About – Dr. Cheryl Plaza

Hi! I’m Dr. Cheryl Plaza

I am a board-certified Naturopathic Physician and licensed Chinese Medicine practitioner, specializing in functional medicine and women’s hormone health. I established the Northwest Center for Natural Medicine in Olympia WA in 2001 with my husband and we have been practicing there for the past 18 years. I spend my free time with family, rejuvenating on my yoga mat and working to grow nutrient-dense food on our small organic farm.

What I Believe

I believe that a woman's transition through perimenopause and menopause is a pivotal turning point in a woman's life. It is a significant health ‘RITE OF PASSAGE' which shouldn’t be trivialized. One third to one-half of our lives are spent in menopause and the health choices we make at this time set the health stage of the rest of our lives.

I believe that too many women in midlife are suffering needlessly because no one is addressing the real cause of their hormone imbalance. Too many women are getting dismissed with sleeping pills and antidepressants for issues that arise as they transition from perimenopause into menopause. Sedating a hormone imbalance with medication will only create more chronic health problems down the road.

I believe that personalized medicine is the best way to optimize each woman’s transition into menopause. By integrating naturopathic therapies, functional medicine research, and advanced hormone and genetic testing, I work with women to create personalized protocols that suit each woman’s body, genetics, mind and spirit.

My Mission

My Goal is to educate women and let them know that midlife doesn't have to be the hormonal chaos they've been taught to fear and accept.

My Mission is to stop the hormonal chaos women experience by addressing the root cause of their symptoms so they can discover the safest and most effective way to deal with their hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and sleep issues.

My Passion is to encourage women to honor their uniqueness and inspire them to redesign their health from the inside out so they can create their own personalized health plan to shift from surviving to thriving in midlife and beyond.

My belief is that this kind of work empowers women’s bodies and spirit and that this kind of health transformation reverberates into their family’s lives and their community’s health. Healthy, strong, energetic, wise and inspired mature woman are what we need to make significant social change in our world.

Who I Help

I help women who feel unheard when they go to their health care providers. Perhaps you have been prescribed medications when you don't want any, or you've or just been told to ‘white knuckle it', and your symptoms are dismissed as a normal part of aging.

If you are reading this, you know there’s so much more going on in your body than what can be addressed in a quick 10-minute visit.

I help woman who feel overwhelmed by all the contradictory opinions and research claims about what they need to be doing for their bodies. It's a full-time job trying to separate fact from fiction in the sensationalized health trends that bombard your inboxes daily. It's easy to get overwhelmed, misdirected, and discouraged.

I help woman who are asking smart questions about complex issues and know there’s more to the story.

What is the best way for me to treat my symptoms if I have a family history of heart disease, osteoporosis or breast cancer?
What can I do for vaginal dryness if I have had estrogen positive breast cancer?
Is vaginal estrogen safe, is soy safe, what herbs are safe for me?
How do I know my hormone dosing is optimal for me? I have been told blood testing is not accurate.
How do my adrenals and thyroid affect my menopausal symptoms?

If you are reading this, you are an educated health savvy woman trying to figure out the best way to help yourself through this tumultuous time in your life. Intuitively you know that one size doesn’t fit all. The question that no one is answering for you is "what’s the most effective and safest treatment approach for you?”

I am here to help you clear the overwhelm, honor your individuality and help you discover the most efficient way for you to overcome your symptoms and thrive into menopause.

There is no one right way, but know there is an optimal way for you.
I am here to help you find it.

SEE SERVICES

Is this you?

Do you feel trapped in a body that seems to be failing you?
Are you suffering from hot flashes and night sweats?
Are you having more trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep?
Do you feel exhausted? Do you feel foggy or feel like your memory is failing you?
Is your PMS lasting for weeks on end?
Have your cycles become unpredictable or out of control?
Are you having more anxiety or panic attacks?
Have you started to isolate yourself from friends and family?
Do you feel like a stranger has taken over your body and you are left helpless to watch them rage on the people you love the most?
Have you lost touch with what used to bring you joy? Do you feel hopeless or depressed?
Do you feel stuck in a medical system that doesn't provide you with any clear answers?
Have you been told all your symptoms are a normal part of aging and you should get used to it, or have you been hastily dismissed by your physician with a prescription for sleeping pills, antidepressants or synthetic hormones with no explanation of side effects, no plan for monitoring them or a clear long-term strategy?
Have you tried hormones but suffered needlessly from side effects or feel they didn’t work?
Do you feel that there’s something more going on in your body than normal aging and no one is addressing the real cause of your fatigue, brain fog, mood swings or weight gain?
Have you tried all the ‘magical cure’ products that other women swear by, but they haven’t done anything for you?
Are you overwhelmed by all the conflicting advice you are getting from friends, family and the media?

Have you resigned yourself to the belief "This is as good as it’s going to get, and it’s all going downhill from here”?

I am here to encourage you to RAGE against this resignation!
I am here to encourage you to PRIORITIZE YOU and step into a Thriving Menopause.