Sexual Health is one of the four pillars of health: Physical, Mental, Spiritual and Sexual. As a holistic healthcare provider, I believe that all of these pillars are a vital part of wellness.  The widely-adopted definition of sexual health developed by the World Health Organization is expansive. It includes concepts such as the absence of disease and coercion, and draws attention to sexual rights and to the possibility of sexual pleasure. Sexual health can involve wellness exams, annual gynecology exams and pap smears and breast exams and ruling out conditions that cause sexual pain and ..read more

We opened last year in November 2022 and have been proud to serve Bellingham and Washington State community members through the past year.  Thank you! In my desire to create a safe place for patients, I’ve created a safe place for myself. The medical industrial complex is harmful to everyone - patients and providers. By supporting Spectrum, you have been a vital part of my goal to integrate my life and my role as a healthcare provider in a sustainable way. This year has been a huge year for personal and professional growth. Providing care in a way that feels ethical and sustainable has b ..read more

At Spectrum you can be sure your provider always stands in support of your autonomy and respects your choices and control of your reproductive anatomy- and all of your anatomy. Feminist health care serves patients of all genders and sexual identities and  core beliefs center symmetry in provider-patient relationships, access to information, shared decision-making, and social change. We know that women’s healthcare outcomes improve when they get treatment from clinicians that trust them. Patients even have better surgical outcomes when they get surgeries from women surgeons. “Evidence has ..read more

All you need to know about medical letters of support for gender affirming surgeries.   Many patients call asking about these mysterious “letters” and want to know what they include. We’ll go over that below.  Letters are dumb. Letters are gatekeeping. End of article.  I wish.  I wish it was that simple. I wish we could all just acknowledge that they’re tedious, not evidence based, and then wish them away. Unfortunately, as long as insurance companies regulate our American for-profit health system, these letters aren’t going anywhere.  In our current syste ..read more

Parents will often ask when they should schedule a wellness visit for their kids with ovaries. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that adolescents first see a GYN provider when they're between the ages of 13 and 15, but this can also vary depending on your child’s needs. This is typically a visit with a primary relationship building purpose. This is a great way for your child to develop a relationship with a women’s healthcare provider, so they have a safe resource and place to share personal information in the future. Having a GYN provider is important ..read more

The tea on perimenopause and menopause Could it really be perimenopause or menopause? I’ve heard this over and over in clinic. As a menopause provider in Bellingham, WA, I get to walk with women in their menopause journey. Patients are often in disbelief that symptoms can be related to perimenopause or menopause. They’re often waiting for bleeding patterns to change before exploring menopause. Menopause is actually a 3 stage process: Perimenopause, Menopause, and Postmenopause. Menopause is signaled by 12 months since last menstruation, but symptoms typically begin in perimenopause, several y ..read more

Is it as simple as skipping the scale? Health and wellness goals can be pursued by all without a focus on weight. Skipping the scale at clinic visits is evidence-based, health-promoting, and most importantly, your choice to make. A health at every size approach, does not mean we never talk about food, diet or lifestyle, but it does center on several key principles. 5 Principles of Health At Every Size® Weight Inclusivity. Accept and respect the inherent diversity of body shapes and sizes and reject the idealizing or pathologizing of specific weights. Health Enhancement Respectful Care ..read more