling results uncover all sorts of clues indicating why a patient may be feeling unwell, and most of this testing can be done at home or at nearby facilities nationwide.

Suzanne Tershak Tither, FNP-BC, MAc, LAc

“The opportunity to work with clients virtually is a real joy and gift,” says Tither. “There is so much information I can collect via a comprehensive online consultation. Therapeutic options like nutrition and nutrient therapy, supplements, herbs and botanicals, lifestyle and stress management, bio-identical hormones, mind/body/spirit integration, acupressure and medications, if needed, are easily prescribed and obtained remotely.”

Gut health plays a pivotal role in both a mother’s and a child’s well-being as it’s linked to stubborn digestive issues, frequent colds, skin irritations, allergies and even anxiety, depression and ADHD. Eighty percent of the immune system resides in the gut, making it the cornerstone of both physical and mental health. Tither crafted the Pediatric Gut Health Optimization Package to help children attain a harmonious balance. Parents can book a free 30-minute Discovery Call to see if the program is the right fit for their child.

From there, Tither meets virtually with the parent(s) and child to gather and review detailed information—health history forms, previous lab work, current lifestyle patterns, the child’s health problems and goals—in great detail. Tither will suggest initial lifestyle and supplement recommendations and order a GI-MAP Stool test. One stool sample, collected at home, helps to identify pathogens, parasites, opportunistic bacteria, beneficial bacteria and key intestinal health markers. Other functional medicine assessments may include a food sensitivity test for a more structured dietary healing plan.

Speaking from her experiences in telemedicine, Tither says, “There are few limits to what is possible for offering exceptional functional and integrative medicine care for patients from the comfort of their own home.”

For more information or to arrange for a free Discovery consult, call 406-642-7566, email [email protected] or visit wcfirstfm.com. 

Wendy Nadherny Fachon is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.