Julie Helm stands out as a beacon of transformative healing in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. Founder of her eponymous functional medicine practice in 2021, Helm’s journey into this holistic approach was deeply personal, born from her own frustrating experience within the confines of conventional primary care.
“I wasn’t seeing the changes happen for my patients, and I knew there was a better way,” Helm stated with conviction. This sentiment echoes the experiences of countless individuals seeking deeper, more sustainable solutions to their health concerns.
Her practice, now poised for expansion with a new clinic planned for the central West Coast, embodies a philosophy that delves beyond surface-level treatments, embracing a More Than Skin Deep: Inside Out approach that is particularly revolutionizing the treatment of skin conditions.
A Personal Catalyst: Finding a Better Way to Heal
Helm’s transition into functional medicine was not merely a career shift; it was a personal awakening. In the early 2000s, a seemingly healthy and active Helm, deeply engaged in road cycling, experienced a sudden and debilitating decline in her health.
“As I started getting into cycling, my health started to take a big pivot. Instead of being at the front of the pack, I started falling behind to the middle and end. My health declined so much so that within a short couple of months my hair started falling out, I had digestive issues, and had to withdraw from my normal daily exercise routines completely,” Helm recounted.
This period of profound fatigue and unexplained symptoms, despite “normal” lab results from conventional doctors, left her feeling lost and worried.
“I had no direction, I was worried I had cancer,” she admitted, highlighting the fear and uncertainty that often accompany undiagnosed chronic conditions.
It was a chance encounter with a functional medicine practitioner at a conference that finally illuminated her path to recovery.
“My personal experience impacted how I viewed health, and why it encouraged me to open this practice up,” Helm explained, “I want my clients to receive a personalized approach and help walk them through lifestyle changes. I’m very passionate about being able to help others ultimately get their lives back.”
This profound personal transformation fuels her passion for offering others the comprehensive and individualized care that she herself desperately sought.
Integra Health and Wellness: A Holistic Approach to Healing
Helm’s clinic is a testament to this holistic philosophy, addressing a broad spectrum of health concerns through the lens of functional medicine. While her expertise spans gut health, brain health, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, it is her innovative Integra-Skin program that is currently garnering significant attention. Recognizing the intricate connection between internal health and external manifestations, Helm emphasizes the uniqueness of this approach.
“I’ve been looking around at other practices and feel that our Integra-Skin program is amazingly unique across both functional medicine and integrative dermatology practices,” she noted enthusiastically. “We are very excited about the possibilities for people to transform their skin using our More Than Skin Deep: Inside Out approach. This is a key focus for the immediate future.”
More Than Skin Deep Revolution: Transforming Skin from the Inside Out
This More Than Skin Deep philosophy is exemplified in the success story of a young woman struggling with severe acne.
“She came to our clinic because she wanted to transform her skin completely. One thing we did with her was our bold Inside-Out approach,” Helm explained. “With our More Than Skin Deep programs, we’re doing functional testing, looking at gut health, and observing how it’s affecting the skin as a whole.”
By addressing underlying issues like Candida overgrowth and heavy metal accumulation through targeted supplementation and dietary advice, coupled with advanced in-clinic treatments like the Flex MD light therapy, this patient experienced a dramatic improvement.
“Now she came to me just the other day after six months, and said ‘I have this one little pimple right here’ instead of the whole side of her face being impacted,” Helm shared with pride, highlighting the transformative potential of her integrated approach.
Harnessing Technology
The Flex MD technology, a UK-developed medical-grade light therapy device, plays a crucial role in Helm’s skin rejuvenation protocols.
“It uses different frequencies, like near and far red light, and blue light,” she told us.
This multi-wavelength approach allows for targeted treatment of various skin concerns, including pigmentation issues, acne, congestion, and texture irregularities.
“It can help to balance the face’s sebum, which is pretty fantastic,” Helm added, emphasizing its ability to address the root causes of many skin problems.
Furthermore, the Flex MD’s ability to penetrate different tissue depths stimulates collagen regrowth and mitochondrial regeneration, promoting long-term skin health without relying on invasive procedures or harsh chemicals.
“We’re bringing these innovative technologies into the functional medicine space and seeing fantastic results,” Helm affirmed.
Restoring Overall Well-being
Beyond skin health, Helm’s practice offers a comprehensive suite of functional medicine modalities. She recounted inspiring stories of individuals regaining vitality through personalized nutrition plans, detoxification strategies, and targeted interventions. Kelly, for instance, suffered from debilitating brain fog and fatigue that forced her to withdraw from pursuing her educational aspirations. Through Helm’s comprehensive approach, Kelly experienced a remarkable recovery.
“Despite continued mold exposure, Kelly reached a higher level of activity by the end of her second year of personalized protocol, enabling her to do all the things she wanted to do again,” Helm shared, her voice filled with enthusiasm. “She’s up by five in the morning, taking her kids to school, going back to school herself, functioning at a higher level, and finally getting her life back. Her story is super inspiring.”
Helm also noted that typically, when people are removed from exposure, their healing journey is significantly shorter, with most reaching 50% improvement around 6 months into their protocol.
Another remarkable case involves Patty, a woman in her late fifties who was burdened by fifteen different medications. Tired of the traditional approach of simply adding more prescriptions, Patty sought Helm’s expertise.
“After just twelve months, Patty was able to get off ten of her medications. She lost about 50 pounds, and she’s back to being active,” Helm recounted.
Patty’s renewed energy allowed her to return to volunteering, a passion that had been sidelined by her declining health. She reported at that one-year mark that she was able to help with a huge fundraiser and get back to doing that more often.
The Integra Difference: Personalized and Foundational Care
Helm emphasized that the cornerstone of her practice is individualization.
“I would say the most important aspect is that this is individualized,” she explained, referencing her Integra acronym, which stands for “Individualized, nutrition-based, test-result driven, educational empowerment, goal-oriented, root-cause analysis, all of which is super important.” This personalized approach, coupled with a focus on nutrition and detoxification as foundational elements, sets the stage for optimizing each patient’s health.
“Almost everyone needs a little bit of a reboot, and some of us need a bigger reboot than others,” she noted. The ultimate goal is to move individuals beyond recovery and into a state of higher-level performance and well-being.
Looking to the future, Helm envisions expanding her impact through the development of Integra Health and Wellness, Integra Institute, and Integra Skin as distinct yet interconnected entities.
“We’re really wanting to impact culture by having a place where people can learn more about integrative wellness and be able to be proactive on a bigger scale,” she explained.
Her initial focus will be on the 30 to 65-year-old age group, with plans to expand to families and older individuals. A key area of focus for this broader impact is the understanding and treatment of biotoxins and related illnesses. The three main areas she hopes to focus on are gut health, brain health, and biotoxins.
“I’m really excited about this endeavor because people will be able to have access to information that helps them regain their health within those three areas. Often, most of the clients’ symptoms fall within one of those three categories,” she shared.
Unraveling the Mystery of Biotoxin Illness
Helm shared the compelling story of Katie, a young athlete whose life was derailed by a severe fatigue illness triggered by mold exposure. Initially skeptical, Katie’s family followed Helm’s guidance, which led to the discovery and remediation of significant mold issues in their home. Coupled with Helm’s treatment protocol, Katie made a remarkable recovery.
“Now Katie is away at college, and is back to being one of the MVPs on her volleyball team. She’s been able to have a great time living the college life,” Helm recounted with evident joy. This success story underscores Helm’s expertise in identifying and addressing complex environmental factors that are often the cause of chronic health conditions.
A Legacy of Holistic Healing
Julie Helm’s dedication to uncovering the root causes of illness and her innovative More Than Skin Deep approach are transforming the lives of her patients. Through personalized care, advanced technologies, and a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of the body’s systems, she is not only restoring health but also empowering individuals to reclaim their vitality and live fuller, more vibrant lives. Her vision for the future, marked by expansion and a commitment to educating and impacting a wider audience, positions her as a true pioneer in the evolving landscape of functional medicine.
Discover more about Julie’s approach to wellness, or how you can book a free discovery call by visiting her website: integrahealthwellness.com.
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