Specializing in Neuro Emotional Technique as a Functional Nurse: Beth’s Story

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Melissa is joined by functional nurse Beth Ereio, founder of Functional Health Partners and graduate of the Functional Nurse Academy, to discuss Beth’s journey from autoimmune illness to restoring her health through functional medicine. They also discuss the work Beth is now doing in her practice, helping clients uncover root causes of chronic symptoms through functional medicine, nervous system regulation, and Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) to support emotional healing and overall wellness.

Beth’s links:

https://www.functionalhealthpartners.com/

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• https://www.christianfma.com

This show is also syndicated every Tuesday at 10am EST on The Nurses Report on America Out Loud Talk Radio 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Hello, and welcome to the Functional Nurse Academy podcast. This is your host, Melissa Schreibwetter, owner and founder of the Functional Nurse Academy. Welcome everyone. It's great to be here with you all again. Today I am joined by another one of my amazing Functional Nurse Academy graduates. I am just so, so proud of all of the great work that our students are doing across the country. And I am joined by Beth O'Reill, who is the founder of Functional Health Partners in Illinois. And Beth is a registered nurse, functional medicine nurse specialist, functional health coach, and she is also board certified in neuroemotional technique. She has a clear mission, which is to revolutionize health care by empowering individuals to achieve optimal wellness through evidence-based practices and personalized care. Having experienced the transformative power of functional medicine firsthand, she is deeply passionate about guiding others towards their optimal well-being. Witnessing these remarkable transformations fills her with immense joy and purpose. And she loves to share her expertise and compassion. Her clients receive personalized supportive care. Welcome, Beth. It's so great to have you on the show today. Thank you so much, Melissa. It's wonderful to be here. Yeah. So I know that we had, I had done a show with you. Gosh, it was, well, I think it was well over a year ago, maybe a year and a half ago, back on the nurses' report. But I know that you're just up to so many amazing things. And I am super interested in what you are doing as an NET practitioner. And I would love to cover that on the show. But since it's been a long time since you've been on the show with me, I just would love to hear a refresher. I know that you mentioned that you had firsthand experiences with the transformative power of functional medicine. And I would love to hear about, you know, what was your journey from, you know, what was it that really piqued your interest in functional nursing?

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Oh, thank you. Yeah, it's been quite a journey. So diagnosed with um hypothyroidism after the birth of our first daughter, um, which was a surprise to me, but you know, started on just synthroid. That was going to be the way that it was going to be for the rest of my life. Doses would increase and stayed just kind of on that very conventional pathway for about nine years. And we had moved to a new state with a new provider. That particular provider asked if I had ever been tested for the autoimmune form of hypothyroidism, which I had not. So he tested, came back positive. I asked what would be different. He said, nothing at all. You'll just stay on this for the rest of your life. That's the way that it was. But looking back, seeing, you know, the symptoms that I could identify in pictures, thinking about the way that I felt throughout the day, that sort of thing, I could see where it could have been supported a lot better. Um, probably about five to six years after that, we had moved again to a different state. And um, finding a provider to prescribe the synthroid there went in horrible bedside manner. And his approach was, well, you have, you know, these particular symptoms with this autoimmune condition. Let's just see what happens next. You know, and all I could envision was, you know, in a wheelchair or worse. And he said, you know, let's see. Will it be lupus? Will it be MS? I'm not sure. Let's just see. Yes. So knowing that, you know, I was a mom of three very busy um daughters and with a husband that was traveling a lot at the same time, just could not even fathom the idea of having to be in an infusion center on a regular basis or losing mobility or just having to deal with, you know, treating other autoimmune conditions. Just happened to find Dr. Amy Meyer's book, The Autoimmune Solution, the next day, started reading that and learning more about functional medicine, which I had never, well, I had seen one 2020 episode a few months prior and then linked, um linked the two together. Happened to get in to see that very same doctor that was in that 2020 um episode, Dr. Noop Canodia in the Columbus, Ohio area, and um had already started to incorporate all of the recommendations that Dr. Myers had in her book. So following that autoimmune elimination diet, seeing some um relief and symptoms already by the time I got in to see that functional medicine doctor. And really, it was life-changing from there on. So incorporated all of the recommendations that he had, did all of the testing that he had, just truly jumped in with both feet and said, if we're going to do it, we're going to do it the right way and we'll do it in a thorough way. And, you know, lost uh 37 pounds, felt like I had more energy than I did when I was probably 15 years old, and just it was life-changing. So over the time, you know, just continued to read as much as I possibly could, made changes for other family members and incorporated those things into our household. And, you know, friends and family along the way would say, you know, Beth, you're really passionate about this. I think you should do this as a job, but didn't know how I could incorporate that at that time and truly didn't want to work in someone's office for, you know, $12 an hour or whatever the going rate was at the time. So very conventional education, very conventional approach and treatment up to that point, but just continued to learn as much as I possibly could, doing the best that I could to follow those guidelines. And of course, as with many other healing journeys, it was not a linear process at all. It was up and down and facing challenges along the way and um just embracing change and um, you know, just it's just been fascinating. So I think it was in 2023 that I found your program and just thought this is it. This is what I have looked for for the past, you know, that would have been 11 or 12 years at that point. And um, you know, jumped right in, took my time going through the course, just really absorbing and reviewing, applying information, and then ended up starting my practice just a couple of months after that. And it's been, it's been phenomenal. It is just such an honor and a privilege to be able to um help others and to truly care for others. It's a beautiful way to practice nursing. You know, we're taught in that first nursing 101 course that that person in front of you is beautiful and whole, but we do need to address those foundations of wellness in order to support them in healing, whether that's complete symptom resolution and a complete healing journey or a partial, whatever it happens to be for them. But if we're not addressing their sleep, their nutrition, their digestion, their environment, their community, their spirituality. And the biggest piece of it all is that stress response, that stress management. So over the last couple of years, I've incorporated um neuroemotional technique training and I've incorporated that into my practice and am now a certified neuroemotional technique practitioner. So it has just been full circle. And as a registered nurse, to be able to address that emotional component for patients has been, I think, the missing piece and the game changer because it's it's evidence-based, it's not invasive, it's very gentle and supportive. You are right there with that patient. And their physiology determines what they're ready to deal with on any given day. There are different ways that you can use the technique to support that patient. And it is just, it's amazing to learn, it's amazing to receive, and just incredibly amazing to be able to provide that for patients.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Oh, this makes me so happy to hear your journey because I mean, I and I hear really similar things all the time. But I really do think that God is able to use these horrible, horrendous things that happened to us to turn something beautiful into it and to use that experience to serve others, which is exactly what you're doing. And I actually wanted to circle back around a little bit because when you mentioned that you were having these autoimmune symptoms, and then the doctor was like, Well, we're just gonna wait and see. You know, maybe you'll develop lupus or maybe you'll need a wheelchair or whatever. That is it's the same thing that I hear over and over and over. And then I know of so many of these cases where the individual was like, no, we're not doing that. And then they go to functional medicine and heal. And I wanted to ask from when you were dealing with all of those autoimmune symptoms to now, how how is your health currently? I know that you mentioned that you had dropped you dropped 37 pounds and your energy came back.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

How are you doing on, you know, how is your immune system doing after all of that? Oh, so much better. So have not, you know, developed other autoimmune symptoms or diagnoses along the way, which is huge. We know, you know, that once you have the symptoms and once you have one diagnosis, you are what, three times more likely to develop more autoimmune symptoms and additional autoimmune diagnoses. So to be able to really support the immune system, really support gut health, overall health, um, you know, to replenish those micronutrient deficiencies and to really address the whole body, realizing, of course, as you know, that nothing in the body essentially works in isolation and um, you know, that it's the whole person. If I can only imagine how much better things could have been along the way if that neuroemotional technique had been a part of it from the beginning, or if in that initial diagnosis of hypothyroidism, if that practitioner had known to test for a full thyroid panel and to address the stress response, to address that emotional component specifically with autoimmune diagnoses, it could have been completely different. I didn't have that luxury, but for patients that I see now and going forward to be able to incorporate for that for them and to be able to advocate for what they truly need, whether it's in testing, whether it's in further diagnostics, whether it's in actual treatment, um, just it's it's a beautiful, beautiful place to be. And I'm incredibly thankful.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Yes. And we also know, and even conventional medicine understands this because we're aware of the A study, the adverse childhood event study showing that when individuals have trauma and things like that, early childhood, that that can negatively impact health outcomes. And then we also see this association between between individuals that may have a history of trauma and developing autoimmune conditions and other diseases and whatnot. And that's why, again, when I'm teaching nurses, I always talk about those foundations of wellness. And I remember, for me, it took me three years to find a functional provider to really help me. So I am so glad that, like with your situation, right away you were able to find that good provider that helped you so tremendously. But I remember when I was really sick, the first functional provider I ever went to gave me a ton of supplements that they just happened to sell, a lot of testing, and didn't really talk to me about the stress response or sleep. It was mainly, you know, here's your functional medicine tests. And oh, we're gonna we're gonna prescribe you a thousand dollars a month of supplements. And I am embarrassed to say that because that is a lot of money, but I was so desperate and I was in the situation where I was, you know, I had a baby to take care of and I didn't feel like myself and I would have done anything to get better. And I was so taken advantage of. But in my situation, I also had unresolved trauma that I just didn't really address it because I didn't want to go the traditional therapy route and go tell some stranger every bad thing that ever happened to me. But that was definitely a factor in my chronic health issues, is I had unresolved trauma. And again, um, that can really keep you in this upregulated chronic fight or flight response. And when God brilliantly and magnificently designed the body, he designed the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous response. And we are healing when we are in the parasympathetic nervous response. So no matter how many supplements that we're gonna give an individual, if they're you know high stress all the time, we're just spinning our wheels if we're not going to address that. So I would love to hear more about NET. You know, what exactly is that? And how are you supporting your clients through that method?

SPEAKER_00 14:21

Sure. Yeah. So I think that's um an excellent point. We know we hear it all the time, we've heard it for years that chronic stress, you know, um will affect your health, right? Uh, we know that there is that emotional component with even autoimmune disorders. We know what that HPA axis is. We know um, we know this information. We know when we experience stressors, the body creates the physical component to that, the neuropeptide. So NET is, as I said, an evidence-based, non-invasive, essentially a stress reduction tool. It's a mind-body technique that uses a methodology of finding and removing the neurological imbalances related to the physiology of unresolved stress patterns. So we call the unresolved stress pattern the neuroemotional complex, the NEC. That is what the technique is assessing to find. So it uses components from traditional Chinese medicine, the elements. So earth, metal, water, fire, and then the governing vessel. And within those elements and within those meridians are certain emotions that are stored by certain organs. So if we think of the metal element, those um organs would be the large intestine and the lungs. And the emotions, the predominant emotions with that would be grief. We'll stick with that one. With the water element, we could see fear and paralyzed will. They're also dread, feeling timid or a bad memory within the, and that would affect the kidneys and bladder. And the fire element, which is quite large and incorporates quite a few um organs as well as emotions, particularly the thyroid and the pituitary. It also can affect the sex organs, it can affect the small intestines and the heart. So some of the emotions with those, that particular element, the fire element, would be uh abandoned, feeling lost, feeling vulnerable, uh, sometimes frightfully overjoyed. And that one sounds a little bit funny and takes a little bit of explanation sometimes. So if you think of someone that's sharing um what should be a very um serious or emotional um event, something very, very stressful, you know. Um, this particular thing happened, you know, the lost a job, lost a pet at the same time, um, we're moving, and they end that with a chuckle and oh, everything's fine, kind of, you know, the dumpster fire around you, but they are still holding on together. Um, you wonder how their thyroid is affected, how is their pituitary affected? But the technique, neuroemotional technique, uses um some non-invasive ways to assess where the emotion is, what what emotion is there, where it's stored in the body, and then using some gentle pressure on the meridian access points on the wrist and the emotional points on the forehead, breathing through that with certain phrases that the practitioner uses to get out of that thinking brain, get out of that neocortex and into the emotional center, into the limbic brain, and allowing you to let all time collapse, allowing you to clear those neuropeptides, getting to that original event or getting to that feeling, clearing those neuropeptides. So it no, it does not affect your memory of the event, but it clears those neuropeptides that are present so that you no longer have that visceral response or that response with the nervous system. There is a very interesting study that was done, I think, in 2017 with patients that had had cancer. And they were able to record the event of being diagnosed with cancer. They had to rate that that uh event of being diagnosed was very stressful. And once they were within the study, they had rated it, I think, at an eight or a higher. It was recorded, and then they proceeded with a functional MRI. They were able to see on the brain the activation of the perippocampus and amygdala, and then went through at least five sessions of NET and then repeated that functional MRI, listening to the event of being diagnosed with cancer. And with the repeat functional MRI, you could see where the perhippocampus and the amygdala no longer activated. So you can see the benefits of that for someone who has experienced a very stressful event, whether it's a cancer diagnosis or something completely different, how that could aid them in healing, that when they get that reminder of the next mammogram or when they get that reminder of the next doctor's appointment, whatever it is, that they're able to proceed with clarity and with ease and no longer insulting the nervous system all over again, just remembering that, reliving that and um having that clarity. There was a study that came out in 2025 for the benefits of those with chronic pelvic pain. Um, so there are tons and tons of studies that have been done, um, some with uh thyroid disease, some with chronic lower back pain, the um recent study with chronic pelvic pain, of course, the traumatic event with the cancer patients. The information is there. And especially the study with the um trauma traumatic event with the cancer patients, being able to show them that published study to see the pictures, the images from the functional MRI where it's activated and where it's no longer activated after NET really does help, especially newer patients that maybe have a very strong history in conventional medicine, or they're starting to begin their journey in functional medicine and incorporate more alternative um events or more alternative treatments. It's very, very helpful for them to be able to see that. So they're as the practitioner, you have different ways of assessing the patient and being able to operate within your scope of practice to provide NET and to provide that healing. You know, we're all in this space to provide, to provide that relief in one way or another. So having the ability to provide NET for patients has just been just nothing short of amazing and fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

That's so wonderful. That's so wonderful. And it's so interesting about the studies that back it up as well. And, you know, one thing that I think is also very interesting is that they are using the concepts of the Chinese meridians. And I do want to speak to that because there is a movement right now to basically smear any alternative therapy, anything that could potentially compete with the conventional medical model. There, of course, are institutions that have a lot of money and they can influence media. They influence what Wikipedia says. Another reason why I tell people Wikipedia is not a good source of information. Please do not get your information from Wikipedia. But also there are when something may be effective, there may be sham studies where a study may be, a study may be funded by individuals who have conflicts of interest. And they may take like a, you know, natural treatment modality and they may use it improperly in the study and then be like, oh, look, the conclusion said this modality doesn't work. But I wanted to speak to the meridians because we're also seeing this movement in, so with me being in Tennessee, I am so, so in the Bible belt, guys. And there is a movement within that that I think is influencing Christian communities that basically anything that's not conventional, oh, that is evil. That's from the devil. And I've even heard things about how things like the meridians and anything related to Chinese medicine, it's all quackery and it's all evil. And I just want to say that when I was healed from chronic Lyme disease, I actually, the therapy that we used was related to the meridians. And there's actually scientific evidence, like just how you mentioned, but also there have been other studies in regards to the meridians about uh ultrasound MRIs. And there actually have been some studies showing that there are things like neurophysiological effects of things like acupuncture. And then another thing, um, and again, we don't know everything about the human body. I mean, the human body is so incredibly complex. And I think it is so narcissistic of the medical community to just be like, oh no, that's impossible. Or no, it there's no way that meridians can be uh real. But we also, um, there's also theories that the meridians may correlate with connective tissues or fascia. And um, one of the um hypotheses is that the fascia may form a body-wide communication network involving nerves, blood vessels, interstitial fluid movement. I mean, there's so much interesting research about it, but I think that it is um really interesting that we have some of these imaging studies where they're they're actually seeing pathways that are corresponding where the meridians exist. And even in our insurance system, which we know, the conventional insurance system, we all know how they are. They are totally fine with covering drugs that someone may need for a lifetime because we know the insurance companies are making more money the sicker the population becomes, because they're making money from things like the deductibles and whatnot. And they're very hesitant to cover natural therapies. However, insurance companies are starting to cover acupuncture for things like chronic pain, because we've actually scientifically validated that it is an effective treatment for chronic pain. And to get insurance companies to cover something like that, um, there's got to be a lot of evidence that it is effective. But um, yeah, I'm wondering if you also, you know, when you're doing a technique that is um does have some basis, some some of the foundations may be from Chinese medicine. Do you hear any of that pushback from other people where they are hesitant because it's Chinese medicine based or because it has to do with the meridians?

SPEAKER_00 26:18

No. Um, you know, of course, we start with consent, but a lot of education about what neuroemotional technique is, um, a little bit about what it's not, and you know, proceeding, of course, with consent. And then once they see the benefits of it, you know, you're sold. So we know that those neuropeptides and those neuroemotional complexes, that NEC, that stressor that you have experienced that is then stored by the body and creates stock patterns, supports those conditioning behaviors that you see, like even in Pavlov's dogs, right? We see, we know that those um, those neuropeptides will eventually present as a symptom, either structurally, uh, physically, or emotionally. So being able to address what's going on, you know, in a very gentle, very supportive, non-invasive way and have that dampening or that clearing of the neuropeptides and seeing it supported in the evidence and years and years and years of evidence. This was designed, this technique was designed over 40 years ago by Dr. Scott Walker. So being able, you know, to address is there an emotional component of that back pain or of that neck pain. Um, you know, there's therapeutic communication that is used within neuroemotional technique. It doesn't replace psychotherapy, it doesn't replace psychiatry, but there are forms, you know, the technique that we're using is in support. And I will tell you that I have had multiple patients sit in my office and say, Beth, I have been in therapy for the majority of my life, or I've been in and out of therapy at different points in my life. And I am telling you what we're able to accomplish in one to two sessions of NET would have taken months, if not years, in traditional therapy, if we had even been able to find the issue. So it prevents that cycle of kind of talking in circles and gives you that concrete evidence-based approach and then technique to address that neuroemotional complex and then to dampen or clear those neuropeptides that are associated with it. So if we think about um, you know, if there's something that comes up in NET that maybe needs additional support with therapy, then by all means, of course, it's supported, you know, with what the patient chooses to do. But to be able to find the relief and even in NET, being able to assess um for the original event where that person experienced that emotion, where that person experienced the event that then created the neuroemotional complex, the NEC, creating that physical component, the neuropeptides, and being able to have the clarity and with the technique, clearing that and having the relief. So I've had patients that have come in and have said, you know, Beth, I um have this back pain. I've had it for years. I'm not really sure what happened. Um, I'm spending hundreds of dollars on new shoes, I'm spending hundreds of dollars on other therapies, but I'm not seeing the relief or getting the relief that I want. You know, could we try any tea? Absolutely. You can use that pain point in the body to begin neuroemotional technique. So one patient in particular came in, had the same same complaint. You know, her physical job was um required a lot of physical labor, bending over, standing up, reaching. Um, and she was doing well, but she was very uncomfortable and was trying, you know, many different things, but wasn't seeing any relief. So in that first session, we were able to identify the neuroemotional complex. And she was in um much less pain by the end of the session. And just, you know, there's often a lot of emotion that comes along with it, but that's okay. That's part of the clearing. It's very supportive. And then she came back a few weeks later and said, you know, now I want to be able, I can get up out of the chair unassisted. I can get through my workday without the amount of pain. I want my goal now is to be able to turn and get out of bed without support and without pain. Do you think we could assess it further? So we did. We found the other additional neuroemotional complexes there, those NECs. And by the end of her session, she was able to twist and rotate and bend over and she was dancing out of the office without pain. So, seeing the relief that people get, whether it's that physical symptom, that emotional symptom, they're able to have that conversation with a colleague. They're able to get through a difficult conversation with a family member or friend, or go through that intersection without being triggered anymore, maybe following an accident. The list goes on and on and on. But having that concrete way to assess it, to address it, and provide the relief is just it's just been amazing.

SPEAKER_01 31:39

That is so miraculous that you have people that are living in chronic pain. And then after one session, they're able to get such tremendous relief. So, well, again, I am I'm excited about all the things that you're doing. But I this this is, you know, this is really a modality that I've not heard very much about. So I'm so happy we're able to do a show on it. And I want to hear more, would love to hear more about the success stories that you are seeing in your business. But uh we do need to pause just for a moment for break. I do want to remind our listeners, if you are a fed up nurse, I can absolutely train you at the Functional Nurse Academy. We offer the most comprehensive functional training on the market, specifically designed for nurses. And included is also business mentorship with me, where I teach live classes in regards to functional medicine deep dives, how to launch your functional medicine business. Our students receive 90 nursing CEs and they also qualify for multiple board certification pathways in functional medicine. So be sure to check that out at functional nurseacademy.com. If you want to meet with me live at the next informational webinar, just click the link in the show notes. This show is also syndicated on America Out Loud Talk Radio on the Nurses Report radio show and podcast. So you can also find me there on any major app. Hello and welcome back. I am joined today by Beth Erio, who is the founder of Functional Health Partners. And she is a functional medicine nurse, a graduate from the Functional Nurse Academy. And today we are talking about all of the miraculous things that she is doing in her independently owned functional nurse business, especially her work as a certified NET practitioner. Welcome back, Beth. Thank you so much, Melissa. It's great to be here with you today. Yes, it's always, it's always fun to chat about these things because again, you know, I feel like and it just it just makes me think of when I was a nursing instructor. And I remembered with my nursing students, the nursing student that I had to watch the most, that I was the most concerned about, was the student that like thought that they knew everything. And I I think that the best practitioners and providers are the ones that are continuously learning new things because there is just this wide array of modalities that we can use to help other people. And then being a functional medicine nurse, there's so many other things that you can, that there's so many services that we can offer through our businesses. And there are so many modalities out there that we can utilize to help the human body heal. And so I also wanted to ask you about the NET. So um I think that it is interesting that you mentioned that some of these individuals that may have trauma are saying to you that they had more benefit from you in one session than they did in, you know, repeated and repeated sessions of therapy. And I also see that sometimes some of these therapy sessions, I wonder if that is not always being done appropriately, because I wonder with the talk therapy, if they're just going back to these sessions and they're talking about these traumatic events. And I wonder what is going on with their cortisol response and if in a way they're reliving that again. And I wanted to ask your opinion, you know, when individuals are going to cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy to talk out what has happened to them versus this method of essentially working to clear the trauma from the body. Are you hearing this consistently that the clients that you work with find that this is a more effective model than traditional therapy?

SPEAKER_00 36:12

Yes. So um, you know, it's as I said, it doesn't replace therapy, it doesn't replace psychiatric care. Um, it does have that therapeutic communication as part of the technique. But the feedback that I'm getting from patients where they're able to identify, oh, that's where that came from. Or um, now I'm able to move forward. Now I don't have that physical pain. Now that symptom has resolved, regardless of where it is in the body, or I am feeling better. Let's continue to explore this. The technique is designed so that the physiology identifies what you're you're ready and able to deal with on any given day during an NET session. So you don't have to have the determination coming in to a session of um, you know, I want to get to XYZ, or maybe I don't know where I want to begin today. You can work with that practitioner and determine what the priority is, what needs to be done, and then your physiology takes over from there. You can actually, you know, absolutely have a goal of, you know, this is the current, maybe the acute uh stressor that's going on, or this is the long-term symptom, the long-term stressor. What can we do to address that? You know, whether it's a uh someone that is in um healthcare themselves, in the mind space or a body worker space, um, the seeing the benefits, being able to pull it all together, maybe how it supports their continued therapy, or they're able to, you know, move on, finding that clarity, finding that resolution, and finding that relief that they are looking for. Um, it's incredibly supportive. It's gentle. I'm assessing you while you're processing what is going on during the technique. Um, it's just, it's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful service to be able to offer. And especially with the functional medicine approach, especially with that root cause approach, to be able to assess someone physically, but then as a registered nurse, to be able to address that emotional component and tying it all together. It's just, it's been full circle. It's been amazing to practice, um, amazing to complete the certification process and to be in an environment with other truly incredible, compassionate um providers. So if you are a licensed provider, um, whether it's in the mind space or body work space, if you have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, you're a licensed healthcare provider, you're eligible for training. And you can begin um practicing within um completion of the 72-hour basic um class. You can go from there. Um, for those that are really passionate about it and want to complete the certification process, there are other classes that you must complete along the way. And then, you know, it's it requires travel often. Um, it requires hours and hours and hours of dedication in studying and practicing and learning and perfecting that technique. And then the certification process is a five-day process that involves a practical exam and it involves a written exam as well. And that uh certification is only offered once per year. So I was just with um about a hundred providers from all over the world that were there for those five days for certification. And it's just um it's a beautiful place to be. And I, you know, I do have to say that it is very different from any other conventional nursing or conventional medical um seminar or continuing ed um opportunity that I've been a part of to be in that space with these other NET providers. Many of them are in some sort of functional medicine as well. There's practically zero ego in that room. Everyone is there, whether they're there as that brand new basic level student or they've been a certified practitioner for over 20 years. They are there to serve, they are there to care for others, and it is just incredibly inspiring and encouraging. And um, it's just it's an incredible space. So it's kind of um, it's a lot like the Functional Nurse Academy, where you're able to really address that root cause and being able to provide it right away. There are other ways that you can assess for deficiencies and needs in the body using a home run formula with NET, but just focusing on, you know, whether it's that emotional part or that structural part or that physical part, being able to just jump right in and provide that care, that relief for the patient is just beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 41:18

Yes. And I love how in functional medicine on the functional side, there are so many more tools that you can put in your toolbox to help these individuals. Whereas we know with the insurance model, providers and practitioners can be so limited on what insurance is willing to cover. But again, you know, we know that there are so many more tools that we have besides the basics of just managing symptoms with band-aid pharmaceuticals. So, well, this is really exciting that this mode, this is another modality that nurses can get across trained in. And so I also would love to touch on your experience with the Functional Nurse Academy. How did FA help you with your business?

SPEAKER_00 42:09

Oh, it was it was exactly what I was looking for. I had been searching for something like that for a long time. Um, you know, I had investigated other programs that were, you know, off the cuff, probably six to seven times more expensive than the Functional Nurse Academy. So knowing, number one, the incredible economical value that is there, but then to be able to jump right in and begin learning that self-paced capability. So whether you're working full-time or you're in school full-time, to be able to pull that together at your own pace, the way that you want to. So I treated it just as any other um professional college level course. I took my time going through each module, taking notes, reviewing, going back, listening to the lectures again to just re-um, you know, reconfirm the information, hearing it in a different way. Um, and it took, I would say it took just short of one typical college semester. So started in, I think that was late August, and I was finished by the end of October. And that even included a week-long vacation in Europe. So being able to incorporate that while I was finishing another course as well, and then able to jump right in to starting my business and um incorporating it all together. It's been just incredible. I've tried to share it with as many other nurses that have even just an inkling of interest in functional medicine or that root cause approach. Or where can we, for lack of a better phrase, kind of correct what's going on in conventional medicine? Because we know we see it, right? Whether we're on the patient side of it or on the professional side of it, how can we support the patient while this conventional model? Is essentially crumbling around us. We know that those providers don't have time to do a thorough assessment. We know they're only able to address a very small amount of concerns in a very short appointment. And I mean, I just have to be honest, with continued success in with my patients and with continuing education that I have completed, you know, having the utmost respect for the providers that are able to accomplish what they're able to accomplish and accomplish it safely, the biggest thing in such a short amount of time with a patient. But using the information and the education from the functional nurse academy to then be able to design a business that is safe and supporting and caring for other patients. And having the access then, as a graduate of the program, to be able to go back and review and then to be a part of your mentorship calls monthly and to review case studies, to review updates that have been made, to go back and use those tools that are in the toolkit within the Functional Nurse Academy. I still refer to that on a regular basis. Is there an updated form that I can incorporate for my patients in my practice? Is there something else that I can do to improve the level of care that they are receiving? It's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, you know, more than economical option for someone that's ready to learn more, whether they're at the bachelor's level or advanced practice, and to be able to pull it all together. And from there, you can develop, of course, um, you know, your own niche or your or continue your passion in a certain area that you may want to address in your business. Um it's just, it's, it's just an incredible opportunity. And I'm just so excited for everything that you've accomplished with the Functional Nurse Academy as you continue to grow, as you continue to educate other nurses, other providers, and um all of the patients that they're going to be able to serve and to help in such a safe and effective approach.

SPEAKER_01 46:10

Well, thank you so much for all of your feedback. And yeah, I really am. Like we are constantly updating things. Because again, I feel like information is always changing. And I want you guys to be as prepared as possible. And also because I think that prepared nurses are going to be more confident. And then when you are more confident, you're going to be more successful in your nurse-owned business. And I also wanted to ask about the economical side of it. And this was something else that I was really surprised by how expensive some other programs are. And I've talked about this a lot, that I think that one of the reasons why it took me so long to get well is I think that there are so many functional practitioners and they are practicing in a way that their overhead is way too high. So because they have so much overhead or so much debt from their training, they be, they may be more apt to selling things, you know, and more focused on selling and earning commission than actually getting those true outcomes. So I also would love to hear about um your experience getting, you know, with your business. Like, do you feel like you were able to get your return on investment back pretty quickly after starting your business?

SPEAKER_00 47:36

Absolutely. Absolutely. It's just um, you know, I haven't never thought twice about the expense associated with functional nurse academy, especially once I was enrolled. And I don't know, you could go back and look. I probably started reviewing the information that very same day and just thinking, oh my goodness, I'm so thankful that this is all together. You know, all of the information that I had learned on my own without formal programs, all of the reading that I had done, um, my own personal experience that, you know, being able to pull that together and then to be able to apply it to clinical scenarios that you're seeing with patients, um whether it's within your own family, whether it's with your friends, or um, you know, in practice, wherever you are, being able to pull that information together and then, you know, being very truthful, very honest with yourselves, where maybe you don't have years of experience in functional medicine or in that root cause approach, and having the opportunity to then access other resources that are available to then build upon that knowledge, to, you know, fill those deficits that you notice as a professional so that you can give that safe, effective patient care using that root cause approach, being able to educate your patients that yes, I hear what you're saying about what you've experienced in, you know, that with that conventional provider. You know, the overwhelming repeated phase is, you know, I feel dismissed. I feel like I'm not being heard. I'm sure you've heard that. I'm sure you've felt that. I know I have in multiple different providers. It wasn't just one, but being able to then use that knowledge, pull it together, do the very best you can to take care of that patient, you know, and and then having the knowledge of when you need to advocate for them in a different way. So, regardless of how you decide as the nurse that's, you know, ready to enroll in Functional Nurse Academy, or maybe you've completed it, um, you know, there's just so much information and it's just, it's in depth, it's thorough. There's so many tools, there's so much that you're adding, you know, even since I completed the program three, three years ago. Um, and then being able to find other sources, you know, where you need it, if you need it. Um, it's just been, it's been incredible. I wish I had found it. I wish it was in existence years ago, but you know, the timing worked out well for me and the way that my kids were, you know, finishing high school and going on, and my life was looking a lot different and having the ability then. And, you know, it was just good timing to go ahead and get started with that education. And then things have just fallen into place with starting the business, with taking care of patients, adding, you know, other modalities and, you know, truly that that root cause approach. And um, you know, thinking about, I mean, it was mentioned in the Functional Nurse Academy, you know, chronic disease, chronic stress, how chronic stress affects chronic disease. And we hear it in whether it's on social media, whether it's in the office with your own provider. Providers are constantly saying, you got to address that stress. That stress can kill you, that that stress will kill you. You've got to do something about it. But what do we know as providers that is effective, that is evidence-based, that we can actually provide for them or refer them to go then, you know, have that treatment with someone else. And that's where neuroemotional technique, NET, comes into play and has been absolutely incredible. So, regardless of where you're listening today, there are providers all over the, well, definitely throughout the country and in multiple different countries across the globe. Um, you can use the practitioner finder at netmindbody.com to find a practitioner that's in your area. It's typically done in person and incredibly supportive. It can be a quick, you know, just a few-minute session, or it can be more in-depth and go quite a bit longer. Um, and you can have benefits from either one. So it's not um, it's not that you have to have an hour-long session, or it's not that you have to have a five to 10 minute session. It's what the practitioner provides and what the practitioner then deems is most appropriate for what you're experiencing at that time.

SPEAKER_01 52:00

Awesome, awesome. And I, so I'm at I'm at your, I'm scrolling through your website right now. And again, it looks lovely. It's very like clean and organized. And I just love your branding. So, but um, gosh, okay, so to our listeners, because I know that we have a combination of nurses and then people who are non-medical, I hear from people all the time that are looking for a good functional nurse. And I always tell them, I'm like, we are adding new nurses to the directory every single week. But um, Beth, um, if someone that is listening today wants to work with you, could you tell me a little bit about your access? Are you able to see individuals multi-state or are you in person? How does that work?

SPEAKER_00 52:45

Um, I do see patients in person. I'm licensed in the states of Illinois, Virginia, and Oklahoma. So there are some telehealth services that are available. Um, you can go to my website, functionalhealthpartners.com, to learn more. Um, there's a link there that you can use to um book a discovery call to see if we're a good fit, if my services would be something that would be appropriate for you. Or you're welcome to call my office at 872-248-4228.

SPEAKER_01 53:18

And I also love that you have a recipe, like a free recipe bundle, because it's just it's nays just to give free resources to people too. So you also have this just lovely like jumpstart your clean living journey. Love that because that is again at such an important foundation, is just teaching people about eating whole food, clean, healthy foods that our bodies were designed to consume. And then you also have a free community. I also see that you have a functional health package that you are offering. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_00 53:55

Sure. So I do find that that's where patients uh receive the best results because you have support from beginning to end. We typically work together for four months, and there are uh certain conventional comprehensive assessment panels and functional um assessment tools as well. And we are working together for that, you know, thorough comprehensive assessment and then a very thorough review of those findings. And I present the best case scenario and a wellness plan, but we're able to work together to see exactly where you're able to begin. And we go from there. We meet regularly to then, you know, find out how you're doing, to see what that progress is like, or to address maybe the stumbling blocks that have come up. And what I experienced not only in my own care that began, you know, in functional medicine years ago, but in other practices that I've witnessed, you know, throughout my journey, and of course, in living in different cities and states throughout the country, is what typically happens in other settings is you have that initial appointment, you hear the information, you're only able to retain a very small percentage of it. Maybe you leave with that bundle of supplements or you're able to order it quickly. And then incorporating all of that can be quite overwhelming. So having that support along the way is beautiful. And then as you start incorporating those lifestyle modifications, maybe something doesn't feel great. Maybe you're really not able to handle that amount of stress or change. And what I would see is the patients that were waiting then for another six, eight, even 12 weeks to see the provider, that functional medicine practitioner, they would fall off. They lose that time in healing. And it could have been a very simple change, a very simple supportive measure that could have really helped that patient to continue on their healing journey. So having that capability to meet with them, whether it's in person or virtually, to really hear what they're experiencing and often identifying maybe with what they're saying and symptoms that they're having, what else needs to be addressed? How can they be supported? How can I advocate for them to get the very best care that they need, and then to continue on that journey, you know, and adding in NET as the emotional component, whatever it is that that patient needs at that time, working together closely for four months, providing that support, providing that care, providing that advocacy for them to get the results. So the four-month package is available. We could do consults as well, or maybe you're already working with another functional medicine provider. You're happy with the care, but you're recognizing that that stress component, that stress response really does need to be addressed. And you want to do just NET. That's an option as well. And I quickly noticed in providing NET that especially for moms or maybe busy professionals that don't even have children, that they may recognize that there is the need for that. And that is the type of care that they want, but they have a very limited amount of time in their schedule. Maybe they don't have time to drive across town to get to the office to then have an appointment. Maybe they're, you know, really um have a narrow block of time between school drop-off and pickup. So I've added in the Chicagoland area, added in-home services for NET. And that has been received in a very um overwhelmingly positive way, I can say. So many different options, you know, and able um able to provide that care for patients. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 57:50

I love, as a busy mom, three children, two of which are babies, I love that you are doing in-home services. I mean, just to give you an example, like before we had our call today, I am so busy. I I I it's time for me to do my annual blood draw. And I was like, I cannot go spend half the day getting my labs drawn. So I had to have a mobile phlebotomist come to the house. It is so good when you are that busy just to have services come to you. So I I love that you're doing that. And um, yeah, I'm just excited about the impact that you're having and all of the people that you're helping. And then I mean, talk about bringing purpose back to nursing practice and practicing nursing the way that we should be practicing because nursing is supposed to be holistic, you know? So um, well, okay, if you could just tell our listeners before we close out, um, I will be posting your links in the show notes, but um also if you can tell them, you know, where they can find you.

SPEAKER_00 58:51

Sure. Sure, sure. So you can um call the office at 872-248-4228. Uh, you're welcome to go to the website, functionalhealthpartners.com, um, to learn more or to book your discovery call. You can do that on your own. Um, or you can send me an email at Beth at functionalhealthpartners.com.

SPEAKER_01 59:12

Wonderful. Okay, well, thank you so much for coming on the show. It is just like I have the best time chatting about these things. It's just it's so exciting about all of the great things functional nurses are doing. And that is all the time that we have today. Thank you so much for tuning in. If you want to learn more about the Functional Nurse Academy, please feel free to register for our next live webinar, and you will see that link in the show notes. You can also check out Functional Nurse Academy on our social media platforms or on our website at functional nurseacademy.com. Until next time, be safe, be well, and God bless.