Clinique du Lac
Integrative Mental Health
Dr. Karen Chambers
Services Offered:
Appointments can be made for virtual mental health evaluations and follow up visits.
Initial evaluation
Initial evaluations consist of a one (1) hour-long appointment with Dr. Chambers. Prior to the first appointment, patients will be sent and asked to fill out a medical health questionnaire in preparation for the meeting.
First visits will focus largely on the medical history of the patient (and where applicable, to their biological relatives), as well as assessment of mental and physical symptoms of their condition. As part of this assessment, patients will likely be requested to get various types of lab testing conducted afterwards.
Second visits will revolve around exploring lab test findings and the plotting of a more long-term treatment plan with the patient.
We help with
Mood Disorders
Anxiety
Depression
Born and raised in Ottawa, Karen Chambers originally pursued and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature before making the decision to pursue medicine as a career. In 1995, she graduated from medical school at Université de Montréal with her MD, and completed her residency in Family Medicine through McGill University at their Gatineau campus in 1997.
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative Medicine is a holistic approach towards the practice of medicine that seeks to discern and correct the root causes of ailments, and recognizes the inextricable link between physical and mental health.
When the body is unhealthy, the mind suffers with it, and vice versa. As such, practitioners of Integrative Medicine seek to improve the overall health of a patient by investigating the source of their suffering and finding an effective and sustainable treatment plan for each individual, as opposed to prescribing treatments for symptoms without addressing their root cause. Common themes in Integrative Medicine include the role of the gut microbiome and it’s relationship to the rest of the body (and especially to the brain); the role of inflammation and it’s effects on chronic illnesses; the role of genetics in the expression and treatment of physical and mental conditions; the crucial effects of nutrition, diet, and lifestyle on the body and mind.
Unlike Alternative Medicine (with which it is often confused and conflated), Integrative Medicine does not seek to replace modern medicine with more “natural” cures, and is instead a philosophy of holistic examination and treatment. Indeed, many severe conditions could not be efficiently treated without the advances of modern pharmacology.
As such, there is a vital role for prescribed medication in Integrative Medicine - however, due to the myriad potential negative side effects of many medications (especially when mixed together or taken in large doses) and the scientifically proven efficacy of alternative treatments and supplements, many practitioners of Integrative Medicine (including Dr. Chambers) choose to take a “less is more” approach towards prescribing medications, doing so when it is deemed effective and appropriate, but no more than is necessary, and always in consultation with the patient.
Dr. Karen Chambers has chosen to dedicate the next chapter of her career towards doing her part address the global mental health crisis, bringing her decades of medical experience and expertise to the table with the goal of providing quality integrative care to her patients in a lasting and meaningful way.
Dr. Chambers is highly familiar with broad matters of mental health in both interpersonal and professional capacities, and is qualified to diagnose and prescribe for psychological conditions. More than that, patients can expect an open-minded, non-judgemental encounter come time for their appointment.