Integrative Cancer Care
Building strength to weather the storm with resilience
Serving Barrie, Collingwood, Muskoka, and all Ontario residents
"You have cancer" is a phrase no one wants to hear
Receiving a cancer diagnosis can completely shatter a person's sense of safety and reality. It can feel as if the world has been turned upside down, and everything you once knew to be true is now uncertain. It is an incredibly emotional and overwhelming experience, riddled with shock, numbness, fear, anxiety, and disbelief.
Cancer treatments can knock you down and challenge you in ways you never thought possible, pushing you and your body to the limit. And you may be terrified that, while treating the cancer, the rest of you will be destroyed along the way.
At a time when you feel like you've lost complete control over what is ahead, we're here to tell you that you don't have to face it alone...and that there is a better way.
Because when you are armed with the right tools, resources, and support you need, you can walk through fire with the wind at your back.
Integrative Cancer Care champions the conventional treatment you need, while supporting the rest of you in the process.
Because you can be grateful for standard medical care, while also intuitively knowing there is more to healing.
What is 'Integrative Oncology'?
Integrative oncology is an approach to cancer care that uses complimentary therapies alongside conventional treatments to optimize outcomes and wellbeing through any part of the cancer experience. Therapies can range from diet-lifestyle modifications and natural healthcare products, to herbs, acupuncture, and mind-body practices, to injections and IV therapy. These are important in supporting the body as a whole through the difficult road that cancer is, and Naturopathic Medicine can offer all of these.
While there is a great deal of inaccurate and misleading information regarding natural therapies, there is also an incredible amount of good information, and it is this information that needs to be shared. Navigating this is overwhelming and difficult, and Naturopathic Doctors with extra training in integrative cancer care can provide a solution by implementing these therapeutics safely and in conjunction with conventional treatment.
We rely on the best available evidence to develop an individualized care plan that supports the person's mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing that is truly aligned with their unique needs, goals, and values.
When we combine complimentary and conventional medicine, we can leverage the strengths of both approaches to elevate our health beyond what each could achieve alone. We truly can have the best of both worlds, and enhance health despite a cancer diagnosis.
Integrative cancer care doesn't replace conventional care… it enhances it. It builds around it, fills in the gaps, and completes the picture...
It is the MISSING PIECE
Why people choose
Naturopathic Cancer Care
It's for those that want holistic care, to support and honour every aspect of themselves, not just their physical body. And for those that aren't willing to sit on the sidelines and simply go along through the motions of cancer treatment, and instead want to take action in the face of uncertainty. It's for those that want more... that understand the value of creating a team of care in order for more personal support that goes wider and deeper, because it takes a village.
Most importantly, it empowers people to put themselves first, and take back control at a time when it seems like cancer is taking everything away. Because in a world that tells you to avoid anything "non-conventional" at all costs during cancer treatment, choosing yourself first doesn't have to be as "radical" as it seems, and can in fact be done strategically, safely, and with the best outcomes in mind.
Walking With You
My name is Dr Martha Sharpe, ND. As a Naturopathic Doctor and cancer survivor, I am a passionate advocate for integrative, holistic healthcare during all phases of the cancer experience. A strong interest in breast cancer has fostered a natural additional focus on women's health and menopause support.
Click here for my personal cancer story, and how Naturopathic Medicine fills the glaring gaps in cancer care.
What to Expect
Our initial consultation involves reviewing all medical history, and getting a supportive, sustainable Naturopathic cancer plan in motion that reflects your needs and goals.
We continuously reassess our integrative approach with each phase of your conventional care, and whenever updates are performed (ie bloodwork, pathology, imaging reports), so that we ensure safety and tolerability while maintaining coherence with your goals and changing needs.
Whether you are looking to prevent cancer, are actively receiving cancer treatments (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery, anti-hormonal agents, target therapies), or are looking to support recovery and survivorship, there is a role for adjunctive Naturopathic support in all phases of cancer care.
For those outside of Ontario, or those looking for more intensive support with cancer prevention nutrition or detoxification & reducing environmental exposures without 1:1 care, check out our flagship courses NOURISH and RELEASE, as well as other offerings under Resources.