What does a naturopathic doctor do?

A naturopathic doctor is a regulated primary care provider who diagnoses and treats health conditions using evidence-informed natural therapies — clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, lifestyle counselling, acupuncture, and targeted supplementation. In Ontario, NDs complete a four-year post-graduate medical program and pass board exams to become licensed by the College of Naturopaths of Ontario. The focus is on identifying the root cause of symptoms — hormones, gut, thyroid, stress, nutrient gaps — and building a plan specific to the patient's body, labs, and life.

Do I need a referral to see a naturopathic doctor in Ontario?

No — you do not need a referral to see a naturopathic doctor in Ontario. You can book directly. Naturopathic doctors are licensed by the College of Naturopaths of Ontario and can order labs, interpret results, and work alongside your family doctor or specialist. Many patients see an ND concurrently with their MD.

Is naturopathic care covered by insurance in Ontario?

Naturopathic visits are not covered by OHIP, but most extended health benefit plans in Ontario include naturopathic coverage — typical amounts range from $300 to $1,500 per year. After each visit, patients receive a detailed receipt to submit to their insurer for reimbursement. Specialty lab testing is billed separately and may also be partially covered. Patients are encouraged to confirm coverage with their insurer directly.

How is naturopathic care different from seeing my family doctor?

Family doctors diagnose disease and prescribe medication. Naturopathic care fills a different gap: longer appointments, deeper history-taking, functional testing that often isn't ordered in conventional practice, and time to build a personalised plan around food, sleep, stress, and supplementation. A naturopathic doctor is not a replacement for a family doctor but a complement — together, patients get acute care when needed and root-cause care for chronic concerns.

How is a naturopathic doctor different from a holistic nutritionist or health coach?

A naturopathic doctor (ND) is a regulated medical professional licensed by the College of Naturopaths of Ontario, with a four-year post-graduate medical degree and the legal scope to diagnose conditions, order lab tests, and prescribe natural therapies. Holistic nutritionists and health coaches are not regulated medical professionals and cannot diagnose, order labs, or interpret results clinically.

Do you see patients in person or virtually?

Dr. Sonya Arrigo sees patients both in person at her Toronto clinic and virtually across Ontario by secure video. New patients can choose either format for the first visit. Virtual care works well for most concerns including hormones, thyroid, gut, stress, and pediatric conditions, while in-person visits are recommended when physical assessment or acupuncture is part of the plan.

What conditions does Dr. Sonya Arrigo treat?

Dr. Sonya Arrigo focuses on six condition areas: perimenopause, menopause and PCOS; thyroid conditions including Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism; gut issues like IBS and SIBO; stress, sleep and burnout; pediatric eczema; and pediatric allergies and recurrent infections. Patients with concerns outside these areas are encouraged to book a free 15-minute discovery call to determine fit.

How long does it take to see results with naturopathic care?

Most patients notice meaningful change within 6 to 12 weeks, though timelines vary by condition. Sleep, energy and digestion often shift in the first 2–4 weeks. Hormone-related concerns typically take 2–3 months because they follow the rhythm of the menstrual cycle. Hashimoto's, SIBO, and pediatric eczema are usually 3–6 months of focused work followed by a maintenance phase. Clear check-in points are built into every treatment plan.

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TORONTO · VAUGHAN · VIRTUAL ACROSS ONTARIO

Real answers, not just prescriptions.

Naturopathic care for women's hormonal health, fertility, gut health, and pediatrics — in person at Insight Naturopathic Clinic in Leaside, or virtually anywhere in Ontario.

Real answers, not just prescriptions.

Naturopathic care for women's hormonal health, fertility, gut health, and pediatrics — in person at Insight Naturopathic Clinic in Leaside, or virtually anywhere in Ontario. Visits available in English and Spanish.

BOOK a free 15-min discovery call

✓FREE 15-MINUTE DISCOVERY CALL

✓COVERED BY MOST EXTENDED HEALTH PLANS

✓BILINGUAL CARE · ENGLISH & SPANISH

✓NO REFERRAL REQUIRED

Conditions I Treat

Adults

Hormonal change isn't only about menopause. Perimenopause, the four-to-ten years before your last period can bring sleep changes, mood shifts, weight gain, irregular cycles, and new anxiety, often starting in your 30s or 40s. PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) is the most common hormonal condition in women of reproductive age in Canada and can affect cycles, skin, fertility, and metabolic health. Both are common, both are real, and both deserve more than a "your labs are normal."
Your thyroid sets the pace for your metabolism, mood, energy, and temperature regulation. Hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis the autoimmune condition behind most hypothyroidism in Canada typically show up as fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, constipation, brain fog, and feeling cold all the time. A "normal" TSH alone is rarely enough to rule it out.
Bloating, irregular bowel habits, and unexplained food sensitivities aren't just inconveniences they're signals that something underneath is out of balance. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects roughly one in seven Canadians, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is one of the most common drivers of IBS-D (diarrhea), IBS-C (constipation), and chronic bloating. Once the underlying pattern is identified, gut symptoms are often among the fastest concerns to settle.
Fertility is shaped by far more than reproductive hormones. Sleep, stress, blood sugar, thyroid function, gut health, and nutrient status all play measurable roles in egg and sperm quality. Whether you're preparing for your first cycle of trying, navigating unexplained infertility, recovering from pregnancy loss, or supporting an IVF cycle, the work happens in the 90 or so days before conception when both egg and sperm quality are still being formed.
The "fourth trimester" is rarely four months, it's often closer to two years. Postpartum recovery involves real physiological shifts: sleep deprivation, hormone resets, depleted iron and B12 stores, thyroid recalibration, and the cognitive and emotional weight of new parenthood. Whether it's been six weeks or two years since you gave birth, postpartum care is about replenishing what was used up not just managing the day-to-day.
Burnout isn't always laziness or a personality flaw, it is a measurable physiological state. Chronic stress shifts cortisol patterns, disrupts blood sugar, fragments sleep architecture, and depletes the nutrients your nervous system needs to function. The most common signs are wired-but-tired evenings, 3 a.m. wake-ups, low motivation, short fuse, and a heavy reliance on caffeine to start the day. Stress, sleep, and burnout are foundational, addressing them usually unlocks progress on everything else.

Pediatrics

Pediatric eczema (atopic dermatitis) affects roughly one in five Canadian children and rarely has a single cause. It's a relapsing-remitting skin condition shaped by skin-barrier function, immune balance, the gut microbiome, and food and environmental triggers which is why steroid creams help during flares but the eczema often keeps coming back. A more complete picture looks at what's happening underneath the skin, not just on it.
Children who keep catching everything, struggle with seasonal or environmental allergies, or react to common foods are often dealing with an immune system that's running too hot in some areas and too quiet in others. Recurrent ear infections, persistent runny noses, and the eczema-allergy-asthma cluster share common roots in gut health, nutrient status, and early immune development which is why a whole-child approach often does what isolated symptom management can't.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental difference not a discipline issue or a parenting failure. Naturopathic care does not replace ADHD assessment, diagnosis, or medication when it's needed; it works alongside them by addressing the modifiable contributors that shape attention, mood, and behaviour: sleep, blood sugar, gut health, iron and zinc status, omega-3 levels, and food triggers. The goal is a more regulated baseline so every other support works better.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference, not something to "cure." Naturopathic care for autistic children focuses on the medical co-occurrences that often come alongside autism, sleep difficulties, gut symptoms, picky eating, anxiety, immune imbalance, and nutritional gaps addressing them gently and respectfully so your child feels better in their own body. It's collaborative work, always alongside your child's medical and developmental team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A naturopathic doctor is a regulated primary care provider who diagnoses and treats health conditions using evidence-informed natural therapies, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, lifestyle counselling, acupuncture, and targeted supplementation. In Ontario, NDs complete a four-year post-graduate medical program and pass board exams to become licensed by the College of Naturopaths of Ontario. My focus is on identifying the root cause of your symptoms, hormones, gut, thyroid, stress, nutrient gaps and building a plan that's specific to your body, your labs, and your life.
No! You do not need a referral to see a naturopathic doctor in Ontario. You can book directly. I'm a licensed ND with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario, which means I can order labs, interpret results, and work alongside your family doctor or specialist. Many of my patients are seeing me concurrently with their MD. If anything I find on a lab needs medical follow-up, I'll tell you clearly.
Naturopathic visits are not covered by OHIP, but most extended health benefit plans in Ontario include naturopathic coverage, typical amounts range from $300 to $1,500 per year. After each visit you'll receive a detailed receipt that you can submit to your insurer for reimbursement. Lab testing and similar specialty panels are billed separately and may also be partially covered. I'd encourage you to call your insurer once and ask specifically about "naturopathic doctor" coverage that's the answer you need.
Family doctors are trained to diagnose disease and prescribe medication and they do that well. Naturopathic care fills a different gap: the long appointments, the deeper history-taking, the functional testing that often isn't ordered in conventional practice, and the time to build a personalised plan around food, sleep, stress, and supplementation. I'm not a replacement for your family doctor. Most of my patients keep both. Together, you get acute care when you need it and root-cause care for the chronic stuff that medication alone hasn't resolved.
A naturopathic doctor (ND) is a regulated medical professional licensed by the College of Naturopaths of Ontario, with a four-year post-graduate medical degree and the legal scope to diagnose conditions, order lab tests, and prescribe natural therapies, including some prescription substances under Ontario's prescribing authority. Holistic nutritionists and health coaches are not regulated medical professionals and cannot diagnose, order labs, or interpret results clinically. If you want someone who can read your bloodwork, run a SIBO breath test, and connect symptoms to a clinical picture, that's an ND.
Both. My in-person practice is in Toronto, and I see patients virtually across Ontario by secure video. New patients can choose either format for the first visit most start with whichever fits their schedule and switch as needed. If we're working on something where in-person assessment matters (like acupuncture or a physical exam), I'll let you know. Otherwise, virtual care works well for most of what I treat. hormones, thyroid, gut, stress, and pediatric concerns included.
I focus on six condition areas where root-cause naturopathic care tends to make the biggest difference: perimenopause, menopause and PCOS; thyroid conditions including Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism; gut issues like IBS and SIBO; stress, sleep and burnout, low iron and iron deficiency; pediatric eczema; and pediatric allergies and recurrent infections. You can see how I approach each one on my Conditions page. If your concern doesn't appear on that list, please book a free 15-minute discovery call I’'ll tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit or refer you to someone who is.
Most patients notice meaningful change within 6 to 12 weeks, though it depends on what we're working on. Sleep, energy and digestion often shift in the first 3–6 weeks. Hormone-related concerns like cycle regulation or perimenopausal symptoms typically take 2–3 months because they're tied to the rhythm of your cycle. Hashimoto's, SIBO, and pediatric eczema are usually 3–6 months of focused work, then a maintenance phase. I build clear check-in points into every plan so we can see what's working and adjust early, not wait six months and hope.