Mast cell disorders are increasingly recognized, yet their diagnosis and management remain challenging. This lecture provides a practical, beyond-the-basics approach to evaluating and treating these complex conditions.

Key topics include differentiating mast cell activation syndrome from other mast cell disorders and understanding the limitations of laboratory testing. The role of underlying contributors such as mold exposure and long COVID will be reviewed, along with common co-morbid conditions including POTS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, SIBO/IFO, fibromyalgia, and histamine intolerance.

The session will also address medication tolerance, including sensitivity to drug excipients, and provide a practical overview of both pharmaceutical and natural treatment strategies. Emphasis will be placed on individualized, stepwise care to improve patient outcomes.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), originally developed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, are increasingly recognized for their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties in autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrate that GLP-1 RAs can attenuate inflammatory cytokine expression, modulate innate and adaptive immune responses, and improve metabolic parameters, with some evidence of direct disease-modifying effects in inflammatory arthritis. Compared to traditional biologic therapies, GLP-1 RAs offer potential advantages in managing metabolic comorbidities and may serve as adjuncts or alternatives to biologics in certain populations.

Perimenopause and menopause are increasingly recognized as critical neuroendocrine transition states, not just reproductive milestones. During this period, abrupt declines and fluctuations in estrogen and other steroid hormones can disrupt brain energy metabolism, neurotransmission, and connectivity, leading to the unmasking of previously compensated or subclinical neurocognitive and psychiatric vulnerabilities. This phenomenon explains why women may experience new or worsened depressive episodes, anxiety, subjective cognitive complaints, mild cognitive impairment, or mild behavioral impairment during the menopausal transition. Beyond psychiatric and cognitive syndromes, neurologic diseases including migraine, seizures, early Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis also demonstrate shifting patterns during perimenopause and menopause, some worsening in association with hormone withdrawal. This presentation will explore the mechanisms, risk factors, and clinical relevance of unmasking, review evidence for management strategies (including the timing and role of hormone replacement therapy) and highlight opportunities for individualized, integrative, and functional approaches to supporting brain health across the menopausal transition. Participants will leave with practical tools for identifying at-risk patients, understanding the neuroendocrine mechanisms at play, and navigating complex decision-making about HRT, pharmacological, and non-pharmacological interventions.

Pain remains one of the most common and complex conditions in clinical practice. Herbal medicine offers a rich pharmacopeia of analgesic, antispasmodic, and nervine plants and plant formulations that can be used as primary or adjunctive therapies. This session explores a comprehensive botanical framework for pain management, spanning herbal materia medica, formulation strategies, topical applications, and the integration of herbs into manual therapies—an approach known as procedural herbalism. Attendees will deepen their understanding of pain physiology, herbal therapeutics for different pain patterns, and the safe clinical use of both common and low-dose botanicals.

Approximately  23% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2024. That statistic is expected to continue to rise, making depression and its related comorbidities an increasingly common condition presenting to primary care and integrative physicians. Of adults with depression, 55% are considered “treatment-resistant”- i.e. unresponsive to standard of care therapies - implying a major gap in our ability to understand and treat depression. To date, many practitioners address depression as form of dysregulation in other organ systems. But what do we do when depression is the primary concern? This presentation will cover the diagnostic criteria for “difficult to treat depression” (formerly “treatment-resistant depression"). We’ll then cover differing mechanistic theories of depression, including the drivers of anhedonia- a major cause of distress among DTD patients. Lastly, we’ll cover both novel FDA-approved pharmacologic and naturopathic treatment options that - in combination - can greatly improve the quality of life for patients with depression, with some case examples as time permits.

Peptide therapy has rapidly expanded within longevity and biohacking spaces, yet its application to complex chronic illness requires fundamentally different clinical reasoning and practice. Dr. Nafysa Parpia has been treating patients with the following diagnoses for the past decade and a half, with a focus on using Peptide Therapies over the past eight years: Lyme and co-infections, mold/mycotoxin related illness, environmentally acquired illnesses, MCAS, and Long Covid. These patients tend to be highly sensitive with multi-systemic and multi-diagnostic illnesses taking place simultaneously. Through her extensive experience treating this patient population with Peptide Therapies and Bioregulators, Dr. Parpia has created a framework by which to modulate immune dysregulation, reduce metaflammation, prepare for detoxification, and treat chronic infections using these substances. This presentation outlines a structured sequencing model—developed through extensive clinical experience—for introducing peptides in a manner that prevents mast-cell activation syndrome, excessive immune activation, or paradoxical reactions common in this population.

Mitochondrial decline and epigenetic dysregulation are two of the most overlooked drivers of accelerated aging, hormone imbalance, and chronic disease. As physicians, we see the downstream effects every day—fatigue, brain fog, metabolic dysfunction, infertility, and inflammation—yet standard protocols often fall short in addressing the root causes. This presentation will offer practical, evidence-based protocols for cultivating mitochondrial resilience and supporting epigenetic renewal. Drawing from the latest research in functional medicine, genomics, and longevity science, participants will learn how to integrate clinical pearls and step-by-step strategies into patient care. Case studies will illustrate how targeted nutrition, lifestyle interventions, and precision supplementation can rewire cellular health, restore hormonal harmony, and improve patient outcomes. Attendees will walk away with tools to immediately apply in practice—protocols that not only extend lifespan but also enhance healthspan, giving patients more years of energy, vitality, and resilience.

This presentation will provide an overview of Washington State laws relevant to providing care for minors, including access, confidentiality, and unhoused youth. The presentation will include an overview of key clinical documents, confidentiality safeguards, and other considerations when providing care to minors.

Visceral hypersensitivity (VH) is a commonly encountered clinical condition that very few know how to recognize and manage effectively. An estimated 1/3 - 2/3 of all patients with functional abdominal pain conditions (i.e. IBS, Functional dyspepsia, pediatric functional abdominal pain, etc.) have VH, and treating VH as its own distinct component of these conditions is essential to their effective management. This presentation will review key underlying pathophysiology behind the development of VH, how to recognized it in clinic, and how to formulate a multi-pronged treatment plan using a variety of interventions. We will cover key pharmacologic management tools, and attendees will walk away with example treatment plans to implement immediately in clinic.

Cardiovascular disease is a well-known side effect of tobacco consumption, but what about all of the other substances we humans use recreationally? This lecture will review cardiovascular health effects from caffeine, cannabis, alcohol, entheogens, opioids, and stimulants. In the case of opioids and stimulants, we will review both prescription and illicit forms of these medications. Data reviewed will focus on human observational studies, clinical trials, population studies, and meta-analyses, as there is available data.

Chronic Pain is a common condition, prompting patients to seek care from a range of healthcare providers. This lecture will review key principles in assessment of chronic pain (including psychological factors that must be understood), natural treatment approaches, and opioid and non-opioid pharmacological treatment. We will additionally discuss critical aspects related to the use of controlled substances.

Chronic disease is often very treatable with diet and lifestyle change but creating that change can be a challenge. In the end, doctors can’t do it for their patients and, furthermore, we can’t blame our patients when they don’t have the support they need to succeed. Sometimes it takes a village, and it seems that fewer people than ever have a village to lean on. Group medical visits change this by creating a spontaneous community for social connection and support, while also providing adequate time for real learning to happen and leveraging a business model that makes it a viable solution for any practice. Sound good? Systematic reviews find this model cost effective, with greater doctor and patient satisfaction and delivering superior outcomes with chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes than 1-on-1 visits. In this talk, Dr. Greg Yasuda will present his group medical visit model called Foundations 360 that he launched at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle, WA, in winter 2025 and was expanded to the Bastyr University Clinic in San Diego, CA, in 2026. You will learn how the program is structured and why, what some of the most important takeaways have been, and you will also be provided with guidance and resources about how to build your own group program. While group visits do not replace 1-on-1 visits, they fill a critical need in the medical landscape and are an ideal vehicle for naturopathic medicine.

As a sponsored talk from Gilead Sciences, this presentation is for informational purposes only and will not include CE credit.

Digestive and immune concerns are increasingly prevalent in pediatric populations, often rooted in disruptions to the gut microbiome and inadequate fiber intake. In this presentation, Dr. Daina Parent explores a food-first, clinically informed approach to supporting pediatric health, highlighting how whole food–based ingredients—shaped by regenerative farming practices, nutrient density, and ongoing nutrition research—can be translated into meaningful clinical applications. Attendees will gain insight into the role of diverse fibers and microbiome support in digestive and immune function. SP Children’s® ProSynbiotic will be presented as an example of a multi-fiber synbiotic formulation informed by clinically studied ingredients, formulated to support pediatric digestive function, microbiome balance, and immune resilience.

As a sponsored talk from Standard Process, this presentation is for informational purposes only and will not include CE credit.