Frequently Asked Questions

  • Call or text (503) 486-4081.

    We are a part-time practice, so please have patience coordinating with us. While we are sometimes in the office outside of these hours, you can count on us being present from 9 AM - 2 PM on Mondays, 10 AM - 2 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays from 1:00 PM to 6:30 PM, and Thursdays from 10 AM - 2 PM. We are closed Fridays.

  • We see patients aged 15 years and older. 

  • We will need to know what insurance you have, your name, your phone number, and your Email address.

  • Upon scheduling your first appointment, you will be sent an invite to our patient portal through ChARM Health.  This is a secure portal where you can fill out your insurance information, contact information, medications and allergies, and health concerns in more detail at your convenience.  Please have your questionnaires completed 24 hours prior to your appointment to allow your practitioner to prepare for your visit.

  • Because the privacy of your medical information is protected by law, we must offer secure systems for written forms of communication like email and texting. When you sign up with the practice, we will send you an invitation to use an app called Spruce which allows you to send the office and the doctor text messages for whatever questions you have. This app is password protected and can’t be used through your regular texting interface because of the privacy laws mentioned.

    You will also have access to a website called Charm - we do not accept messaging through this system despite having done so in the past. We have found it to be much easier to manage communications through the Spruce system. You may still want to access Charm, however, to see your lab results, medication list, supplement list, imaging, and past treatment plans.

    If you have questions about any of this or find electronic communication too daunting, you can always call the office at 503-486-4081.

  • We ask for a 48 hour notice when canceling an appointment.  Please note that we do not “stack” our schedules with overlapping appointments so that we may better serve you.  We do not earn salary or an hourly wage, we solely rely on your scheduled appointment to plan the financial needs of the clinic and ourselves.

  • Dr Sandell accepts: Care Oregon (OHP), Moda, Providence, Aetna, BC/BS (Regence and Anthem), and United Health Care. She accepts Cigna out-of-network. It is important to note that coverage varies widely within these insurers, for example we accept many Moda plans but we do not accept the Beacon plans. It is important to call and verify coverage prior to your first appointment; in the case of nonpayment of our services by your insurer, you are responsible for the full cost of the visit. If you need assistance in familiarizing yourself with your insurance coverage, please feel free to call us. We have a worksheet available for your use in order to get a clear understanding.

  • We are able to offer discounts on our visits when they are paid at the time of service. Price will vary based on how long you spend with the doctor. If you are on a tight budget, we may be able to accommodate you with shorter visits. Please contact us for more information.

  • In the realm of naturopathic/functional medicine, a lot of testing and treatment exists outside of what insurance covers. That said, whatever we can do through insurance, that will always be our first choice.

    If you have a digestive issue, usually the recommendation is made for a GI test that costs around $450 - this is the best way to accurately determine what the specific issue is in your gut and target it. Sometimes food sensitivities are involved and testing for that ranges from $100-$350 depending on the level of detail you are wanting. We can also simply try treatments that match your symptom picture, but this can sometimes be a long process.

    We are usually able to test hormones through conventional labs via your insurance, depending on what we are looking for. Occasionally we’ll recommend more in-depth specialty labs that tend to cost about $350.

    We use nutritional, herbal, and pharmaceutical remedies as appropriate for your lab results. Occasionally we uncover issues that require very expensive supplementation but we generally try to be conscientious about how many out-of-pocket recommendations we make. If budget is a concern, we encourage you to let us know so that we can prioritize only the most important therapies.

  • Naturopathic doctors are educated and trained in accredited naturopathic medical colleges. They diagnose, prevent, and treat acute and chronic illness to restore and establish optimal health by supporting the person's inherent self-healing process. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, naturopathic doctors work to identify underlying causes of illness, and develop personalized treatment plans to address them. Their Therapeutic Order™, identifies the natural order in which all therapies should be applied to provide the greatest benefit with the least potential for damage.

    Naturopathic medical education curricula include certain areas of study not covered in conventional medical school. At the same time, aspiring naturopathic doctors receive training in the same biomedical and diagnostic sciences as MDs and osteopathic doctors (DOs). The result is a comprehensive, rigorous, and well-rounded scientific medical education that is both comparable and complementary to that of MDs and DOs.

  • Dr Sandell is comfortable working with certain medications and prescribes them. If you are on a medication managed by another doctor, she will work around this medication and avoid using any therapies that would negatively interract with your medication.