Naturopathic and functional medicine should be the standard of care for all but that's just not reality at this time. The fact that insurance may not cover your services does not reflect an accurate review of the practice itself. Avena is a 5 star practice and I'm grateful to have them in the quiet corner. I'm also grateful that CT recognizes naturopaths as doctors therefore it's possible for insurance coverage as a specialist. TIP: if possible, choose insurance that has co-pay for specialists and lab work plus check for providers in network read more

Blue Cross Blue Shield is my insurance provider, and one day while searching for naturopathic doctors (NDs) in my network (expecting to find nothing, honestly) I stumbled upon Avena. I was impressed by the information I found on their website, and immediately contacted them to set up an appointment. I had never seen an ND before, so I didn't know what would be covered or how it would compare to a visit with a regular MD. I'm lucky that my particular plan with BCBS covers a great deal, and I'm so thankful to have found Avena and in particular Dr. McCann. Prior to the first appointment, you'll fill out some extensive paperwork. I'm not kidding, I think I spent at least an hour completing it! Family history, wellness goals, food diaries, sleep habits, exercise regimes, ailments, surgeries, they want to know it all, because it's the only way to get a real picture of you. Though I'm only in my late 20s and look pretty healthy on the outside (and in many ways, am healthy), I've got a lot going on, and I was tired of having other doctors dismiss my concerns or try to scare me into doing things. My first appointment with Dr. McCann was 90 minutes, and it was incredibly refreshing to sit with a caring, knowledgeable person for that long. And each follow up visit is nearly an hour! I've been going to Avena every few months and my only regret is that I didn't start seeing an ND sooner. Dr. McCann has helped me correct some vitamin deficiencies and we continue to work on other issues as well. What I love most is the approach: while they certainly suggest supplements to help you manage symptoms and correct issues, that's only part of the solution. We also talk about routines, exercise, stress management, sleep patterns, work, sensitivities, lifestyle choices, and diet, among other things. From the front-desk staff to the NDs, the people who work at Avena are warm and knowledgeable. Honestly, I look forward to my visits and truly feel like I am taken care of and listened to. I cannot recommend them enough. read more

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Exercise caution and verbally confirm with insurance carrier if services are covered. I was seriously considering going in for an evaluation but after finding out that my plan doesnt cover this type of treatment I began to do a bit of digging. First if they were all that good there would be a plethora of reviews available, I mean who wouldnt sing from the roof tops the praises of a health professional who had a positive impact on ones overall health. Second after reviewing their intake package and fees I couldn't help but get the feeling that this sounds like a cash grab. Also their lack of trust is apparent as they charge a non refundable 100 dollar deposit for scheduling your visit, trust is very important to me and it is my experience that those who display a lack of it in others are usually ones that are not worthy of mine. There is little information on their credentials, what studies they have conducted, what peer reviewed clinical information is used to support their recommendations, what papers they have written and so on. Also one of their practitioners has a BFA degree in dance as well as an MD in ND but for me looking for a health professional I want someone who from a young age studied in the sciences and wellness and not someone who changed direction from a totally unrelated field. Also the information they ask for and what seems to be their implied reluctance to treat someone who resists signing the privacy agreement out of concern for the potential implications the trove of info they ask for poses is another area which causes me pause. As I have not (yet) been to this practice I can only voice what I see as concerns and areas to exercise caution. To my way of thinking if the work they do actually leads to better health outcomes which result in lessening the impact to the healthcare system and less money insurance companies have to dole out for sick care then logic suggests that insurance companies would fully support and encourage this treatment option. The fact that they dont provide the benefit for the majority of insurance participants suggests to me that they dont see a benefit to their bottomline which to me is code that this is either a sudo science or not enough evidence is available to suggest this actually works. You be the judge. Should I choose to go against my gut and seek a consultation I will update this review to reflect my findings and opinions. read more