What is an initial visit like?

The goal is to have you leave each visit having been listened to, feeling more informed, and with a clear plan of the next steps you are working on to feel better.

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Before our first visit, you will fill out a comprehensive questionnaire about your health history, current symptoms, and goals for your well being. This lays the foundation for our first visit together.

 

When we meet, lab work is not required before meeting but it is helpful for us to have a broad sense of your overall health. If you want to bring your most recent lab work we can review it together or I can order lab work for you. I will support you to understand your individual risks and options. Together we will come up with a practical step by step plan that makes sense for you. 

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If you choose hormone therapy and membership, I will order what you need from the pharmacy. 

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Depending where you are starting when we begin working together, you will return for follow up as needed. If you are just getting started on menopausal hormone therapy, we will need to see each other 3 or more times in the first few months to make sure you have the dose and blend that works for you. Menopausal hormone therapy is Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone. Each of us will have a "just right" dose for each hormone depending on our individual stage of menopause. 

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This midlife journey can be complicated and each person faces their own personal set of challenges. In reality it may take 3 to 9 months to figure out what particular blend of hormones, nutrition, movement, and mindset will really work for you to feel all the way back to yourself and thriving. For some people it may take longer.

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How Is Care Structured at HeyElli?

Care at HeyElli is designed to evolve over time—offering more support early on, and becoming simpler and more streamlined once things are stable.

This structure reflects both clinical best practice and a shared decision-making model that respects your agency, your time, and your capacity to know yourself.

 

 

What is a Consultative Model of Care

Many people come to HeyElli looking for an expert consultant—someone to help talk through options, weigh risks and benefits, and make thoughtful, evidence-based decisions together.

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That is how I love to practice. Care here is collaborative and relational. You bring lived experience and self-knowledge; clinical expertise and evidence guide the process. Over time, the goal is not just symptom relief, but confidence, clarity, and stability.

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Entry Into Care: Why the First Visits Matter​

Initial treatment plans—especially hormone therapy—are based on thorough history-taking, clinical assessment, and careful titration. This work takes time to do well.

For that reason, entry into care at HeyElli is intentionally front-loaded:

• Visit 1 is always 90 minutes
  This visit allows for comprehensive assessment, deep listening, and thoughtful foundation-setting.

• Visits in the initial 6-12 months are full-length visits, typically 60 minutes
  These visits are used to refine treatment, respond to how your body is actually responding, and adjust care responsibly.

• Once stabilized you may be schedule visits for 30 or 60 minutes depending on what you prefer and your needs.
   

Most clients need three to four full-length visits to establish and fine-tune treatment. This investment on the front end supports safer decisions and a smoother first 6–12 months of care. This is not about doing more care than necessary—it’s about doing the right amount of care early so things can become simpler over time.

 

 

Moving Toward Stability

​My goal is always for clients to reach clinical stability within the first six months of working together. This timeline is individual—some stabilize sooner, while those with more complex needs may take longer.

Stability is also supported by the work you’re doing outside of visits, including nutrition, strength building, sleep, stress management, and other lifestyle shifts.
 

We adjust together.

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What does Maintenance & Long-Term Care look like? 

Many postmenopausal clients ultimately require only annual check-ins once hormone therapy protocols are well established and symptoms are stable.
 

 

What are typical visit lengths?

• 90-minute visit
  Used for all initial visits and available anytime deeper exploration or additional space is needed.
   

• 60-minute visits
  Standard full-length visits during active phases of care and for most follow-ups.
   

• 30-minute visits
  Available once care is clinically stable and appropriate for focused, single-issue needs.
   

Visit length is always guided by clinical need and shared decision-making.

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I'm not in menopause yet but I know it's coming! Can I see you just to learn more? 

Yes - absolutely! I have many clients who come to me before they need hormonal support so they can understand how to best set themselves up for their future health. I wish I had had that knowledge myself... 

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Do you prescribe hormone therapy? 

Yes I prescribe all types of menopause hormone therapy including standard protocols and more advanced precision and rhythmic or cyclic protocols. Many clients are looking for hormone therapy when they come to see me after having been denied access to hormones by other providers. 

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Do you prescribe Testosterone Therapy? 

Yes, with a thorough assessment and shared decision making conversation, testosterone therapy can be a nice addition to a hormone therapy protocol. All decisions are clinically individualized. Ongoing lab assessment is required for testosterone therapy - this is in line with international testosterone prescribing guidelines. 

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I'm not sure I want to use hormones. Is there anything other than hormones that I can do to feel better? 

YES absolutely. I work with midlife women who do not want to use hormones. There are plenty of other remedies that can help you with symptoms. Lifestyle adjustments are some of the most important interventions for life long health. 

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I'm on pellets but I want to transition off of them. Can you help me do that? 

Yes, for most, pellets can be a solution that works for a while but are not a great solution for long term - they are too hard to titrate and often result in overdosing of hormones which can lead to other issues. Transitioning off pellets requires a close relationship with a provider who understands the process. I have helped many transition off pellets onto menopause hormone therapy with great results. There are many ways to get your menopause hormone therapy. If one method doesn't work for you, come see me and we can figure out the best way for your individual situation. 

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I have a countertop full of supplements and don't know what I should be taking to feel better. Can you help? 

Yes, absolutely. There are some supplements that can really help how we feel during midlife and I will assist you to understand what the options are and what makes sense for your personal situation. Often we are so eager to feel better that we will buy something that promises something that we want, more energy, better sleep, more libido... Before you know it there's a supplement store worth of bottles on your countertop. With my clients, we will go through one by one and help you decide what to keep using and what to let go of. I am a big fan of food first in all health interventions and then supplement with just a few things that we are not likely to be able to get completely with food. Our bodies are changing in midlife. We need to adjust the way we care for ourselves in order to feel well.

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Can you help me understand my labs? 

Yes,  your labs provide us crucial data that we will review together so you can understand your risk profile for your lifelong health. When additional labs are needed we will decide together and I will order them for you. 

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Can you help me understand what other health practices I can be doing to feel better for this time of life and beyond? 

Yes, I can help you understand the optimal ways to eat, move, and think about menopause.

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Do you offer hormone therapy for trans individuals? 

Not at this time but I respect and love you.

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Can we talk about sex? 

YES we can talk about sex! Sexual changes in midlife can be complex. Being able to have an open conversation about what is coming up for you and what is most important to you is the first step to finding solutions and learning the new ways our bodies need to be cared for in midlife to maintain our sensuality and pleasure. 

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Should I divorce my husband? 

I don't know! I do know you should certainly get your hormones figured out before making any major life decisions. 

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Can you give me a second opinion? 

Often doctor visits don’t provide adequate time for all of your questions to be addressed.  I provide unbiased evidence-based information to support your decision making around your perimenopause, menopause, and postnatal depletion recovery care.

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Is It Too Late for Hormone Therapy?

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If you’re postmenopausal and wondering if hormone therapy can still help—you’re not alone. And the answer might surprise you.

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Many people are told that once they’re a few years past menopause, hormone therapy is no longer an option. But that’s not the full story.

 

The truth is: it's not always too late. The decision to start hormone therapy after menopause is highly individualized, and depends on your health history, symptoms, and personal goals. For some, hormone therapy can still offer powerful benefits—especially for bone health, vaginal comfort, mood, sleep, and overall quality of life.

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As a Menopause Society Certified Provider, I’m here to walk you through the latest evidence and help you understand your options. There are also non-hormonal therapies that can be part of an effective care plan if hormones aren’t the right fit.

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Is HeyElli the Right Fit for You?

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HeyElli is a clinical practice for people who want to think deeply about their health—and are willing to do the work.

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Care here is consultative, longitudinal, and grounded in clinical reasoning. The best outcomes happen inside a serious therapeutic relationship—one that values expertise, curiosity, and shared responsibility.

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A typical HeyElli client is informed, motivated, and engaged. They are not looking for a quick fix or a passive experience. They want optimal results, nuanced guidance, and a clinician who can act as a strategic thought partner in complex decision-making.

HeyElli is a strong fit if you:

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• Want to understand the why, not just the recommendation

• Are comfortable weighing risks, and benefits

• Desire a shared decision making approach

• Value evidence, physiology, and clinical nuance

• Take responsibility for your part of the work—nutrition, strength, sleep, stress management, and lifestyle change

• See health as something you build over time
   

Some patients come specifically for a second opinion—to review labs, reassess hormone therapy, or pressure-test an existing plan. That is welcome here. An initial visit can be used for exactly that. Some continue the relationship; others leave with clarity and confidence. Both are appropriate outcomes.

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HeyElli offers the full spectrum of hormone therapy, including standard, physiologic, and advanced precision compounded approaches, when clinically appropriate. This work sits at the leading edge of longevity-focused medicine, grounded in evidence, safety, and individualized care.

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Everything here is intentionally holistic and integrative—designed to help you feel better now while building strength, resilience, and vitality for the next 30–50 years.

HeyElli is likely not the right fit if you’re looking for:

• Fast prescriptions without discussion

• Someone else to take full responsibility for your health

• Episodic, transactional care
   

If you’re intellectually curious, invested in your health, and ready for a collaborative, high-engagement approach—HeyElli may be exactly the right fit.