Meet Dr. Jillian Smithers | Naturopathic Medical Doctor, Founder, and CEO of The Hormone Doctor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Jillian Smithers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Jillian, what makes you happy? Why?
The biggest aspects of my business that make me happy are being able to spend lots of time with my patients and truly listen to their concerns and goals, connecting with them and laughing throughout our appointments, and seeing them thrive and reach their optimal state of health and well-being.

Most women who come in to see me are struggling with fatigue, insomnia, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, brain fog and cognitive concerns, period issues (like bloating, cramping, breakouts, headaches/migraines, mood changes, etc.), trouble getting pregnant, hair loss or thinning (and even hair growth in areas where they don’t want it), anxiety and depression, bloating after meals due to undiagnosed food sensitivities, and more.

So, when they come in, being able to truly listen to what they’re experiencing, how it feels to them, how it’s affecting their life, and what they’re looking to get out of our treatments makes me so happy. No one comes in to see me because they feel well, in fact, so many of my patients come in originally feeling helpless and dismissed by the mainstream medical community and have already been told that “everything is normal.”

My approach to medicine is normal is not optimal. Just because someone’s labs have been within the “normal ranges” does not mean that they are optimal or even at all reasonable for that particular patient. It boggles my mind how many of my patients have been told that this is just how they’re going to feel from this point on and I’m so happy that I get to meet with them and offer a different approach.

I love to have fun in our appointments. It truly feels like I’m spending time with women who I’ve known and been friends with forever, even during our initial consultation. That connection, even if it’s over video, is so important because you need someone who you can trust and feel comfortable with when they’re in your health circle. Getting to spend my days like that really refuels my energetic battery and I am so grateful for it.

Of course, what makes me happiest is seeing my patients improve and start to feel like themselves again! It is such an honor to be in that space with them and have even a small role in their journey. Many patients have continued to see me for years, even if it’s just annually, to keep checking in and making sure that we’re doing everything that we can for them to feel amazing. I feel very humbled and blessed that I can love what I do so much and I believe that has been a huge factor in the overall success of my business.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am a Naturopathic Medical Doctor and the Founder and CEO of my private practice, The Hormone Doctor, in Tempe. Prior to medical school, I was living in Nova Scotia, Canada, where I was born and raised, getting my BSc in Biology and Psychology with a Concentration in Neuroscience from Acadia University.

While entrepreneurship (or anything worth doing in life, really) is never easy nor is success guaranteed, I have been able to overcome any obstacles and challenges through my love for what I do combined with my vehement stubbornness. I am really proud of the growth that we’ve seen over the last four years and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

I specialize in female and male hormone imbalances, thyroid disorders, and adrenal disorders. I see lots of women in their 20s and 30s with PCOS, PMS/PMDD, fibroids, subfertility, acne, gut issues, and more and continue treating women going through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. What sets me apart from other practitioners is a root-cause, whole-person approach. Our treatments focus on diet and lifestyle combined with utilizing the best of nature’s medicine in herbal and supplemental forms. We do also have prescription rights, however, which I certainly use when appropriate. My treatment is all about meeting the patient where they’re at and creating a customized treatment plan for them specifically.

I am passionate about helping my patients get back to living their lives because I see every day how many people are living with symptoms that they feel are completely controlling their lives, their relationships, their profession, and more.

The process of working together is starting with an Initial Consultation, which can be in-office or virtual. That appointment is 60 minutes and we go through every symptom in more detail than most patients have experienced before. We also dive into past medical history, family history, supplements and medications that they’re currently on, and their diet and exercise. My main goal in that appointment is to learn as much as my patient as possible, so that I can be the best doctor for their individual needs.
From there, we order extensive and customized lab work. For most of my patients, this is looking like 12-15 pages of labs and taking a really deep dive into the root cause of what’s going on. When the labs are back, we meet again to review them all line by line, explaining what each marker is, what it means if it’s high or low, what the optimal range is compared to the “normal” range, what signs and symptoms it can cause if it’s off, and what are we going to do about it treatment wise so that we can get each patient set up for success.

My biggest measure of success in my practice is seeing my patients begin to improve. Naturopathic physicians shine in our ability to improve the quality of life of our patients. While there’s no magic pill and all great things take time, I do expect patients to be feeling noticeably better just 4-6 weeks after starting on their individualized treatment.

Remember, your physician and anyone in your health circle is your partner. Their role is to support, motivate, educate, and empower you on that journey. Myself and other naturopathic physicians, along with other practitioners in the functional medicine space, truly want to work with you to see you thrive and live in your optimal state of health and well-being and get you to a point where you not only feel better, you feel your best.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Very conveniently, I have recently had two of my best friends and my mom come visit me from Canada at separate times, so I’ve done lots of planning like this! There are two restaurants in particular that I take every guest to: Persepshen on Central and Camelback in Phoenix and the Peppermill on McClintock and Elliot in Tempe. They are both absolutely amazing every single time and have seasonal, rotating menus with the most incredible ingredients. They’re also both family owned, which I love. I also love taking guests to the Desert Botanical Garden, especially around Christmas when they have the luminaries, and one short-trips up to Cottonwood, Jerome, Sedona, or Flagstaff to show them different parts of our amazing state.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve been fortunate to have had many people in my corner who’ve supported me at different times in my life, first being my parents. My father died of cancer when I was 13, which really solidified my goal of becoming a physician, and from that point on it was just my mom and I. She sacrificed so much for me in every way, but especially to ensure that my education was always a top priority. We definitely didn’t have things easy and nothing was ever guaranteed, but we always got through every storm together and I will always be eternally grateful for everything that she has done, and continues to do, for me.

And, of course, my husband has been my biggest supporter over our last 11 years together. We met in medical school, supporting each other throughout, but where his support has really shown was when I decided to take the giant leap of faith and open up my own practice – at the beginning of the pandemic. I worked from home for the month of April and, a few weeks in, decided that I was going to quit my job and be my own boss by my 30th birthday, which was 2.5 weeks away at the time. He was immediately supportive and has been there for me every step of the way, as he always has, and I couldn’t ask for a better sidekick in life.

Lastly, my mother and father-in-law have also always supported me and given me advice and encouragement whenever I needed it. They’ve always treated me and loved me like one of their own kids. They are also both naturopathic doctors, so their knowledge, expertise, understanding, and love of our profession is unmatched.

Website: https://www.thehormonedoctoraz.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehormonedoctor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjilliansmithers

Other: Call or text: 602-576-6640
Email: info@thehormonedoctoraz.com

Image Credits
Our wedding photo credit to Jill Roberts Photography.