Meet Dr. Holly Lucille

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Holly Lucille.

Dr. Lucille, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am the daughter of two pharmacists, and was well versed in the Western medical approach: “You don’t feel well? Here, take this pill.” Even at a very young age I was troubled by this approach to health and always wanted to know “WHY?” I would ask question after question hoping things would make more sense to me:

What will it do for me?
Will it hurt me?
Will I need it all the time?
How much does it cost?

I think I literally drove my parents crazy, leading them to hypothesize they had taken the wrong baby home from the hospital. However, my ability to question and my desire to know more did not stop there. My professional journey began more than two decades ago when I decided to become a nurse because I simply wanted to help people. The inspiration came during a class for volunteers at a local hospital. In that class I learned that when people become ill or needed to be hospitalized they give up some of their personal rights, rights such as the right to privacy, the right to choose, and the right to be informed and understand all of what was going on.

Incensed, I thought, “I have to get into this system and help.” But becoming a nurse didn’t subdue the query of a reductionist approach or my desire to help. Soon, I was disillusioned with the simple directive of carrying out doctors’ orders. I continued to yearn for more rationale behind some of the decisions being made, and craved a more active and effective role in caring for people. In my quest to find a satisfying place for myself in healthcare, I joined the American Holistic Nursing Association.

Completing a post-graduate program in holistic nursing provided me with an environment in which I was guided by instruction and a philosophy that supported and treated people, not just their diagnoses, symptoms or lab tests. This felt perfect! After seven years in nursing, becoming a Naturopathic Doctor seemed like the next natural step. As a Naturopathic Doctor I have enjoyed over 17 years of a diversified career in private practice, education, as a consultant, media figure, and TV and radio host, fulfilling my passion of partnering with and helping each and every individual I can to feel and be well!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth? NO. I was the president of the California Association of Naturopathic Physicians when SB 907 was passed into law, recognizing and licensing ND’s as primary care givers in the state of California, that was in 2004. That legislative process blew me away. The tone from other disciplines opposing our licensing was incredible. It was turf wars and profit over people if you ask me. The politics and the slanderous behavior was eye opening and just sad to me. To this day, this tenor is alive and kicking among professional associations and I believe has resulted in many misconceptions about what I actually do. It is at times frustrating because I believe there is value in ALL systems of medicine, including conventional Western medicine.  There is truly a place for everything.  With naturopathic medicine I simply focus on “thinking things through” with folks, wanting to use the least invasive methods to diagnose and treat and always searching for the root cause issues so I can help people truly heal from the inside out, not just suppress symptoms.  I call it “comprehensive, commons sense medicine”.

Dr. Holly Lucille – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My clinical practice exists solely for my patients and is rooted in my passion for the wellness of each individual. I believe that you need a safe place to heal and be heard and I provide comprehensive naturopathic medical care and support for a variety of conditions. I love my practice; it is the most favorite thing that I do. However, I have been blessed to have a very diversified career.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is continuing to learn and grow, always. I have made some incredible mistakes in business that have affected me greatly, financially, emotionally, etcetera, but as long as I can learn and grow from them, they are truly the most valuable experiences. I also feel that giving back is really important. I feel I am privileged in so many ways and I never want to forget that. Another thing is to walk my talk. As a practitioner and as a media figure, I have people looking to me for help and guidance, am I living that for myself? That is a question I wake up to every day!

Pricing:

• Initial visit 345$
• follow ups 167$

Contact Info:

• Address: 7235 Santa Monica Blvd
  West Hollywood, CA 90046
• Website: www.drhollylucille.com
• Phone: 323-658-9151
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Instagram.com/drhollylucille
• Facebook: facebook.com/drhollylucille
• Twitter: twitter.com/drhollylucille

Image Credit:  John Skalisky (all of them)

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