By Caitlin Rothermel
On Vashon, conversations about health happen everywhere, all the time, and go well beyond the typical topics of diagnoses and drugs. We discuss what we eat, where that food came from, how we move, and how we want to age and ultimately die.
At a time when conventional healthcare can feel increasingly fragmented or distant, many Islanders have found their way to practitioners who take a more integrated, individualized approach. Naturopathic doctors – fully recognized as primary care providers in Washington State – are an important part of this model. Below is an introduction to Island practitioner, Leigh Siergiewicz, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND).
A Talk with Dr. Leigh Siergiewicz
Medical doctors (MDs) and NDs both receive extensive training, but the pathways and philosophies that shape their practices are different. Many people underestimate the training and qualifications required to become an ND – maybe in part because there are substantial variations in ND requirements by state, with Washington state being among the most robust.
As Leigh explained, the first two years of naturopathic medical school involve coursework in anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology – essentially mirroring the biomedical education an MD receives. But where MDs typically go on to specialize, naturopaths start as generalists. “We’re trained to be primary care providers from the beginning.”
Though trained as generalists, many NDs do specialize over time. Leigh has shaped her practice around women’s health, with a focus on issues like menstrual irregularities, fertility challenges, autoimmune disease, migraines, and digestive concerns. She also sees children.
A Different Kind of Patient Visit
What sets NDs apart is their incorporation of therapeutic modalities not typically emphasized in conventional medicine. Things like nutrition, herbal medicine, and homeopathy.
Within her focus, Leigh values the freedom to work in depth with her patients. “I want to be the guide for people, not a gatekeeper,” she explains. “Patients come in with ideas or concerns, sometimes from social media or friends. I help them untangle all the information that’s out there.”
For Leigh, a good candidate for naturopathic care is someone who is ready to be active in their healing process: “A lot of people come to me having seen a number of other healthcare providers that didn’t meet their needs. I’m still surprised how many patients tell me their stories of having their symptoms dismissed or weren’t offered more tests and screenings.”
Appointments are unhurried, with a focus on listening and trying to get to the root cause of symptoms. Leigh says, “People are often surprised by how much time I spend with them.” This visit structure contrasts sharply with the time constraints most MDs face.
Practicing on Vashon Island brings its own rewards and challenges. While often perceived as an affluent enclave, Leigh says many Vashon patients struggle with affordability. Leigh has never been in-network with insurance, and she has no plans to change that. “Insurance is organized crime,” she says, only half-joking. The paperwork burden, the unpredictable denials, and the need to “check boxes” just to get reimbursed all detract from the kind of care she wants to give.
Instead, she operates on a fee-for-service basis and provides receipts for patients to submit to their insurance if they choose. “Being out-of-network lets me work one-on-one with people, without compromise.”
Health, Responsibility, and the Limits of Protocols
Naturopathic care isn’t typically aimed at quick fixes through medication alone. Leigh emphasizes that lasting health requires commitment. “You need to sleep well, move your body, cook most of your food. At some point, everyone has to decide if it’s worth it to make those changes.”
She is also wary of algorithm-based medicine and overreliance on protocols. “When you have something like a urinary tract infection, a flow sheet is a useful resource, and there’s a time and a place for that.” But when protocols become too complex, they start to leave out the individual, and more complicated situations can be overlooked. “The healthcare industrial complex wants to treat millions of people the same way, but it just doesn’t work when you’re sitting with one person.”
What Leigh enjoys most is simply being with her patients. “The best part is when someone walks out and says, ‘You actually listened to me.’ That means everything.” She also appreciates the investigative side of medicine: digging into lab results, spotting unusual patterns, and finding the path forward. “It’s exciting when we discover something that explains what’s going on. Then we can actually do something about it.”
Dr. Leigh Siergiewicz graduated from Bastyr University in 2017 and moved to Vashon, where her husband grew up, in 2021. She has two young daughters. You can visit her website at betulanaturopathic.com or contact her at 253-330-8708.
