The best evidence of the effectiveness of Dr. Fred Lisanti’s natural healthcare practice might be the doctor himself. At a time when economic uncertainty and other stressors are taking a physical and mental toll on patients and healthcare providers alike, Lisanti is a model of calm in a storm. While he stays at the cutting edge of alternative medicine, maintaining certification in several disciplines—he is a naturopathic physician, a licensed acupuncturist, a registered herbalist, a clinical hypnotist and neuro-linguistic programmer—he never strays far from his medical roots. Whether he’s backpacking solo in the wilderness, immersing himself in an indigenous culture, or studying botanical medicine with shamans in Nepal or the Amazon, Lisanti grounds his life and his practice in nature, with its remarkable ability to heal.

“I have a particular reverence for the outdoors, such as hiking through back country, as well as a great appreciation for creative arts, world travel and learning about diverse cultures,” Lisanti says. “One of my favorite traditions is attending Burning Man, the world’s largest arts collective that meets once a year in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to express and share community, self-expression and self-reliance.” He is also trained in North Indian classical music and plays percussion instruments from various native cultures.

These experiences keep him healthy and centered, he says, and they underscore the philosophy he shares with all his patients—that nature provides the various tools and means we need to heal ourselves. Trained at the National College of Natural Medicine, the oldest naturopathic college in North America, Lisanti has synthesized ancient healing arts and state-of-the-art science at his Eastchester practice, Integrative Med Solutions.

 Dr. Fred Lisanti sat down with us recently to talk about his practice, where nature and medicine meet.

You often see tough cases where people have not found help with traditional methods. How are you able to guide them back to wellness?

Too often a physical challenge is approached from the outside in. I find that listening deeply to each case and drawing out the root of the problem enables me to help people heal themselves. I often find that people are unaware of the disconnect between themselves and their world—spiritually or creatively, for example. They often need to remove emotional obstacles to rediscover their deep identity. Addressing such things as their personal life, including relationships with family members, co-workers and their own inner voice, helps me target the root cause of their problem. Then I can prescribe the proper treatment, whether it is acupuncture, diet or lifestyle modifications, nutraceutical supplementation, or many other therapies, either alone or combined.

What excites you most about working with your patients?

Watching people get well with the tools I give them excites me. A core principal of naturopathic medicine is docere, meaning “doctor as teacher.” I take that job very seriously. I get excited when I see people live a healthy, sustainable life using the wisdom I have learned and shared with them. The goal? To empower them to take a responsible role in their own healthcare.

What conditions do you see most frequently? 

Interestingly, the conditions I see a lot have to do with stress-related life transitions, such as a career change, divorce, leaving home (young people going from high school into college), and people feeling stuck or in a funk. Many of these transitions create emotional imbalances that can lead to depression and anxiety, which in turn manifest as different physical ailments.

So many health providers are stressed these days, yet you radiate peace and calm. How do you stay balanced?

I try to stay balanced by continually feeding my creative spirit as well as maintaining my own physical and mental health. Obviously, eating right and listening to my body are essential, but working with percussion is a great self-therapy, too. This practice grounds me and enables me to release pent-up or absorbed challenging energy I may have stored throughout the day or week. Linking with nature also helps calm my mind and restore my vitality.

What advice can you give our readers about taking responsibility for their own well-being and turning their lives around?

The advice I would give someone for their well-being would be to take pause and re-assess their own direction. It’s important to understand that fear is packaged in many different ways which can confuse and misdirect us. The world we live in—with its labels and unrealistic expectations—has an uncanny ability to program people without their even knowing it. Don’t succumb to this. Don’t become a victim of this programming, which may stamp out your inner light before it ever gets a chance to blaze. By all means, ask for my help, as I would be more than happy to simply listen and assist in creating a new path for you to forge and discover.

Dr. Fred Lisanti practices at Integrative Med Solutions, 281 White Plains Rd., Eastchester, NY. For more information, contact him at 914.337.2980 or visit IntMedSolutions.com.