Wellness Center In Geneva
Olive Branch Wellness Center is a naturopathy clinic in South Elgin. We’re proud to serve many of our neighbors here in Kane County, as well as all of our clients across the country. Here in this article, we’ll be looking at Geneva, Illinois — the country seat and home to many of our patients.
We’ll also look at naturopathy. It’s a holistic medical focus that considers you as a whole person rather than just a set of symptoms and pathologies — but more on that later. Here is our list of topics:
- A Quick Introduction to Naturopathy
- The Therapeutic Order
- Whole-Person Wellness and Vitality for You and Your Family
- Wellness Plans for Companies and Other Organizations
- How To Get to Olive Branch Wellness Center From Geneva
- Geneva’s History
- Things To Do in Town in Geneva and Chicago
- Naturopathy and Conventional Medicine
- How To Prepare for Your First Visit to a Naturopathy Clinic
- Scheduling Your Appointment
If you are curious and would like to learn more, please contact us directly or look at the other resources here on our website. We’re always happy to answer questions or to schedule an appointment with a new patient.
A Quick Introduction to Naturopathy
Naturopaths follow a holistic approach to wellness. We believe in the body’s natural ability to restore and maintain vitality. We also believe that we should do no harm, care for the whole person, and be teachers and leaders for our patients in their pursuit of wellness.
As you can already probably tell, naturopathy isn’t defined by any technique or approach. Instead, we try to consider all possible alternatives when making recommendations. We also always prioritize the least invasive, gentlest, natural course of care.
Dr. Ray and Olive Branch Wellness Center
Dr. Ray is our lead here at Olive Branch. She holds a Doctor of Naturopathy degree from a nationally accredited and standardized program. She also has a rich family history of natural care. As a child, she used to help gather herbs with her grandmother, helping her grandfather with the traditional botanical mixtures they created together.
Since naturopathy is not yet licensed in Illinois as it is in several other states, we believe it’s important to check out any care center you intend to use. Steeped in tradition and refined by academic rigor, Olive Branch Wellness Center aims to bring the highest level of natural care to all of Kane County and beyond.
The Therapeutic Order
Naturopathy follows a distinct order of care. The way we apply this order is different in each situation, but it’s one of the guiding principles for everything we do as naturopaths. From the first priority to the last, here are the steps:
- Removing barriers to wellness and establishing the requirements for higher levels of vitality.
- Stimulating the body’s natural power and ability to be well.
- Supporting weakened with gentle, natural techniques and substances so that your inner tendency towards wellness can start to work.
- Realigning systems if they have fallen out of balance and are inhibiting your progress.
- Make you more comfortable with natural relief so you can start pursuing wellness.
In some areas and clinics, naturopaths might also perform minor surgeries or prescribe synthetic medications. However, Illinois has not licensed us to do this at this time. If you have any questions about that, or about how we work with conventional medical doctors to provide comprehensive care, please contact us.
Whole-Person Wellness and Vitality for You and Your Family
One of our main focus areas is on providing holistic, alternative care for individuals and families. Many people around Geneva, Bartlett, and St. Charles come to us regularly to maintain and increase their levels of wellness.
During a conventional doctor’s appointment, you can end up feeling like a number. This is because conventional medicine often focuses on analyzing you as a set of symptoms, identifying possible pathologies, running tests, and taking recommended courses of action. It can all seem very cold and analytical, especially when you’re rushed through appointments without the opportunity to say how you’re really feeling.
Naturopathy takes a different approach to individual and family wellness. We attempt to understand your entire situation and guide you towards the level of vitality you want, empowering you as a unique person. That means getting to know your family life, your mental and spiritual well-being, and your lifestyle before making recommendations or suggestions.
Wellness Plans for Companies and Other Organizations
Another aspect of our practice is advising and supporting corporate wellness plans. We work with a variety of companies as they seek to offer their employees alternative options. Our clients have found that having a gentle, natural alternative often makes people happy and keeps costs low. For more information, please feel free to contact us directly.
How To Get to Olive Branch Wellness Center From Geneva
If you’re in downtown Geneva, the quickest way to Olive Branch Wellness Center is via State Street to Randall Road. It’s really that simple — just take State west to Randall, head north, and then you’ll be at our doorstep in a matter of minutes.
We’re located in a commercial area at the corner of Randall Road and Stearns/McDonald Road. You’ll turn west at the light on Thornwood Avenue (if you reach McDonald/Stearns, you’ve gone too far). After you’re on Thornwood, turn right onto Briargate, which is the second right. We’re in the second building on your right. It’s two stories, made of tan brick, and you’ll see our name on a plaque near the front door.
Things To Do in Geneva
Speaking of Downtown Geneva, this little area along the Fox River is one of the most interesting places in Kane County. Along 3rd and State Streets, you’ll find a full range of restaurants, lounges, and shops. Then, right at the end of the 3rd Street strip, there’s a Metra station that serves as your gateway to everything Chicago has to offer.
A little further south, you have one of Geneva’s main historical attractions: the Fabyan preserve along the river. This park is especially notable for the Fabyan Villa museum with its carefully tended Japanese-style gardens. Of course, there are also many other trails, nature preserves, golf courses, and more in the area if it turns out we decide you might want to reconnect with nature as part of your wellness plan.
Geneva’s History
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, so there’s plenty of history here. Like many other communities in the area, it was once part of a network of trails and temporary settlements for Native American people.
Later, another mode of transit made a huge impact on the history of Geneva — the railroad. Like many other Chicagoland towns, the mid-1850’s freight, mail, and passenger connection to the Second City infused Geneva with economic growth and vibrant European immigrant culture.
If you’re keen on learning more, Geneva has a great local history museum. They offer a variety of fun tours. The town even has a Viking ship — although that’s more a relic of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair than it is of any local history. This is all just to say that if you’re a fan of the odd and wonderful, Geneva might have a few secrets that surprise you.
Naturopathy and Conventional Medicine
As proud as we are of the history and culture of our neighbors, our real focus at Olive Branch Wellness Center is keeping our community strong and vital. One of the questions we get most frequently about this is how naturopathy relates to conventional medical practice.
We tend to look at conventional medicine as another alternative in pursuing total wellness. This means that we’re always happy to work with conventional doctors. In fact, we know some conventional MDs who refer patients to us when they think they could benefit from our services.
Since the care we apply is gentle and natural — and since “do no harm” is a core ideal of naturopathy — we believe that anyone should feel safe coming to see us. We are well-versed in preventing any potential risks, and we work well with acupuncturists, massage therapists, physical therapists, family doctors, and a range of other medical specialists.
How To Prepare for Your First Visit to a Naturopathy Clinic
During your first visit, we want you to feel as comfortable as possible. We’ll have an in-depth conversation about your life for about an hour, and then probably get started with some naturopathic techniques or approaches you can take home with you.
You don’t have to bring anything specific — just come ready to talk. The more openly you share about what your challenges are, the better we’ll be able to work together to overcome them.
Scheduling Your Appointment
If you are interested in experiencing a different approach to wellness, please schedule your first appointment today. The best way to contact us is via phone at 630-370-7290 or by sending a message online. If you’re still on the fence, feel free to browse the rest of our website or check out our online reviews. We’ll hope to hear from you soon!