Holographic Health Insights

You Have A Choice: Building A Medical Team That Listens And Partners With You

• Reverand Ann Marie Byars & Rachelle Gianaris • Episode 22

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How Do You Find The Right Doctor?

Most of us are told what to do in the exam room and feel we have to say yes. We flip that script with a clear, compassionate guide to finding a doctor who respects your values, explains real options, and partners with you on decisions that affect your whole life.

We talk through the difference between protocols and personalized care, why informed consent is more than a signature, and how to spot red flags like pressure, rushed visits, or one-size-fits-all plans. With candid stories from cancer care to everyday prescriptions, we show how a simple question—What happens if I do this, don’t do this, or try something else?—can open space for safer, smarter choices. You’ll learn practical scripts to ask for risks, benefits, and alternatives; how to pause the urgency that fear creates; and ways to bring faith, family, and intuition into the room without sacrificing clinical rigor.

Our approach blends holistic health, patient rights, and real-world medicine. We explore how to build trust with clinicians who listen, when to seek a second opinion, and how to align treatments with your definition of well-being. Whether you’re navigating a serious diagnosis or just want a better relationship with your primary care team, this conversation equips you to be a true partner in your care.

If this helped you feel more confident about your health choices, follow the show, share it with someone who needs it today, and leave a quick review telling us the one question you’ll ask at your next appointment.

To learn more about Holographic Health visit:
https://www.HolographicHealth.com
Holographic Health
800-566-1522

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to Holographic Health Insights, the podcast where science meets soul for complete well-being. Joint host Reverend Anne-Marie Byers and her daughter Rochelle Genera has been explored transformative health approaches that integrate body, mind, and spirit. From energy medicine to holistic practices.

SPEAKER_01:

Choosing a doctor isn't just about credentials, it's about connection, communication, and alignment with your wellness values. Welcome back, everyone. Good to see you both. Hope your week's been good. So far. Well, let's get right into it. Um, this is a vital topic that we've discussed, we've touched on in other uh other podcasts, but let's talk about finding the rock the right doctor for you and what you need to consider in that search. So take it away.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, I think the most important thing that everyone needs to understand is that you do have choice, because there are specific medical models that most doctors are required to follow. But it is your choice whether or not you choose any of those treatments, because when you feel in your heart that some treatment is or is not right for you, then it is your choice whether or not you proceed with that. Whether we're talking about a vaccine, chemotherapy, any kind of drug therapy, look at the side effects, look at the pros and cons, talk to God and see what you feel in your heart is right for you. And you should have a doctor that helps explain those considerations to you and that listens to you as a whole person, and then aligns with what you're feeling you need to do, what you truly believe you should do. And, you know, I've been through several cancer diagnoses, several surgeries, and so we really believe that there are times when you do need a surgery, you do need a drug, but then there are also times when I've gone to my doctor and I've said, I've talked to God about that. I do not feel like that's what I need to do. When it came to chemotherapy, for example, it did not feel right. And so I have a doctor who said, Okay, we'll watch you closely. And when you have a doctor who is also a Christian or a spiritual person and honors that in you, then you have found a gym. Just somebody to show you the proper respect and honor that you are showing them. And so you listen to what they have to say, you do your own research, you see how you and God feel about it, and then you make your decision based on that. And we believe in working with, you know, when you get a diagnosis, then we can help work with the natural therapies around that diagnosis. So a diagnosis and traditional medicine do have their place, but they're not gods, they're not God, and they are not the be-all and end all. So it is choice. It is your choice.

SPEAKER_01:

What are some key qualities to look for in a doctor beyond the resume?

SPEAKER_02:

Sure. So, like Ann said, um, somebody who will listen to you. And I come from a medical background. Some of you may not know that. Um, I went to school to be a speech pathologist and part of a part of half of us work in the schools with PEATs, and half of us work pretty much half in a medical setting. So a hospital, nursing home, that kind of thing. So we go through training in grad school to prepare us for either one. So I have kind of I've had toes in both worlds, and the doctor is following a standard of care. So they have the standard protocol. Their job is to just offer you the protocol. And then your job is to start that, which starts then a conversation. So your job as a patient of that doctor is not to just play dead and roll over and take whatever they're throwing at you. Your job is to then be a conversation partner. And obviously, you know, Ann said, we talk to God about it, we pray about it. If it doesn't feel right in our body, or even after doing research and looking into pros and cons, like she said, hopefully your doctor is able to provide you with some of that. That is their job. Um it's what we call informed consent. That is, that is their job to make sure that you have informed consent. Well, what happens if I do this? What happens if I don't? What happens if I do something else? Um, so their job is to walk you through some of those decision makings. It's not, I'm presenting you with this decision that I've made. No. That comes from somewhere above their head, and their job is just to present it. And in their notes, if you say no, that you decline something, they'll just write that down. And it's it, they should not take it personally. If they do, then you probably need a new a new doctor. Um, it's when that conversation stops. That that is, in my mind, a red flag to go look for somebody who is willing to have that conversation.

SPEAKER_03:

And when you do have a severe imbalance, you've had a severe diagnosis like cancer or MS or some other significant diagnosis that has that standard of care. And you have a doctor that says, we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this, and they're not listening to you, that is a real problem. And I've been to doctors like that, where they're gonna railroad you into whatever their standard is and whatever they think, and that is not true medicine, that is just following whatever the cookbook says, and you are not a cookbook, you are an individual with individual needs. And uh I have worked with people recently who have had cancer diagnoses, and they have been holding steady for a year. They have been watching diet and watch taking certain nutrition, it's their choice to do that. It's just, you know, we can't say we can cure cancer or anything else, that's between them and God. That's between a doctor and a patient and God. And so if somebody is just going to railroad you into something that you do not feel good about, then you need to look elsewhere. There are many different doctors and different plans, different drug therapies, different natural therapies. That is up to you. So that is the most important thing to understand is that regardless of what the diagnosis is, you do have choice.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, you both you guys mentioned a red flag, you know, like uh, you know, if this happens, then you probably don't have the right guy. Does does any other red flags come to mind?

SPEAKER_02:

That's a big one, I think. Um, informed consent, looking at all of your options. Um I've I've been to a few doctors in my day. I'm I'm not quite as seasoned as Anne with um medical practitioners, but two instances stick out in my mind. There was an instance, it was around the time that she got sick about 10 years ago, not 10, maybe seven. And I had a doctor who I got some lab results back, and she was like, Well, we need to get a sample and then do this. And I said, Well, then why like aren't we gonna learn something from the sample before I go have this procedure? Well, yeah, but no matter what it says, we're gonna go do the procedure. And I was just like, I'm gonna show you, I'm gonna be an example. So we got my lab results back and they were fine. And she scheduled me for the procedure and I said, No, I'd like to talk to you about other options. And every time I called the office, I just got a nurse practitioner who said, Well, this is what she's written, so this is what you need to do. And I said, No, can I talk to her about this? Never heard another word from her, haven't seen her since, have not been back to that practice. And then most recently, I went to just a just a general practitioner, um, a nurse practitioner, and she was gonna prescribe me a steroid. And I said, I've never taken a steroid. Do we have another option? I'm sure I can just give you like a high dose of ibuprofen. Okay, I know that I do okay with that, so thank you. But it was this very simple like I don't feel good about that. What are my other options? Oh, well, this right here. Like it it's sometimes so simple, but it still stems from that conversation piece that I think a lot and some people like with a cancer diagnosis, you go in and you are scared. You are terrified. This is not anywhere that you ever wanted to be or thought that you would be. So I think the the Western medical system kind of preys on that and takes advantage of people who are in that state of fear. And when you're in a state of fear, you cannot access your higher mind and your decision-making faculties are not there. Um and I think that's kind of what they what they bank on is that, oh, well, I'm just gonna present this option and they're gonna take it because they're scared and they want to do something immediately and get the ball rolling. I'm very much like that myself. But with big decisions, let's be real. If you're buying a house, buying a car, um, deciding whether to put your child in school, like these are massive decisions that have a long-term effect. Healthcare is the same way. So I think it deserves some time to settle, give you time to pray and really think about it, consult your family. It's really a family decision. I mean, like with Anne's diagnosis, you know, we it's a team effort. Like we rally, we all pray, we all, you know, get her to appointments and get her what she needs and make sure that we're just there to listen if she needs us, like a doctor should be. So think about a doctor as another part of your team. And if they're not playing like a teammate, go find somebody who will, because I promise you there's something every procedure, every surgery, every drug has a side have side effects, and you need to have consequences, yes.

SPEAKER_03:

And you have to weigh those with not doing anything and or doing an alternative solution like steroids. Steroids can have really negative side effects, and so should you do that sometime? Perhaps, should you not? Perhaps, that depends on you. And the last I did steroids once, threw me into a real difficult situation with some yeast and other things. I will not do that again. And so I've learned for myself there are th things I do not want to do, do not feel comfortable doing. And those are things that you have the right to talk discuss with your doctor. And if you have a doctor that says, Well, we're gonna do this no matter what, that is not a discussion.

SPEAKER_02:

That is No, that's when they get fired and you don't go back.

SPEAKER_03:

You have the right to go somewhere else. And it's it's perfectly fine, you know, if you have somebody you can discuss your issues with, come to uh an informed decision and feel good about that. You trust the person that you're working with, that is extremely important. This is your health.

SPEAKER_02:

And you you and uh you have an important word, trust. Trust is not given, it is earned. You don't automatically get trust from somebody because you have all these letters behind your name or all these certificates on the wall. You earn the trust by building a relationship with somebody. It's that way with who we choose to marry, it's that way with who we choose to be friends with. It should definitely be that way with somebody who we put as, you know, not in charge of our health, but somebody that we entrust with our health. So key word. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, Anne-Marie, Rochelle, thank y'all so much for sharing uh very empowering insights on how to find a doctor. And we will see you guys in the next episode.

SPEAKER_00:

Thanks for joining us on holographic health insights. If you're ready to dive deeper into transformative health approaches, visit holographichealth.com or give us a call at 800 566 1522. Remember, your journey to total well being starts here.